Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Magdeburg, Germany:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Magdeburg–Cochstedt Airport (CSO), Magdeburg, Germany would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,743 miles (or 7,634 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 Magdeburg–Cochstedt 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 Magdeburg–Cochstedt 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):

• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air 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.
• 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.
• To provide air defense of the base, the United States Army established the Ellsworth AFB Defense Area in 1957 and constructed Nike-Ajax Surface-to-air missile sites for air defense.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.

Facts about Magdeburg–Cochstedt Airport (CSO):

• The closest airport to Magdeburg–Cochstedt Airport (CSO) is Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ), which is located 46 miles (74 kilometers) SE of CSO.
• The airport Cochstedt dates from the year 1957, when an air force base of the Soviet troops was established.
• On behalf of the state of Saxony-Anhalt GSA acquired all assets from the bankrupt estate.
• In addition to being known as "Magdeburg–Cochstedt Airport", another name for CSO is "Flughafen Magdeburg-Cochstedt".
• Magdeburg–Cochstedt Airport (CSO) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Magdeburg–Cochstedt Airport (CSO) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,772 miles (18,946 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Because of Magdeburg–Cochstedt Airport's relatively low elevation of 596 feet, planes can take off or land at Magdeburg–Cochstedt 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.