Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Le Bourget (near Paris), France:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Paris–Le Bourget Airport (LBG), Le Bourget (near Paris), France would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,592 miles (or 7,390 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 Paris–Le Bourget 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 Paris–Le Bourget 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):

• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• 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.
• In October 1960, Ellsworth entered the "Space Age," with the activation of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28 BMW.
• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Paris–Le Bourget Airport (LBG):

• Statue honouring the 1927 transatlantic efforts of Charles Nungesser, Francois Coli, and Charles Lindbergh, placed in 1928 at the aerodrome's entrance.
• Le Bourget Airport hosts the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace, and, in odd-numbered years, the Paris Air Show.
• The furthest airport from Paris–Le Bourget Airport (LBG) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Paris–Le Bourget Airport (meaning Paris–Le Bourget Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,076 miles (19,435 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• In addition to being known as "Paris–Le Bourget Airport", other names for LBG include "Paris - Le Bourget Airport", "Aéroport de Paris-Le Bourget" and "Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-54".
• The closest airport to Paris–Le Bourget Airport (LBG) is Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), which is located only 6 miles (9 kilometers) ENE of LBG.
• Because of Paris–Le Bourget Airport's relatively low elevation of 220 feet, planes can take off or land at Paris–Le Bourget 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.
• Paris–Le Bourget Airport (LBG) has 3 runways.
• The Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile is headquartered in Building 153 on the grounds of Le Bourget Airport and in Le Bourget.