Nonstop flight route between Altenburg, Thuringia, Germany and Pituffik, Greenland:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Leipzig–Altenburg Airport (AOC), Altenburg, Thuringia, Germany and Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,689 miles (or 4,328 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 Leipzig–Altenburg Airport and Thule Air 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 Leipzig–Altenburg Airport and Thule Air 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 Leipzig–Altenburg Airport (AOC):

• During World War II, the relative remoteness of Altenburg–Nobitz from the main theatres of war made the airfield an obvious location for Luftwaffe flying training in various forms.
• Leipzig–Altenburg Airport (AOC) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Leipzig–Altenburg Airport (AOC) is Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ), which is located 33 miles (53 kilometers) NNW of AOC.
• With the collapse of the Reich the airfield was captured by the US Army in April 1945, being subsequently handed over to the Soviets in July, when the area came under Soviet control following the post-war territorial settlement between the Allies.
• In addition to being known as "Leipzig–Altenburg Airport", another name for AOC is "Flughafen Altenburg–Nobitz".
• The furthest airport from Leipzig–Altenburg Airport (AOC) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,789 miles (18,972 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Because of Leipzig–Altenburg Airport's relatively low elevation of 640 feet, planes can take off or land at Leipzig–Altenburg 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.

Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):

• A cluster of huts known as Pituffik stood on the wide plain where the base was built in 1951.
• In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
• The furthest airport from Thule Air Base (THU) is Hobart International Airport (HBA), which is located 9,883 miles (15,905 kilometers) away in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
• Originally established as a Strategic Air Command installation, Thule would periodically serve as a dispersal base for B-36 Peacemaker and B-47 Stratojet aircraft during the 1950s, as well as providing an ideal site to test the operability and maintainability of these weapon systems in extreme cold weather.
• Thule Air Base is home to the 21st Space Wing's global network of sensors providing missile warning, space surveillance and space control to North American Aerospace Defense Command and Air Force Space Command.
• The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
• In 1961, a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System radar was constructed at "J-Site," 21 km northeast of main base.