Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Rabat, Morocco:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Rabat–Salé Airport (RBA), Rabat, Morocco would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,910 miles (or 7,902 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 Rabat–Salé 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 Rabat–Salé 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 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 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 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.
• To provide air defense of the base, the United States Army established the Ellsworth AFB Defense Area in 1957 and constructed Nike-Ajax Surface-to-air missile sites for air defense.
• 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 Rabat–Salé Airport (RBA):

• The freight-terminal covers an area of 1360 m².
• The furthest airport from Rabat–Salé Airport (RBA) is Kaitaia Airport (KAT), which is nearly antipodal to Rabat–Salé Airport (meaning Rabat–Salé Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Kaitaia Airport), and is located 12,366 miles (19,902 kilometers) away in Kaitaia, New Zealand.
• An area of 84.000 m² is available for passenger aircraft offering four jetways and 10 stands.
• Rabat–Salé Airport (RBA) currently has only 1 runway.
• During World War II, the airport was used as a military airfield by the United States Army Air Forces.
• In addition to being known as "Rabat–Salé Airport", other names for RBA include "مطار الرباط سلا" and "Aéroport international de Rabat-Salé".
• The closest airport to Rabat–Salé Airport (RBA) is Kenitra Air Base (NNA), which is located only 19 miles (31 kilometers) NNE of RBA.
• Because of Rabat–Salé Airport's relatively low elevation of 276 feet, planes can take off or land at Rabat–Salé 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.
• On 20 January 2012 the new Terminal 1 building was inaugurated, and the old terminal building closed.