Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Calabar, Nigeria:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Margaret Ekpo International Airport (CBQ), Calabar, Nigeria would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,018 miles (or 11,295 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 Margaret Ekpo 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 Margaret Ekpo 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):

• 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.
• 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".
• 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.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• 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.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.

Facts about Margaret Ekpo International Airport (CBQ):

• The furthest airport from Margaret Ekpo International Airport (CBQ) is Canton Island Airport (CIS), which is nearly antipodal to Margaret Ekpo International Airport (meaning Margaret Ekpo International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Canton Island Airport), and is located 12,284 miles (19,770 kilometers) away in Canton Island, Kiribati.
• The closest airport to Margaret Ekpo International Airport (CBQ) is Akwa Ibom International Airport (QUO), which is located only 18 miles (30 kilometers) WSW of CBQ.
• Because of Margaret Ekpo International Airport's relatively low elevation of 210 feet, planes can take off or land at Margaret Ekpo International 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.
• Margaret Ekpo International Airport (CBQ) currently has only 1 runway.