Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Melville Hall (near Roseau), Dominica:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Melville Hall Airport (DOM), Melville Hall (near Roseau), Dominica would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,136 miles (or 5,047 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 Melville Hall 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 Melville Hall 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 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 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 Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 10 miles northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota just north of Box Elder, South Dakota.
• Air Defense Command activated the 740th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Rapid City AFB on 1 February 1953 under the ADC 31st Air Division.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• Military organizations periodically upgrade manpower and machines from time to time to meet new national security requirements and Ellsworth Air Force Base's organizations were no exception.
• The Titan I's life span was short in western South Dakota.
• 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.

Facts about Melville Hall Airport (DOM):

• The airport houses the Dominica Outstation of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority.
• The first ever night landing using the Instrument Flight Rules was conducted on 9 August 2010 by the Caribbean airline Winair.
• The furthest airport from Melville Hall Airport (DOM) is Broome International Airport (BME), which is nearly antipodal to Melville Hall Airport (meaning Melville Hall Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Broome International Airport), and is located 12,150 miles (19,554 kilometers) away in Broome, Western Australia, Australia.
• Melville Hall Airport (DOM) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Melville Hall Airport's relatively low elevation of 73 feet, planes can take off or land at Melville Hall 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.
• The closest airport to Melville Hall Airport (DOM) is Canefield Airport (DCF), which is located only 16 miles (25 kilometers) SSW of DOM.