Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Columbus, New Mexico, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from RCA to CUS:
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- About this route
- RCA Airport Information
- CUS Airport Information
- Facts about RCA
- Facts about CUS
- Map of Nearest Airports to RCA
- List of Nearest Airports to RCA
- Map of Furthest Airports from RCA
- List of Furthest Airports from RCA
- Map of Nearest Airports to CUS
- List of Nearest Airports to CUS
- Map of Furthest Airports from CUS
- List of Furthest Airports from CUS
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Columbus Municipal Airport (CUS), Columbus, New Mexico, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 886 miles (or 1,426 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 Columbus Municipal Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | RCA / KRCA |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 44°8'47"N by 103°4'28"W |
View all routes: | Routes from RCA |
More Information: | RCA Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | CUS / |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Columbus, New Mexico, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 31°49'29"N by 107°37'55"W |
Elevation: | 4024 feet (1,227 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from CUS |
More Information: | CUS Maps & Info |
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.
- 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.
- Internationally, the destruction of the Berlin Wall in October 1989 symbolized the imminent demise of the Soviet Union over the next several months.
- The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force.
- 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.
- In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
Facts about Columbus Municipal Airport (CUS):
- Today, efforts are being made to restore part of the airport and re-establish it as an active facility for general aviation.
- During the Mexican Revolution, hundreds of Pancho Villa's horsemen crossed the United States border and raided Columbus, New Mexico on 9 March 1916.
- Because of Columbus Municipal Airport's high elevation of 4,024 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at CUS. Combined with a high temperature, this could make CUS a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- The furthest airport from Columbus Municipal Airport (CUS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,433 miles (18,400 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- Columbus Municipal Airport (CUS) currently has only 1 runway.
- After World War I, Columbus Airfield was used by the Army as part of their patrol flights along the Mexican border.
- The closest airport to Columbus Municipal Airport (CUS) is Deming Municipal AirportDeming Army Airfield (DMN), which is located 31 miles (49 kilometers) N of CUS.
- Despite the use of airplanes, the U.S.
- In addition to being known as "Columbus Municipal Airport", other names for CUS include "Historical Airport", "Modern Airfield" and "0NM0".
- After World War II, the airport was expanded to an all-way landing area measuring 3,610' east/west & 2,610' north/south.
- The Curtiss aircraft were not in good condition, however, despite their lack of readiness, the fliers prepared for combat.