Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Båtsfjord, Finnmark, Norway:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Båtsfjord Airport (BJF), Båtsfjord, Finnmark, Norway would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,168 miles (or 6,708 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 Båtsfjord 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 Båtsfjord 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 host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
• 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.
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• 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 mission of the 28th Bomb Wing is to deliver decisive combat power for global response.
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• 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.
• 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 Båtsfjord Airport (BJF):

• Båtsfjord Airport handled 16,842 passengers last year.
• The first airline to operate to Båtsfjord was Varangfly, later renamed Norving, who flew seaplane taxi and ambulance flights in the early 1960s.
• The furthest airport from Båtsfjord Airport (BJF) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 10,381 miles (16,706 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• In addition to being known as "Båtsfjord Airport", another name for BJF is "Båtsfjord lufthavn".
• Because of Båtsfjord Airport's relatively low elevation of 490 feet, planes can take off or land at Båtsfjord 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.
• It is the second airport in Båtsfjord.
• The closest airport to Båtsfjord Airport (BJF) is Berlevåg Airport (BVG), which is located 24 miles (39 kilometers) NW of BJF.
• The terminal consists of a single building, with an integrated control tower, capable of handling 120 passengers per hour.