Nonstop flight route between Vigo, Galicia, Spain and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Vigo Airport (VGO), Vigo, Galicia, Spain and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,472 miles (or 7,197 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 Vigo Airport and Ellsworth Air Force Base, 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 Vigo Airport and Ellsworth Air Force Base. 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 Vigo Airport (VGO):

• After meeting in the summer of 2008 that would expand the airport terminal Vigo, and after more than a year of delays and conflicting information and would eventually expand the terminal, 24 February 2010, the Board of Directors approved at its meeting Aena the tendering of the works to expand the terminal with a budget of 59,393,578.76 euros.
• Because of Vigo Airport's relatively low elevation of 855 feet, planes can take off or land at Vigo 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.
• The furthest airport from Vigo Airport (VGO) is Greymouth Airport (GMN), which is nearly antipodal to Vigo Airport (meaning Vigo Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Greymouth Airport), and is located 12,418 miles (19,985 kilometers) away in Greymouth, New Zealand.
• Vigo Airport (VGO) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Vigo Airport (VGO) is Braga Airport (BGZ), which is located 45 miles (73 kilometers) SSE of VGO.
• To adapt the Vigo airport to the future air traffic demands, Aena published an airport development project.
• In addition to being known as "Vigo Airport", other names for VGO include "Aeropuerto de Vigo" and "Aeroporto de Vigo".
• Vigo Airport is 8 km east from the centre of Vigo, and is situated in the municipalities of Redondela, Vigo and Mos, Spain.
• Vigo Airport handled 828,725 passengers last year.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• The 44th Missile Wing, however, had ably accomplished its deterrence mission.
• 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.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
• Air Defense Command activated the 740th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Rapid City AFB on 1 February 1953 under the ADC 31st Air Division.
• On 15 July 1945, the 225th AAFBU was inactivated and Rapid City AAB was placed on standby status as the Army Air Forces began to demobilize.
• After the Army closed their facilities, the military housing at the Nike Integrated Fire Control sites was transferred to control of Ellsworth, and was used as Air Force military family housing until about 1990.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.