Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Larisa, Greece:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Larissa State Airport “Thessaly” (LRA), Larisa, Greece would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,729 miles (or 9,220 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 Larissa State Airport “Thessaly”, 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 Larissa State Airport “Thessaly”. 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 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 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.

Facts about Larissa State Airport “Thessaly” (LRA):

• In addition to being known as "Larissa State Airport “Thessaly”", another name for LRA is "Αεροδρόμιο Λάρισσας “Θεσσαλία”".
• The furthest airport from Larissa State Airport “Thessaly” (LRA) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,422 miles (18,382 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The closest airport to Larissa State Airport “Thessaly” (LRA) is Nea Anchialos National Airport (VOL), which is located 34 miles (55 kilometers) SSE of LRA.
• Because of Larissa State Airport “Thessaly”'s relatively low elevation of 207 feet, planes can take off or land at Larissa State Airport “Thessaly” 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.
• Larissa State Airport “Thessaly” (LRA) has 2 runways.