Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Craig, Colorado, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Craig–Moffat Airport (CIG), Craig, Colorado, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 339 miles (or 546 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 relatively short distance between Ellsworth Air Force Base and Craig–Moffat Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• 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 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 base experienced one of its worst peacetime tragedies in March 1953 when an RB-36 and its entire crew of 23 crashed in Newfoundland while returning from a routine exercise in Europe.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• 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 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.

Facts about Craig–Moffat Airport (CIG):

• In the year ending August 29, 2005 the airport had 2,525 aircraft operations, all general aviation.
• In addition to being known as "Craig–Moffat Airport", another name for CIG is "CAG".
• The closest airport to Craig–Moffat Airport (CIG) is Yampa Valley Airport (HDN), which is located only 16 miles (26 kilometers) E of CIG.
• The furthest airport from Craig–Moffat Airport (CIG) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,906 miles (17,552 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Craig–Moffat Airport (CIG) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Craig–Moffat Airport's high elevation of 6,193 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at CIG. Combined with a high temperature, this could make CIG a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.