Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Arad, Romania:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Arad International Airport (ARW), Arad, Romania would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,331 miles (or 8,580 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 Arad International 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 Arad International 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):

• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• 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 base experienced one of its worst peacetime tragedies in March 1953 when an RB-36 and its entire crew of 23 crashed in Newfoundland while returning from a routine exercise in Europe.
• Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
• 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.
• In 1986, the base and the 28 BMW made extensive preparations to phase out the aging B-52 fleet and become the second home for the advanced B-1B Lancer.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• The airfield was again temporarily shut down from September 1946 – March 1947 and underwent a major construction program to upgrade the temporary wartime facilities to that of a permanent base.
• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".

Facts about Arad International Airport (ARW):

• Its location permits easy access for the companies operating in the counties near Arad for transporting cargo.
• Arad International Airport (ARW) currently has only 1 runway.
• Arad International Airport handled 39,901 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Arad International Airport (ARW) is Timișoara Traian Vuia International Airport (TSR), which is located 26 miles (41 kilometers) S of ARW.
• The furthest airport from Arad International Airport (ARW) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,558 miles (18,600 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• A runway extension to 2500 m has been proposed for the past couple of years, however no viable financial solution has been found.
• Because of Arad International Airport's relatively low elevation of 352 feet, planes can take off or land at Arad International 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.
• In addition to being known as "Arad International Airport", another name for ARW is "Aeroportul Internațional Arad".