Nonstop flight route between Gulf Shores, Alabama, United States and Pituffik, Greenland:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Jack Edwards Airport (GUF), Gulf Shores, Alabama, United States and Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,254 miles (or 5,237 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 Jack Edwards 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 Jack Edwards 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 Jack Edwards Airport (GUF):

• Because of Jack Edwards Airport's relatively low elevation of 17 feet, planes can take off or land at Jack Edwards 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 furthest airport from Jack Edwards Airport (GUF) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 11,153 miles (17,950 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• Jack Edwards Airport was originally an outlying field for Naval Air Station Pensacola.
• The closest airport to Jack Edwards Airport (GUF) is NOLF Barin (NHX), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) NNE of GUF.
• Jack Edwards Airport (GUF) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Jack Edwards Airport", another name for GUF is "JKA".

Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):

• The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
• 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.
• Knud Rasmussen was the first to recognize the Pituffik plain as ideal for an airport.
• Thule became an Air Force Space Command base in 1982.
• 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".
• After liberation, Denmark ratified the Kauffmann treaty but began efforts to take over U.S.
• In 1957 construction began on 4 Nike Missile sites around the base, and they and their radar systems were operational by the end of 1958.