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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Boulder Municipal Airport (WBU), Boulder, Colorado, United States and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 304 miles (or 490 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 Boulder Municipal 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 Boulder Municipal Airport (WBU):

• In addition to being known as "Boulder Municipal Airport", another name for WBU is "BDU".
• Boulder Municipal Airport (WBU) has 2 runways.
• Because of Boulder Municipal Airport's high elevation of 5,288 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at WBU. Combined with a high temperature, this could make WBU a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The closest airport to Boulder Municipal Airport (WBU) is Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC), which is located only 11 miles (17 kilometers) SSE of WBU.
• The furthest airport from Boulder Municipal Airport (WBU) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,881 miles (17,511 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• An AN/MPS-14 height-finder radar was added in 1956.
• 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.
• On 2 January 1942, the U.S.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• On 1 June 1971, SAC deactivated the 821st Strategic Aerospace Division and by October of that year, an upgraded LGM-30F Minuteman II also replaced the Minuteman I missiles.
• The installation changed names a few more times during its early years.
• 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.
• 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".