Nonstop flight route between Moulins, Allier, France and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Moulins - Montbeugny Airport (XMU), Moulins, Allier, France and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,738 miles (or 7,625 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 Moulins - Montbeugny 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 Moulins - Montbeugny 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 Moulins - Montbeugny Airport (XMU):

• The furthest airport from Moulins - Montbeugny Airport (XMU) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is nearly antipodal to Moulins - Montbeugny Airport (meaning Moulins - Montbeugny Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chatham Islands), and is located 12,248 miles (19,712 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Because of Moulins - Montbeugny Airport's relatively low elevation of 915 feet, planes can take off or land at Moulins - Montbeugny 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 closest airport to Moulins - Montbeugny Airport (XMU) is Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne Airport (CFE), which is located 53 miles (86 kilometers) SSW of XMU.
• Moulins - Montbeugny Airport (XMU) has 3 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Moulins - Montbeugny Airport", another name for XMU is "Aérodrome de Moulins - Montbeugny".

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• When operations resumed in 1947 the base was a new United States Air Force asset.
• Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command.