Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Nordkapp, Finnmark, Norway:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Honningsvåg Airport, Valan (HVG), Nordkapp, Finnmark, Norway would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,093 miles (or 6,587 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 Honningsvåg Airport, Valan, 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 Honningsvåg Airport, Valan. 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):

• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
• The Titan I's life span was short in western South Dakota.
• 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 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.
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• 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 installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• In March 1944, heavy bomber operational training ended and the 225th Army Air Force Base Unit began training of replacement personnel for deployed heavy bombardment units in the overseas combat theaters.

Facts about Honningsvåg Airport, Valan (HVG):

• The furthest airport from Honningsvåg Airport, Valan (HVG) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 10,409 miles (16,751 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• In addition to being known as "Honningsvåg Airport, Valan", another name for HVG is "Honningsvåg lufthavn, Valan".
• Widerøe originally served the airport with twenty-seat Twin Otters, serving Honningsvåg up to six times per day.
• The closest airport to Honningsvåg Airport, Valan (HVG) is Mehamn Airport (MEH), which is located 41 miles (67 kilometers) E of HVG.
• Because of Honningsvåg Airport, Valan's relatively low elevation of 46 feet, planes can take off or land at Honningsvåg Airport, Valan 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.
• Honningsvåg Airport, Valan handled 15,067 passengers last year.