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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Svolvær Airport, Helle (SVJ), Svolvær, Norway would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,039 miles (or 6,501 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 Svolvær Airport, Helle, 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 Svolvær Airport, Helle. 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):

• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• Military organizations periodically upgrade manpower and machines from time to time to meet new national security requirements and Ellsworth Air Force Base's organizations were no exception.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
• 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.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• 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 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.
• When operations resumed in 1947 the base was a new United States Air Force asset.
• 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 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 Svolvær Airport, Helle (SVJ):

• Svolvær Airport, Helle handled 77,310 passengers last year.
• Because of Svolvær Airport, Helle's relatively low elevation of 29 feet, planes can take off or land at Svolvær Airport, Helle 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.
• Svolvær Airport, Helle (SVJ) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airport is operated by Avinor.
• In addition to being known as "Svolvær Airport, Helle", another name for SVJ is "Svolvær lufthavn, Helle".
• The furthest airport from Svolvær Airport, Helle (SVJ) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 10,701 miles (17,222 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Svolvær Airport, Helle is a regional airport serving the town of Svolvær in Vågan municipality in Nordland county, Norway.
• The closest airport to Svolvær Airport, Helle (SVJ) is Stokmarknes Airport, Skagen (SKN), which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) NNE of SVJ.
• Avinor is planning building a new primary airport to serve Lofoten and possibly also Vesterålen.