Nonstop flight route between Alert, Nunavut, Canada and Rapid City, South Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Alert Airport (YLT), Alert, Nunavut, Canada and Ellsworth Air Force Base (RCA), Rapid City, South Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,793 miles (or 4,495 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 Alert 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 Alert 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 Alert Airport (YLT):

• A weather station was established on the site in 1950, and in 1957 construction began on the military facilities which are still in use to this day.
• Alert Airport is the world's northernmost permanent airport, located at Alert, Nunavut, Canada, approximately 830 km south of the true North Pole.
• Alert Airport (YLT) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Alert Airport's relatively low elevation of 100 feet, planes can take off or land at Alert 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 Alert Airport (YLT) is Eureka Aerodrome (YEU), which is located 299 miles (481 kilometers) WSW of YLT.
• There have been two crashes involving fatalities at the airfield since it was established.
• The furthest airport from Alert Airport (YLT) is Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport (TNM), which is located 9,999 miles (16,092 kilometers) away in Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica.
• Radar and navigation equipment are trailer units that can be moved around the airport.

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.
• 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.
• In October 1960, Ellsworth entered the "Space Age," with the activation of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28 BMW.
• Shortly after additional runway improvements, in July 1949, the 28 BMW began conversion from B-29s to the huge B-36 Peacemaker.
• 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 addition to being known as "Ellsworth Air Force Base", another name for RCA is "Ellsworth AFB".