Nonstop flight route between Trinidad, Colorado, United States and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Perry Stokes Airport (TAD), Trinidad, Colorado, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 480 miles (or 773 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 Perry Stokes 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 Perry Stokes Airport (TAD):

• Perry Stokes Airport (TAD) has 2 runways.
• Because of Perry Stokes Airport's high elevation of 5,760 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at TAD. Combined with a high temperature, this could make TAD a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The furthest airport from Perry Stokes Airport (TAD) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,019 miles (17,733 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The closest airport to Perry Stokes Airport (TAD) is Raton Municipal Airport (RTN), which is located 37 miles (59 kilometers) SSW of TAD.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• 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.
• Military organizations periodically upgrade manpower and machines from time to time to meet new national security requirements and Ellsworth Air Force Base's organizations were no exception.
• 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.
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• In October 1960, Ellsworth entered the "Space Age," with the activation of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28 BMW.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.
• Rapid City AAB was reactivated on 11 October 1945 and was assigned to Continental Air Force.
• 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.