Terminal Procedures

KRCA — Ellsworth AFB

RAPID CITY, SD · 12 FAA charts · cycle 6 Aug 2026

FAA RCAElevation 3,276 ft1 runwayLongest 13,497 ftToweredVolume NC-1Not for navigation
KRCA airport diagram — runways, taxiways and ramp layout
KRCA airport diagram The official FAA airport diagram — runways, taxiways, ramp layout and hold-short positions. Download PDF

9 published instrument approaches: 4 ILS approaches, serving 2 runway ends.

All 12 KRCA charts in one download Every approach, departure, arrival and minimums page for this airport, sorted into folders, as a single ZIP. Taken one at a time on the free tier, 12 charts is roughly 1 min of downloading — they queue one behind another.
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Instrument approach procedures

ChartAmendment
HI-ILS OR LOC Z RWY 13 chart previewHI-ILS OR LOC Z RWY 13—PDF
HI-ILS OR LOC Z RWY 31 chart previewHI-ILS OR LOC Z RWY 31—PDF
HI-TACAN Z RWY 13 chart previewHI-TACAN Z RWY 13—PDF
HI-TACAN Z RWY 31 chart previewHI-TACAN Z RWY 31—PDF
ILS OR LOC Y RWY 13 chart previewILS OR LOC Y RWY 13—PDF
ILS OR LOC Y RWY 31 chart previewILS OR LOC Y RWY 31—PDF
TACAN Y RWY 13 chart previewTACAN Y RWY 13—PDF
TACAN Y RWY 31 chart previewTACAN Y RWY 31—PDF
TACAN-A chart previewTACAN-A—PDF

Departure procedures

ChartAmendment
ELLSWORTH THREE chart previewELLSWORTH THREE—PDF

Takeoff and alternate minimums

ChartAmendment
TAKEOFF MINIMUMS chart previewTAKEOFF MINIMUMS—PDF

Minimums pages cover a whole volume, so the same document is shared by every airport in it.

KRCA airport information

Control tower
Yes
Attendance
All mon-thu 1400-0730z++
ARTCC
Denver Center
Flight service
Huron
NOTAM facility
RAP (NOTAM-D available)
Magnetic variation
8E
Traffic pattern altitude
4,500 ft
Beacon
Split-white-green (military airport), sunset to sunrise
Airframe service
Major
Powerplant service
Major
Bottled oxygen
None
Activated
November 1938
Ownership
Privately owned
Sectional
Cheyenne

From the FAA NASR 28-day subscription, cycle 6 Aug 2026.

KRCA radio frequencies

ServiceFrequencyCall sign
Tower126.05Ellsworth
Ground121.8Ellsworth
ATIS120.625Ellsworth
Approach119.5Ellsworth
Emergency121.5Ellsworth

Civil VHF frequencies from the FAA NASR 28-day subscription. Discrete sector and military frequencies are not listed.

Runways

13,497 × 300 ft1331N2,000 ft
Runway layout at KRCA, drawn to scale from FAA published runway-end coordinates and true alignments. Runways served by an ILS are highlighted.
RunwayLengthWidth SurfaceLighting
13/3113,497 ft300 ftConcreteHigh intensity
  13 138°TILS · PAPI (4-box) 3° · ALSF-1 approach lighting
  31 318°TILS · PAPI (4-box) 3° · ALSF-1 approach lighting

Runway and approach-aid data from the FAA NASR 28-day subscription.

Where KRCA is

Latitude, longitude44.1450940, -103.1035670
Elevation3,276 ft
From Rapid City5 nm SW

Paste the coordinates into a simulator’s world map to drop straight onto the field.

FAA remarks for KRCA

  • AIRFIELD LIGHTING ONLY AVAILABLE DURING TWR HOURS.
  • TPA: RECTANGULAR 4500 FT MSL, 5000 FT MSL OVHD, AVOID OVFT OF BASE PROPER WHEN CRC TO LDG.
  • CLSD WKND, HOLS AND GLOBAL STRIKE COMD (GSC) DOWN DAYS.
  • BASE OPS V675-1052/2861.
  • CAUTION: HI POTENTIAL FOR MID-AIR COLLISION EXISTS WITH ACFT FR RAPID CITY ARPT LCTD APRX 6.5 NM SE OF ARPT.
  • JASU: (AM32A-95) (A/M32A-86)
  • OIL: O-132-133-148
  • TRAN ALERT: SVC AVBL 1300-2200Z++ MON-FRI; CLSD SAT, SUN, HOL, AND GLOBAL STRIKE COMD DOWN DAYS. FLEET SVC UNAVBL.
  • RSTD: ALL ACFT MAINT AT OR ABV 7700 FT & 2640 FT HORIZONTAL SEPARATION IN THE IMMED VCNTY OF MT. RUSHMORE; AVOID DEVILS TWR BY 5 NM. PPR ALL FULL STOP ACFT CTC BASE OPS NO EARLIER THAN 72 HR PRIOR TO ETA. FAX DSN 675-1053, C605-385-1053.
  • MISC: INBD VIP CODE 7 OR HI, CTC RAYMOND 33 15 MIN PRIOR TO BLOCK TIME WITH NAME, RANK AND PURPOSE OF VISIT.
  • FM OBS POINT WX TECHNICIANS UNABLE TO SEE THE TDZ OF BOTH RYS.
  • RSTD: PPR MIN 24 HR NTC, CTC DSN 675-1052, C605-385-1052.
  • GLOBAL STRIKE COMD RSRS APPLIED TO GLOBAL STRIKE COMD ONLY
  • EXTV GENERAL AVN AND COML TFC IN VCNTY OF RAPID CITY ARPT 6.5 NM SE OF ARPT.
  • CSTMS/AG/IMG: LTD TO US DOD ACFT ONLY; AVBL WITH 24 HR NOTICE. IMG SERVICE UNAVBL FOR NON-DOD PERS. CTC 28 OSS/OSAA, DSN 675-1052, C605-385-1052.
  • RSTD: AIRCREW SHOULD AVOID BEAR BUTTE, DEFINED BY THE RCA 317/25 FIX, BY FLYING NO LOWER THAN 10,000 FT MSL WITHIN 2NM.
  • FUEL: A++. HOT REFUEL AVBL TO B-1 AND EA-18 ACFT ONLY.
  • CAUTION: MIGRATORY BIRD ACT BASH (PHASE II) MAY AND AUG-OCT OR ACTIVE VIA NOTAM. DEER HAZ, RPT ANY ACT TO TWR/PTD.
  • COMSEC ISSUING AND CLASSIFIED MATERIAL STORAGE UNAVBL FROM AMOPS, CTC COMD POST FOR STORAGE.
  • MISC: TRAN ACFT REQ FOR APCH AND PATTERN WORK, RQR 24 HR NTC, CTC OPS DSN 675-1052, C605-385-1052.
  • OPR 1400-0730Z++ MON-THUR; 1400-0100Z++ FRI. CLSD WKENDS, HOL AND GLOBAL STRIKE COMD DOWN DAYS.
  • PRIM FREQ 311.0.
  • MISC: WX STN AUGMENTS FOR VIS AT OR BELOW 3 SM WHEN NEEDEDED. VIS LTD NE TO SE DUE TO BLDGS.
  • "VERIFY POWDER RIVER TRAINING COMPLEX STATUS BEFORE FILING IFR FPL" VIA SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE SITE: HTTPS://SUA.FAA.GOV/SUA/"
  • WHEN ATCT CLSD, FOR CD CTC DENVER ARTCC AT 303-651-4257.
  • LGT: RWY 31 NSTD ALSF-1, MISSING FIRST THREE CNTRLN BARRETTES FURTHEST FROM THLD.
  • MISC: ARFF CRITICAL LEVEL SVC (YELLOW) FOR ALL NFPA CAT AND USAF VEH SETS. CTC FD C6053851113 FOR FURTHER INFO.

Published verbatim from the FAA NASR subscription. Abbreviations are the FAA's own.

Approach coverage on one long runway

Ellsworth AFB’s chart set is heavily weighted towards arrivals, with nine approach plates but only one departure procedure. Four ILS and four localiser approaches provide both precision and lateral-only options, while both ends of runway 13/31 receive approach coverage. The sole runway is 13,497 ft long, giving aircraft that require substantial runway distance a single, extended alignment for take-off and landing.

Regional chart context

Rapid City Regional has the most comparable nearby procedure coverage, with only a slightly smaller chart set. The other listed fields are much more lightly documented: Black Hills-Clyde Ice Field leads that group, while Belle Fourche Municipal has the thinnest coverage. The Cheyenne Sectional adds broader visual-navigation context beyond the airport-specific instrument procedures.

Airports near KRCA

IDAirportCity DistanceCharts
KRAPRapid City RgnlRAPID CITY, SD6 nm S10
49BSturgis MuniSTURGIS, SD20 nm NW4
KSPFBlack Hills-Clyde Ice FldSPEARFISH, SD36 nm NW6
KEFCBelle Fourche MuniBELLE FOURCHE, SD48 nm NW2
KHSRHot Springs MuniHOT SPRINGS, SD48 nm S5
KECSMondell FldNEWCASTLE, WY55 nm W5

VFR charts covering KRCA

CheyenneSectional Chart

Common questions about KRCA

What charts are available for KRCA?

12 current FAA charts for Ellsworth AFB, including 9 instrument approachs, 1 departure procedure, 1 airport diagram. All are free to download as PDFs from this page, from the 6 August 2026 cycle.

What are the radio frequencies for KRCA?

Tower 126.05; Ground 121.8; ATIS 120.625. Full civil VHF list, with sector notes, is in the frequencies table on this page — from the FAA NASR subscription.

How long is the runway at KRCA?

Ellsworth AFB has 1 runway. The longest is 13/31 at 13,497 ft by 300 ft, concrete. Full runway dimensions, lighting and approach aids are listed on this page.

Does KRCA have an ILS approach?

Yes — 4 ILS procedures are published. In total KRCA has 9 published instrument approaches.

Where can I download the KRCA airport diagram?

The official FAA airport diagram for Ellsworth AFB is free to download at the top of this page. It shows runways, taxiways, ramp layout and hold-short positions, and is reissued every 28 days.

Is KRCA a towered airport?

Yes. Ellsworth AFB has an operating control tower, within Denver Center's airspace. Tower, ground and clearance frequencies are listed on this page.

Are these KRCA charts current?

They are from the FAA cycle effective 6 August 2026, which is superseded on 3 September 2026. We publish each new cycle on its effective date. They are for flight simulation and reference only — not for real-world navigation.

Wider chart sets

This airport12 chartsEvery KRCA plate, one ZIP
All of South Dakota132 charts26.4 MB · every airport in the stateEvery US airport16,522 charts3.51 GB · the whole country offline

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Ian StephensReviewed by Ian Stephens · Editor-in-ChiefChart sourcing and page templates reviewed for accuracy. The charts themselves are unmodified FAA publications.

Not for navigation. For flight simulation and reference use only. Procedures are superseded on a 28-day cycle — obtain current official charts from the FAA for real-world flight.

FAA public-domain products, mirrored unmodified. Fly Away Simulation is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA. Chart licensing and terms.