Nonstop flight route between Mobile, Alabama, United States and Pituffik, Greenland:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from BFM to THU:
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- About this route
- BFM Airport Information
- THU Airport Information
- Facts about BFM
- Facts about THU
- Map of Nearest Airports to BFM
- List of Nearest Airports to BFM
- Map of Furthest Airports from BFM
- List of Furthest Airports from BFM
- Map of Nearest Airports to THU
- List of Nearest Airports to THU
- Map of Furthest Airports from THU
- List of Furthest Airports from THU
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Mobile Downtown Airport (BFM), Mobile, Alabama, United States and Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,234 miles (or 5,204 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 Mobile Downtown 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 Mobile Downtown 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:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | BFM / KBFM |
| Airport Name: | Mobile Downtown Airport |
| Location: | Mobile, Alabama, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 30°37'36"N by 88°4'5"W |
| Area Served: | Mobile, Alabama |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 26 feet (8 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from BFM |
| More Information: | BFM Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | THU / BGTL |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Pituffik, Greenland |
| GPS Coordinates: | 76°31'51"N by 68°42'11"W |
| View all routes: | Routes from THU |
| More Information: | THU Maps & Info |
Facts about Mobile Downtown Airport (BFM):
- The closest airport to Mobile Downtown Airport (BFM) is Mobile Regional Airport (MOB), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) WNW of BFM.
- The furthest airport from Mobile Downtown Airport (BFM) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 11,125 miles (17,904 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
- Mobile Downtown Airport (BFM) has 2 runways.
- Because of Mobile Downtown Airport's relatively low elevation of 26 feet, planes can take off or land at Mobile Downtown 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):
- After liberation, Denmark ratified the Kauffmann treaty but began efforts to take over U.S.
- In the winter of 1956/57 three KC-97 tankers and alternately one of two RB-47H aircraft made polar flights to inspect Soviet defenses.
- In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
- A cluster of huts known as Pituffik stood on the wide plain where the base was built in 1951.
- The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
- A delegation from NATO's Parliamentary Assembly visited Thule in early September 2010 and were told by the base commander that, at that time, approximately 600 personnel were serving at Thule, a mix of mostly U.S.
- Knud Rasmussen was the first to recognize the Pituffik plain as ideal for an airport.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Late 1950s the DEW 1 to 4 where build as "weather stations", Thule Air Base would act as an supply station for the DYE bases.
