Nonstop flight route between Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and Comox, British Columbia, Canada:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from RCA to YQQ:
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- About this route
- RCA Airport Information
- YQQ Airport Information
- Facts about RCA
- Facts about YQQ
- 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 YQQ
- List of Nearest Airports to YQQ
- Map of Furthest Airports from YQQ
- List of Furthest Airports from YQQ
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States and CFB Comox (YQQ), Comox, British Columbia, Canada would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,094 miles (or 1,760 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 relatively short distance between Ellsworth Air Force Base and CFB Comox, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | RCA / KRCA |
Airport Names: |
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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: | YQQ / CYQQ |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Comox, British Columbia, Canada |
GPS Coordinates: | 49°42'38"N by 124°53'12"W |
Operator/Owner: | Government of Canada |
Airport Type: | Military |
Elevation: | 84 feet (26 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from YQQ |
More Information: | YQQ Maps & Info |
Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):
- The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force.
- In October 1960, Ellsworth entered the "Space Age," with the activation of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28 BMW.
- 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.
- Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
- The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
- 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 AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
- To provide air defense of the base, the United States Army established the Ellsworth AFB Defense Area in 1957 and constructed Nike-Ajax Surface-to-air missile sites for air defense.
- 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.
- Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
- 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.
Facts about CFB Comox (YQQ):
- CFB Comox (YQQ) has 2 runways.
- 19 Wing also includes the 19 Air Maintenance Squadron, and a number of other organizations.
- Every April, the Snowbirds practise at 19 Wing Comox.
- Because of CFB Comox's relatively low elevation of 84 feet, planes can take off or land at CFB Comox 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.
- In addition to being known as "CFB Comox", another name for YQQ is "Comox Airport".
- The closest airport to CFB Comox (YQQ) is Courtenay Airpark (YCA), which is located only 5 miles (8 kilometers) WSW of YQQ.
- The furthest airport from CFB Comox (YQQ) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,677 miles (17,182 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.