Nonstop flight route between Fort Rucker, Dale County, Alabama, United States and Pituffik, Greenland:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Hanchey Army Heliport (AHP) (HEY), Fort Rucker, Dale County, Alabama, United States and Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,170 miles (or 5,101 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 Hanchey Army Heliport (AHP) 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 Hanchey Army Heliport (AHP) 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 Hanchey Army Heliport (AHP) (HEY):

• The furthest airport from Hanchey Army Heliport (AHP) (HEY) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,218 miles (18,054 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Hanchey Army Heliport (AHP)'s relatively low elevation of 317 feet, planes can take off or land at Hanchey Army Heliport (AHP) 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.
• In addition to being known as "Hanchey Army Heliport (AHP)", other names for HEY include "Hanchey Army Heliport" and "Fort Rucker".
• Hanchey Army Heliport (AHP) (HEY) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Hanchey Army Heliport (AHP) (HEY) is Lowe Army Heliport (AHP) (LOR), which is located only 6 miles (9 kilometers) W of HEY.

Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):

• After liberation, Denmark ratified the Kauffmann treaty but began efforts to take over U.S.
• In 1818, Sir John Ross’s expedition made first contact with nomadic Polar Eskimos in the area.
• Thule Air Base or Thule Air Base/Pituffik Airport, is the United States Air Force's northernmost base, located 1,207 km north of the Arctic Circle and 1,524 km from the North Pole on the northwest side of the island of Greenland.
• 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.
• Thule Air Base is also home to the 821st Air Base Group and is responsible for air base support within the Thule Defense Area for the multinational population of "Team Thule." The base hosts the 12th Space Warning Squadron which operates a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System designed to detect and track ICBMs launched against North America.
• In 1961, a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System radar was constructed at "J-Site," 21 km northeast of main base.
• In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
• The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
• After the German occupation of Denmark on 9 April 1940, Henrik Kauffmann Danish Ambassador to the United States, made an agreement "In the name of the king" with the United States authorizing the United States to defend the Danish colonies on Greenland from German aggression - this agreement faced Kaufmann with a charge of high treason.
• 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.
• A cluster of huts known as Pituffik stood on the wide plain where the base was built in 1951.