Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Stavanger, Norway:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Stavanger-Sola International Airport (SVG), Stavanger, Norway would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,249 miles (or 6,838 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 Stavanger-Sola 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 Stavanger-Sola 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 installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees.
• 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.
• The 740th AC&W Squadron began operations in 1955 with AN/MPS-7 search radar, and initially the station functioned as a Ground-Control Intercept and warning station.
• The 44th Missile Wing, however, had ably accomplished its deterrence mission.
• 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.
• The airfield was again temporarily shut down from September 1946 – March 1947 and underwent a major construction program to upgrade the temporary wartime facilities to that of a permanent base.

Facts about Stavanger-Sola International Airport (SVG):

• Because of Stavanger-Sola International Airport's relatively low elevation of 29 feet, planes can take off or land at Stavanger-Sola International 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 furthest airport from Stavanger-Sola International Airport (SVG) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,392 miles (18,334 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Stavanger-Sola International Airport handled 4,119,348 passengers last year.
• Stavanger-Sola International Airport (SVG) has 2 runways.
• The vast complex of civilian technical facilities, heavy investments in simulator centres besides the air forces own facilities makes the Sola AFB ideal for the vital role it is assigned, incorporating the next generation of Search & Rsecue Helicopters.
• In 2005, work to upgrade the terminal building started.
• In addition to being known as "Stavanger-Sola International Airport", another name for SVG is "Stavanger lufthavn, Sola".
• Originally, the idea was to locate the Stavanger airport at Forus, but after the war the Royal Norwegian Air Force decided to use Sola temporarily until the new airport was built, and nothing ever became of Forus.
• Stavanger Airport, Sola is an international airport located serving Stavanger, a city and municipality in Rogaland county, Norway.
• When the oil exploration in the Norwegian part of the North Sea started in 1967, there was a sudden need for helicopter transport out to the oil platforms.
• The airport had 82,118 air movements and 4,119,348 passengers in 2011.
• The closest airport to Stavanger-Sola International Airport (SVG) is Haugesund Airport, Karmøy (HAU), which is located 36 miles (57 kilometers) NNW of SVG.