Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Franceville / Mvengue, Gabon:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and M'Vengue El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba International Airport (MVB), Franceville / Mvengue, Gabon would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,593 miles (or 12,220 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 M'Vengue El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba 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 M'Vengue El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba 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):

• The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force.
• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• 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.
• Internationally, the destruction of the Berlin Wall in October 1989 symbolized the imminent demise of the Soviet Union over the next several months.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about M'Vengue El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba International Airport (MVB):

• The furthest airport from M'Vengue El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba International Airport (MVB) is Canton Island Airport (CIS), which is located 11,968 miles (19,261 kilometers) away in Canton Island, Kiribati.
• M'Vengue El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba International Airport (MVB) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to M'Vengue El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba International Airport (MVB) is Moanda Airport (MFF), which is located only 14 miles (23 kilometers) NW of MVB.