Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Marthas Vineyard Airport (MVY), Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,647 miles (or 2,650 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 Marthas Vineyard 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):

• 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 44th Missile Wing, however, had ably accomplished its deterrence mission.
• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.
• The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force.
• 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.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.

Facts about Marthas Vineyard Airport (MVY):

• Because of Marthas Vineyard Airport's relatively low elevation of 67 feet, planes can take off or land at Marthas Vineyard 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.
• The call sign has entered into general use as an abbreviation for the island of Martha's Vineyard as well, much like ACK for Nantucket.
• The closest airport to Marthas Vineyard Airport (MVY) is Otis Air National Guard Base Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod (FMH), which is located only 19 miles (31 kilometers) NNE of MVY.
• Along with the TSA, the West Tisbury Police Department is in charge of the security of the airport and the ARFF department is staffed by 10 full-time firefighters.
• The airfield was built in 1942 as Naval Auxiliary Air Facility Martha's Vineyard to support training of naval aviators prior to their deployment to aircraft carriers in the Pacific Theater.
• Marthas Vineyard Airport (MVY) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Marthas Vineyard Airport (MVY) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,834 miles (19,045 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.