Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Austin, Texas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Austin, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,008 miles (or 1,623 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 Ellsworth Air Force Base and Austin–Bergstrom International Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• In March 1994, Ellsworth welcomed the 34th Bomb Squadron, a geographically separated unit that was awaiting airfield upgrades before it could return to its parent organization, the 366th Wing, at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• After the Army closed their facilities, the military housing at the Nike Integrated Fire Control sites was transferred to control of Ellsworth, and was used as Air Force military family housing until about 1990.
• The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• 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.

Facts about Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS):

• In 1942, the city of Austin purchased land and donated the land to the United States government for a military installation, with the stipulation that the city would get the land back when the government no longer needed it.
• A consolidated rental car facility is under construction that will move counter, pick up, and drop off facilities to a new 900 space structure adjacent to the existing parking garage, allowing currently utilized spaces to be converted to additional close-in short term parking.
• Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) has 2 runways.
• Bergstrom had the designator BSM until Mueller's final closure in 1999, when it took Mueller's IATA code of AUS.
• Austin–Bergstrom International Airport is located on the old site of Bergstrom Air Force Base.
• Currently, there are over 150 daily departures to 44 destinations in the U.S., Mexico, and United Kingdom.
• The closest airport to Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is Austin Executive Airport (EDC), which is located only 15 miles (24 kilometers) NNE of AUS.
• Austin–Bergstrom International Airport handled 10,017,958 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,050 miles (17,783 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Runway 17L/35R is a new 9,000 foot runway on the east side of the terminal and parallel with runway 17R/35L.
• Because of Austin–Bergstrom International Airport's relatively low elevation of 542 feet, planes can take off or land at Austin–Bergstrom 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.