New RAPCON to open: First in DoD history

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Eric Bolt
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  The Ellsworth and Minot Air Force Base, N.D. Radar Approach Control Facilities are preparing to open the Dakota Air Traffic Control Facility, the first non-contiguous, co-located RAPCON in Department of Defense history, at Ellsworth this summer.

"The current Ellsworth RAPCON provides radar-based traffic service to all aircraft within 40 miles of Ellsworth, both military and civilian, up to and including 16,000 feet above sea level," said 1st Lt. Nathan Willis, 28th Operations Support Squadron Airlift Operations flight commander. "In fact, it is the Ellsworth RAPCON's responsibility to sequence arrivals and departures from Ellsworth and Rapid City Regional Airport, along with Spearfish, Sturgis, Custer, Wall, and Custer State Park Airports."

Ellsworth has prepared for the upcoming opening since September 2006.

"As the new equipment began to arrive and our plans started to become a reality, we realized it would be the opportunity of a lifetime," Lieutenant Willis said. "The controllers at Ellsworth and Minot have demonstrated their innate ability to think outside the box to accomplish training and overcome the many obstacles that stood in their way."

As the Ellsworth and Minot RAPCON facilities continue to work toward this goal, their efforts will join to accomplish a common mission.

"Our mission will be to provide air traffic services to the military and civilian airports from one co-located facility," said Chief Master Sgt. Brian Lavoie, 28 OSS RAPCON chief controller. "Our new location is unique to the Air Force because of the great distance between Minot and Ellsworth; [Ellsworth airspace and Minot airspace are separated by 265 nautical miles.]"

The Dakota Air Traffic Control Facility will open its doors with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony later this summer.

For more information on the Dakota Air Traffic Control Facility, contact Chief Lavoie at (605) 385-2404 or the 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs office at (605) 385-5056.

Editors note: This is part one of a three-part series on the development of the Dakota Air Traffic Facility.