Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Perpignan, France:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Perpignan – Rivesaltes Airport (PGF), Perpignan, France would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,896 miles (or 7,879 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 Perpignan – Rivesaltes 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 Perpignan – Rivesaltes 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 12th Air Division moved to Ellsworth on 15 July 1988.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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 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.
• The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force.
• 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 Perpignan – Rivesaltes Airport (PGF):

• The closest airport to Perpignan – Rivesaltes Airport (PGF) is Carcassonne Airport (CCF), which is located 43 miles (70 kilometers) NW of PGF.
• The furthest airport from Perpignan – Rivesaltes Airport (PGF) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Perpignan – Rivesaltes Airport (meaning Perpignan – Rivesaltes Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,356 miles (19,884 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Perpignan – Rivesaltes Airport (PGF) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Perpignan – Rivesaltes Airport", another name for PGF is "Aéroport de Perpignan – Rivesaltes".
• Because of Perpignan – Rivesaltes Airport's relatively low elevation of 144 feet, planes can take off or land at Perpignan – Rivesaltes 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.