Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Avon Park, Florida, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Avon Park Executive Airport (AVO), Avon Park, Florida, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,653 miles (or 2,660 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 Avon Park Executive 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):

• Air Defense Command activated the 740th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Rapid City AFB on 1 February 1953 under the ADC 31st Air Division.
• 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.
• On 1 June 1992, as part of the first major reorganization since the creation of USAF, the Air Force inactivated Strategic Air Command and assigned Ellsworth's organizations ) to the newly activated Air Combat Command.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
• The mission of the 28th Bomb Wing is to deliver decisive combat power for global response.
• Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.

Facts about Avon Park Executive Airport (AVO):

• The furthest airport from Avon Park Executive Airport (AVO) is Shark Bay Airport (MJK), which is located 11,498 miles (18,504 kilometers) away in Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.
• Training Command inactivated the military flying school on 16 October 1944 as part of the drawdown of AAFTC's pilot training program.
• The closest airport to Avon Park Executive Airport (AVO) is Sebring Regional Airport (SEF), which is located only 15 miles (24 kilometers) SE of AVO.
• Avon Park Executive Airport (AVO) has 2 runways.
• Operated by the Lodwick Aviation Military Academy, it was used as a primary pilot training airfield.
• All of the Auxiliary airfields were grass all-way runways and not manned.
• Because of Avon Park Executive Airport's relatively low elevation of 160 feet, planes can take off or land at Avon Park Executive 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.
• According to the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2009–2013, it is categorized as a general aviation airport.