Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Abbeville, France:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Aerodrome Abbeville (XAB), Abbeville, France would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,518 miles (or 7,272 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 Aerodrome Abbeville, 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 Aerodrome Abbeville. 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 1986, the base and the 28 BMW made extensive preparations to phase out the aging B-52 fleet and become the second home for the advanced B-1B Lancer.
• Ellsworth Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 10 miles northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota just north of Box Elder, South Dakota.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• 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 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".

Facts about Aerodrome Abbeville (XAB):

• The closest airport to Aerodrome Abbeville (XAB) is Le Touquet - Côte d'Opale Airport (LTQ), which is located 27 miles (44 kilometers) NNW of XAB.
• It is not known when exactly the airfield was built, but it was in use with the British Expeditionary Forces in 1940.
• No scheduled commercial air service at this time.
• In addition to being known as "Aerodrome Abbeville", other names for XAB include "Aérodrome d'Abbeville - Buigny-Saint-Maclou" and "Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) B-92".
• The airport resides at an elevation of 220 feet above mean sea level.
• Aerodrome Abbeville (XAB) has 3 runways.
• The furthest airport from Aerodrome Abbeville (XAB) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,992 miles (19,299 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Because of Aerodrome Abbeville's relatively low elevation of 220 feet, planes can take off or land at Aerodrome Abbeville 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.
• It was sized by the Luftwaffe and became a German Fliegerhorst.
• Today most of the airfield has been converted for other uses.