Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Badajoz, Spain:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Badajoz Airport (BJZ), Badajoz, Spain would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,690 miles (or 7,549 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 Badajoz 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 Badajoz 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• 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 airfield was again temporarily shut down from September 1946 – March 1947 and underwent a major construction program to upgrade the temporary wartime facilities to that of a permanent base.
• The 740th AC&W Squadron began operations in 1955 with AN/MPS-7 search radar, and initially the station functioned as a Ground-Control Intercept and warning station.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".

Facts about Badajoz Airport (BJZ):

• Because of Badajoz Airport's relatively low elevation of 608 feet, planes can take off or land at Badajoz 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 "Badajoz Airport", other names for BJZ include "Aeropuerto de Badajoz", "Talavera la Real Air Base" and "Base Aérea de Talavera la Real".
• Badajoz Airport (BJZ) currently has only 1 runway.
• Badajoz Airport handled 29,113 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Badajoz Airport (BJZ) is Beja Airport (BYJ), which is located 82 miles (132 kilometers) SW of BJZ.
• The furthest airport from Badajoz Airport (BJZ) is New Plymouth Airport (NPL), which is nearly antipodal to Badajoz Airport (meaning Badajoz Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from New Plymouth Airport), and is located 12,382 miles (19,928 kilometers) away in New Plymouth, New Zealand.