Nonstop flight route between Salem, Illinois, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Salem–Leckrone Airport (SLO), Salem, Illinois, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 823 miles (or 1,324 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 Salem–Leckrone Airport and Ellsworth Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Salem–Leckrone Airport (SLO):

• The furthest airport from Salem–Leckrone Airport (SLO) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,062 miles (17,802 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Salem–Leckrone Airport's relatively low elevation of 573 feet, planes can take off or land at Salem–Leckrone Airport 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.
• Salem–Leckrone Airport is a public use airport located two nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Salem, a city in Marion County, Illinois, United States.
• The closest airport to Salem–Leckrone Airport (SLO) is Mt. Vernon Airport (MVN), which is located 23 miles (37 kilometers) SSE of SLO.
• The airport is named for Philip Leckrone, a flying instructor from Salem who fought in the Royal Air Force Eagle Squadrons during World War II.
• Salem–Leckrone Airport covers an area of 364 acres at an elevation of 573 feet above mean sea level.
• Salem–Leckrone Airport (SLO) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (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.
• 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.
• Internationally, the destruction of the Berlin Wall in October 1989 symbolized the imminent demise of the Soviet Union over the next several months.
• 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.
• An Army Air-Defense Command Post was established at Ellsworth in 1960 for Nike missile command-and-control functions.
• 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 addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.