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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Tromsø Airport, Langnes (TOS), Tromsø, Norway would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,048 miles (or 6,515 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 Tromsø Airport, Langnes, 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 Tromsø Airport, Langnes. 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):

• On 1 June 1992, as part of the first major reorganization since the creation of USAF, the Air Force inactivated Strategic Air Command and assigned Ellsworth's organizations ) to the newly activated Air Combat 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.
• 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.
• On 15 July 1945, the 225th AAFBU was inactivated and Rapid City AAB was placed on standby status as the Army Air Forces began to demobilize.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
• The mission of the 28th Bomb Wing is to deliver decisive combat power for global response.
• 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 AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.

Facts about Tromsø Airport, Langnes (TOS):

• The first airport in Tromsø was a water aerodrome located at Skattøra, located in the then separate municipality of Tromsøysund.
• Tromsø Airport, Langnes handled 1,723,465 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Tromsø Airport, Langnes (TOS) is Bardufoss Airport (BDU), which is located 44 miles (71 kilometers) SSW of TOS.
• Tromsø Airport, Langnes (TOS) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Tromsø Airport, Langnes's relatively low elevation of 32 feet, planes can take off or land at Tromsø Airport, Langnes 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 airport was opened on 14 September 1964.
• The furthest airport from Tromsø Airport, Langnes (TOS) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 10,570 miles (17,010 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• In addition to being known as "Tromsø Airport, Langnes", another name for TOS is "Tromsø lufthavn, Langnes".