Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Bridgetown, Barbados:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI), Bridgetown, Barbados would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,344 miles (or 5,382 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 Grantley Adams 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 Grantley Adams 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):

• 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.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• 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.
• When operations resumed in 1947 the base was a new United States Air Force asset.
• 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 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.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".

Facts about Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI):

• Phase I, which is now complete, saw an upgrading of the runways, taxiways, parking aprons, and approach lighting.
• The closest airport to Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) is Hewanorra International Airport (UVF), which is located 108 miles (174 kilometers) WNW of BGI.
• The terrain around the airport is relatively flat and quite suburban.
• Besides the Arrivals and Departures terminals, Grantley Adams International Airport also included provisions for a new cargo building in the 2000–2006 expansion project.
• Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) currently has only 1 runway.
• Grantley Adams International Airport, as it is known today, handles most large aircraft including Boeing 747s.
• The furthest airport from Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) is Tardamu Airport (SAU), which is nearly antipodal to Grantley Adams International Airport (meaning Grantley Adams International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Tardamu Airport), and is located 12,231 miles (19,684 kilometers) away in Savu Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.
• In addition to being known as "Grantley Adams International Airport", another name for BGI is "78954[1][2][4]".
• As of 2008, parking is available outside the airport at a rate of Bds$2.00 per hour or a maximum rate Bds$12.00 daily.
• Phase II, included adding a brand new arrivals terminal adjacent to the current building.