Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Beef Island (near Tortola), British Virgin Islands:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (EIS), Beef Island (near Tortola), British Virgin Islands would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,844 miles (or 4,577 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 Terrance B. Lettsome International 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 Terrance B. Lettsome International 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):

• On 1 June 1992, as part of the first major reorganization since the creation of USAF, the Air Force inactivated Strategic Air Command and assigned Ellsworth's organizations ) to the newly activated Air Combat Command.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.
• 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 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 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 2 January 1942, the U.S.
• 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.

Facts about Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (EIS):

• The airport houses the BVI Outstation of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority.
• Historically, in 1986 the airport had scheduled passenger jet service operated by British Caribbean Airways with direct flights to Miami.
• Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (EIS) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (EIS) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (meaning Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,270 miles (19,746 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (EIS) is Virgin Gorda Airport (VIJ), which is located only 8 miles (12 kilometers) W of EIS.
• Because of Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport's relatively low elevation of 16 feet, planes can take off or land at Terrance B. Lettsome International 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.