Nonstop flight route between Saint-Pierre, Réunion and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), Saint-Pierre, Réunion and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,438 miles (or 16,798 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 Pierrefonds 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 Pierrefonds 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 Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE):

• Because of Pierrefonds Airport's relatively low elevation of 60 feet, planes can take off or land at Pierrefonds 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.
• Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE) is Roland Garros Airport (RUN), which is located 30 miles (49 kilometers) N of ZSE.
• In addition to being known as "Pierrefonds Airport", another name for ZSE is "Aéroport de Saint-Pierre - Pierrefonds".
• The furthest airport from Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE) is Guerrero Negro Airport (GUB), which is located 11,629 miles (18,715 kilometers) away in Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

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.
• 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.
• Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base.
• 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.
• In 1986, the base and the 28 BMW made extensive preparations to phase out the aging B-52 fleet and become the second home for the advanced B-1B Lancer.
• In addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".
• 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.