Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Braga, Portugal:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Braga Airport (BGZ), Braga, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,507 miles (or 7,253 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 Braga 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 Braga 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 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.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• To provide air defense of the base, the United States Army established the Ellsworth AFB Defense Area in 1957 and constructed Nike-Ajax Surface-to-air missile sites for air defense.
• 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 mission of the 28th Bomb Wing is to deliver decisive combat power for global response.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force.

Facts about Braga Airport (BGZ):

• Because of Braga Airport's relatively low elevation of 243 feet, planes can take off or land at Braga 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 "Braga Airport", another name for BGZ is "Aeródromo Municipal de Braga".
• Braga Airport (BGZ) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Braga Airport (BGZ) is Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO), which is located 27 miles (44 kilometers) SSW of BGZ.
• The furthest airport from Braga Airport (BGZ) is Westport Airport (WSZ), which is nearly antipodal to Braga Airport (meaning Braga Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Westport Airport), and is located 12,426 miles (19,998 kilometers) away in Westport, New Zealand.