Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Vila Real, Portugal:
Departure Airport:
(44°8'47"N by 103°4'28"W)
Arrival Airport:
(41°16'39"N by 7°43'10"W)
Distance from RCA to VRL:
4,549.68 miles (7,321.98 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- RCA Airport Information
- VRL Airport Information
- Facts about RCA
- Facts about VRL
- Map of Nearest Airports to RCA
- List of Nearest Airports to RCA
- Map of Furthest Airports from RCA
- List of Furthest Airports from RCA
- Map of Nearest Airports to VRL
- List of Nearest Airports to VRL
- Map of Furthest Airports from VRL
- List of Furthest Airports from VRL
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Vila Real Airport (VRL), Vila Real, Portugal would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,550 miles (or 7,322 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 Vila Real 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 Vila Real Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | RCA / KRCA |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 44°8'47"N by 103°4'28"W |
| View all routes: | Routes from RCA |
| More Information: | RCA Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | VRL / LPVR |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Vila Real, Portugal |
| GPS Coordinates: | 41°16'39"N by 7°43'10"W |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 1831 feet (558 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from VRL |
| More Information: | VRL Maps & Info |
Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- In March 1944, heavy bomber operational training ended and the 225th Army Air Force Base Unit began training of replacement personnel for deployed heavy bombardment units in the overseas combat theaters.
Facts about Vila Real Airport (VRL):
- The closest airport to Vila Real Airport (VRL) is Braga Airport (BGZ), which is located 43 miles (70 kilometers) WNW of VRL.
- In addition to being known as "Vila Real Airport", another name for VRL is "Aeródromo Municipal de Vila Real".
- Vila Real Airport (VRL) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Vila Real Airport (VRL) is Takaka Aerodrome (KTF), which is nearly antipodal to Vila Real Airport (meaning Vila Real Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Takaka Aerodrome), and is located 12,399 miles (19,955 kilometers) away in Takaka, New Zealand.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 7.04 miles (11.33 km) S | Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States |     |
| 2 | 41.93 miles (67.49 km) WNW | Black Hills Airport (SPF) | Spearfish, South Dakota, United States | |
| 3 | 82.62 miles (132.96 km) SSE | Pine Ridge Airport (XPR) | Pine Ridge, South Dakota, United States | |
| 4 | 90.44 miles (145.55 km) S | Chadron Municipal Airport (CDR) | Chadron, Nebraska, United States | |
| 5 | 122.78 miles (197.60 km) W | Gillette–Campbell County Airport (GCC) | Gillette, Wyoming, United States | |
| 6 | 138.94 miles (223.59 km) E | Pierre Regional Airport (PIR) | Pierre, South Dakota, United States | |
| 7 | 142.03 miles (228.58 km) N | Bowman Municipal Airport (BWM) | Bowman, North Dakota, United States | |
| 8 | 145.26 miles (233.77 km) S | Alliance Municipal Airport (AIA) | Alliance, Nebraska, United States | |
| 9 | 148.71 miles (239.33 km) SW | Converse County Airport (DGW) | Douglas, Wyoming, United States | |
| 10 | 153.78 miles (247.49 km) SSW | Torrington Municipal Airport (TOR) | Torrington, Wyoming, United States | |
| 11 | 154.79 miles (249.12 km) SE | Miller Field (VTN) | Valentine, Nebraska, United States | |
| 12 | 159.20 miles (256.21 km) S | Western Nebraska Regional Airport (BFF) | Scottsbluff, Nebraska, United States | |
| 13 | 162.60 miles (261.68 km) NE | Mobridge Municipal Airport (MBG) | Mobridge, South Dakota, United States | |
| 14 | 183.63 miles (295.52 km) N | Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport (DIK) | Dickinson, North Dakota, United States | |
| 15 | 188.89 miles (303.99 km) SE | Ainsworth Regional Airport (ANW) | Ainsworth, Nebraska, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10,579.32 miles (17,025.72 km) SSE | Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG) | Rodrigues Island, Mauritius | |
| 2 | 10,460.72 miles (16,834.85 km) SE | Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) | Plaisance, Mauritius | |
| 3 | 10,437.71 miles (16,797.83 km) SE | Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE) | Saint-Pierre, Réunion | |
| 4 | 10,415.77 miles (16,762.51 km) SE | Roland Garros Airport (RUN) | St Denis, Réunion, France | |
| 5 | 10,301.11 miles (16,577.99 km) ESE | Tôlanaro Airport (FTU) | Tôlanaro, Madagascar | |
| 6 | 10,292.17 miles (16,563.61 km) W | Margaret River Airport (MGV) | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 7 | 10,268.77 miles (16,525.95 km) W | Busselton Regional Airport (BQB) | Busselton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 8 | 10,252.53 miles (16,499.80 km) W | Manjimup Airport (MJP) | Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 9 | 10,244.09 miles (16,486.22 km) W | Bunbury Airport (BUY) | Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 10 | 10,200.19 miles (16,415.58 km) W | Rottnest Airport (RTS) | Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 11 | 10,193.03 miles (16,404.05 km) W | Albany Airport (ALH) | Albany, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 12 | 10,186.88 miles (16,394.16 km) W | Jandakot Airport (JAD) | Jandakot, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 13 | 10,186.40 miles (16,393.38 km) ESE | Ampanihy Airport (AMP) | Ampanihy, Madagascar | |
| 14 | 10,176.73 miles (16,377.83 km) W | Perth Airport (PER) | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 15 | 10,162.30 miles (16,354.60 km) SE | Mananjary Airport (MNJ) | Mananjary, Madagascar | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 43.23 miles (69.57 km) WNW | Braga Airport (BGZ) | Braga, Portugal | |
| 2 | 49.86 miles (80.24 km) W | Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO) | Porto, Portugal | |
| 3 | 65.87 miles (106.01 km) NE | Bragança Airport (BGC) | Bragança, Portugal | |
| 4 | 71.09 miles (114.41 km) S | Covilhã Airport (COV) | Covilhã, Portugal | |
| 5 | 80.70 miles (129.88 km) NW | Vigo Airport (VGO) | Vigo, Galicia, Spain | |
| 6 | 86.87 miles (139.81 km) SSW | Coimbra Airport (CBP) | Coimbra, Portugal | |
| 7 | 117.40 miles (188.94 km) NNW | Santiago de Compostela Airport (SCQ) | Santiago de Compostela, Spain | |
| 8 | 117.61 miles (189.28 km) E | Salamanca-Matacán Airport (SLM) | Salamanca, Spain | |
| 9 | 139.52 miles (224.53 km) NE | León Airport (LEN) | León, Spain | |
| 10 | 143.85 miles (231.51 km) NNW | A Coruña Airport (LCG) | A Coruña, Spain | |
| 11 | 151.34 miles (243.55 km) ENE | Valladolid International Airport (VLL) | Valladolid, Spain | |
| 12 | 171.56 miles (276.11 km) SSE | Badajoz Airport (BJZ) | Badajoz, Spain | |
| 13 | 179.81 miles (289.38 km) NNE | Asturias Airport (OVD) | Oviedo, Asturias, Spain | |
| 14 | 188.45 miles (303.28 km) SSW | Lisbon Portela Airport (LIS) | Lisbon, Portugal | |
| 15 | 221.29 miles (356.13 km) S | Beja Airport (BYJ) | Beja, Portugal | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 12,399.19 miles (19,954.51 km) SW | Takaka Aerodrome (KTF) | Takaka, New Zealand | |
| 2 | 12,398.20 miles (19,952.92 km) WSW | Motueka Aerodrome (MZP) | Motueka, New Zealand | |
| 3 | 12,388.61 miles (19,937.48 km) SE | Westport Airport (WSZ) | Westport, New Zealand | |
| 4 | 12,387.93 miles (19,936.40 km) W | Nelson AirportTe Papa Waka Rererangi o Whakatū (NSN) | Nelson, New Zealand | |
| 5 | 12,352.73 miles (19,879.74 km) WSW | Woodbourne Airport (BHE) | Blenheim, New Zealand | |
| 6 | 12,337.60 miles (19,855.39 km) SE | Greymouth Airport (GMN) | Greymouth, New Zealand | |
| 7 | 12,332.33 miles (19,846.91 km) SW | Kaikoura Aerodrome (KBZ) | Kaikoura, New Zealand | |
| 8 | 12,317.35 miles (19,822.81 km) SSE | Hokitika Airport (HKK) | Hokitika, New Zealand | |
| 9 | 12,305.70 miles (19,804.05 km) W | Wellington International Airport (WLG) | Wellington, New Zealand | |
| 10 | 12,293.41 miles (19,784.28 km) W | Kapiti Coast Airport (PPQ) | Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand | |
| 11 | 12,283.43 miles (19,768.21 km) S | Christchurch International Airport (CHC) | Christchurch, New Zealand | |
| 12 | 12,266.57 miles (19,741.08 km) WSW | Wanganui Airport (WAG) | Wanganui, New Zealand | |
| 13 | 12,261.05 miles (19,732.20 km) W | Hood Aerodrome (MRO) | Masterton, New Zealand | |
| 14 | 12,253.71 miles (19,720.39 km) S | Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) | Ashburton, New Zealand | |
| 15 | 12,250.71 miles (19,715.55 km) SSW | New Plymouth Airport (NPL) | New Plymouth, New Zealand | |