Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Arly, Burkina Faso:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Arly Airport (ARL), Arly, Burkina Faso would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,364 miles (or 10,241 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 large distance between Ellsworth Air Force Base and Arly Airport, the route shown on this map most likely appears curved because of this reason.

Try it at home! Get a globe and tightly lay a string between Ellsworth Air Force Base and Arly Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• 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.
• When operations resumed in 1947 the base was a new United States Air Force asset.
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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 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.
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.
• 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.

Facts about Arly Airport (ARL):

• In addition to being known as "Arly Airport", another name for ARL is "Arly Airport (Arly)".
• Arly Airport (ARL) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Arly Airport (ARL) is Diapaga Airport (DIP), which is located 38 miles (61 kilometers) NNE of ARL.
• Because of Arly Airport's relatively low elevation of 761 feet, planes can take off or land at Arly Airport 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.
• The furthest airport from Arly Airport (ARL) is Aéroport de Futuna - Pointe-Vele Pointe Vele Airport (FUT), which is nearly antipodal to Arly Airport (meaning Arly Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Aéroport de Futuna - Pointe-Vele Pointe Vele Airport), and is located 12,247 miles (19,709 kilometers) away in Futuna Island, Wallis and Futuna Islands.