Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and St. Joseph, Missouri, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Rosecrans Memorial Airport (STJ), St. Joseph, Missouri, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 517 miles (or 831 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 Rosecrans Memorial 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):

• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
• On 1 June 1971, SAC deactivated the 821st Strategic Aerospace Division and by October of that year, an upgraded LGM-30F Minuteman II also replaced the Minuteman I missiles.
• 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 installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• When operations resumed in 1947 the base was a new United States Air Force asset.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• 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.

Facts about Rosecrans Memorial Airport (STJ):

• An additional tenant command at Rosecrans ANGB is the Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center, a combined activity of both the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve Command.
• In addition to being known as "Rosecrans Memorial Airport", another name for STJ is "Rosecrans Army Airfield".
• The furthest airport from Rosecrans Memorial Airport (STJ) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,738 miles (17,281 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Rosecrans Memorial Airport (STJ) is Sherman Army AirfieldSherman Air Force Base (FLV), which is located 28 miles (45 kilometers) S of STJ.
• Construction during the next twenty years included a main hangar building, a flight office building, an emergency generator building, a center taxiway, and a runway.
• Because of Rosecrans Memorial Airport's relatively low elevation of 826 feet, planes can take off or land at Rosecrans Memorial 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.
• Rosecrans Memorial Airport is located on a field that was once referred to as the French Bottoms.
• Rosecrans Memorial Airport (STJ) has 2 runways.