Nonstop flight route between Presque Isle, Maine, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle (PQI), Presque Isle, Maine, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,694 miles (or 2,726 kilometers).

A Great Circle is the shortest distance between 2 points on a sphere. Because most world maps are flat (but the Earth is round), the route of the shortest distance between 2 points on the Earth will often appear curved when viewed on a flat map, especially for long distances. If you were to simply draw a straight line on a flat map and measure a very long distance, it would likely be much further than if you were to lay a string between those two points on a globe. Because of the relatively short distance between Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle and Ellsworth Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle (PQI):

• Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle covers an area of 1,489 acres at an elevation of 534 feet above mean sea level.
• The closest airport to Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle (PQI) is Caribou Municipal Airport (CAR), which is located only 13 miles (20 kilometers) N of PQI.
• During World War II, the federal government appropriated the airport, establishing an air base for planes bound to and from Great Britain.
• Because of Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle's relatively low elevation of 534 feet, planes can take off or land at Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
• Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle (PQI) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle (PQI) is Albany Airport (ALH), which is located 11,570 miles (18,620 kilometers) away in Albany, Western Australia, Australia.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• The closest airport to Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA) is Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) S of RCA.
• The furthest airport from Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,579 miles (17,026 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• On 15 July 1945, the 225th AAFBU was inactivated and Rapid City AAB was placed on standby status as the Army Air Forces began to demobilize.
• To provide air defense of the base, the United States Army established the Ellsworth AFB Defense Area in 1957 and constructed Nike-Ajax Surface-to-air missile sites for air defense.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• The 740th AC&W Squadron began operations in 1955 with AN/MPS-7 search radar, and initially the station functioned as a Ground-Control Intercept and warning station.
• On 1 June 1971, SAC deactivated the 821st Strategic Aerospace Division and by October of that year, an upgraded LGM-30F Minuteman II also replaced the Minuteman I missiles.
• In March 1944, heavy bomber operational training ended and the 225th Army Air Force Base Unit began training of replacement personnel for deployed heavy bombardment units in the overseas combat theaters.