Nonstop flight route between Bella Bella, British Columbia, Canada and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Bella Bella/Shearwater Water Aerodrome (YSX), Bella Bella, British Columbia, Canada and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,270 miles (or 2,044 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 Bella Bella/Shearwater Water Aerodrome 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 Bella Bella/Shearwater Water Aerodrome (YSX):

• The furthest airport from Bella Bella/Shearwater Water Aerodrome (YSX) is East London Airport (ELS), which is located 10,652 miles (17,142 kilometers) away in East London, South Africa.
• Because of Bella Bella/Shearwater Water Aerodrome's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Bella Bella/Shearwater Water Aerodrome 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.
• In addition to being known as "Bella Bella/Shearwater Water Aerodrome", another name for YSX is "CAW8".
• The closest airport to Bella Bella/Shearwater Water Aerodrome (YSX) is Bella Bella (Campbell Island) Airport (ZEL), which is located only 4 miles (6 kilometers) NW of YSX.

Facts about Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA):

• The airfield was again temporarily shut down from September 1946 – March 1947 and underwent a major construction program to upgrade the temporary wartime facilities to that of a permanent base.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D.
• Air Defense Command deactivated the Ellsworth radar site on 15 August 1962 and the 740th was discontinued.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• 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.