Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Saint Martin, Guadeloupe:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and L'Espérance Airport Grand Case Airport (CCE), Saint Martin, Guadeloupe would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,928 miles (or 4,713 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 L'Espérance Airport Grand Case 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 L'Espérance Airport Grand Case 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 mission of the 28th Bomb Wing is to deliver decisive combat power for global response.
• In 1986, the base and the 28 BMW made extensive preparations to phase out the aging B-52 fleet and become the second home for the advanced B-1B Lancer.
• Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
• 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 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.
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
• 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 L'Espérance Airport Grand Case Airport (CCE):

• Incoming airplanes approach the island on short final for runway 12 over the bay of Grand-Case, which is a tremendous view, on final approach.
• The regional Esperance Airport at Grand Case allows the quickest transfers for commercial inter-island flights and for private aircraft.
• The furthest airport from L'Espérance Airport Grand Case Airport (CCE) is Karratha Airport (KTA), which is nearly antipodal to L'Espérance Airport Grand Case Airport (meaning L'Espérance Airport Grand Case Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Karratha Airport), and is located 12,256 miles (19,724 kilometers) away in Karratha / Dampier, Western Australia, Australia.
• L'Espérance Airport Grand Case Airport (CCE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to L'Espérance Airport Grand Case Airport (CCE) is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), which is located only 6 miles (9 kilometers) SW of CCE.
• In addition to being known as "L'Espérance Airport Grand Case Airport", other names for CCE include "Aérodrome de Grand-Case Espérance" and "SFG/CCE".
• Because of L'Espérance Airport Grand Case Airport's relatively low elevation of 20 feet, planes can take off or land at L'Espérance Airport Grand Case 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.