Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Fort Worth, Texas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Fort Worth Meacham Int'l Airport (FTW), Fort Worth, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 841 miles (or 1,353 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 Fort Worth Meacham Int'l 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):

• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".

Facts about Fort Worth Meacham Int'l Airport (FTW):

• Fort Worth Meacham Int'l Airport (FTW) has 3 runways.
• Meacham was Fort Worth's airline airport until April 1953 when major carriers moved to Amon Carter Field.
• The furthest airport from Fort Worth Meacham Int'l Airport (FTW) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,944 miles (17,613 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The closest airport to Fort Worth Meacham Int'l Airport (FTW) is Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base (FWH), which is located only 6 miles (9 kilometers) SW of FTW.
• Because of Fort Worth Meacham Int'l Airport's relatively low elevation of 710 feet, planes can take off or land at Fort Worth Meacham Int'l 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.
• Several companies operate aircraft services at the airport, including a division of the U.S.