Nonstop flight route between Wilmington, Delaware, United States and Pituffik, Greenland:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from ILG to THU:
Share this route:
Jump to:
- About this route
- ILG Airport Information
- THU Airport Information
- Facts about ILG
- Facts about THU
- Map of Nearest Airports to ILG
- List of Nearest Airports to ILG
- Map of Furthest Airports from ILG
- List of Furthest Airports from ILG
- 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 Wilmington/Philadelphia Regional Airport (ILG), Wilmington, Delaware, United States and Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,555 miles (or 4,112 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 Wilmington/Philadelphia Regional 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 Wilmington/Philadelphia Regional 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: | ILG / KILG |
| Airport Name: | Wilmington/Philadelphia Regional Airport |
| Location: | Wilmington, Delaware, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 39°40'42"N by 75°36'24"W |
| Area Served: | Wilmington, Delaware |
| Operator/Owner: | New Castle County, Delaware |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 80 feet (24 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 3 |
| View all routes: | Routes from ILG |
| More Information: | ILG Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | THU / BGTL |
| Airport Names: |
|
| 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 Wilmington/Philadelphia Regional Airport (ILG):
- Because of Wilmington/Philadelphia Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 80 feet, planes can take off or land at Wilmington/Philadelphia Regional 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.
- From 1991 through 1998, again from 2000 to 2006, and from April 2008 until July 1, 2013, Delaware was the only U.S.
- The closest airport to Wilmington/Philadelphia Regional Airport (ILG) is Philadelphia Seaplane BaseChandler Field (PSQ), which is located 21 miles (33 kilometers) NE of ILG.
- United Airlines served Wilmington until 1991.
- The airport opened before World War II, named the Wilmington Airport and the Greater Wilmington Airport.
- Wilmington/Philadelphia Regional Airport (ILG) has 3 runways.
- The airport covers 1,250 acres at an elevation of 80 feet.
- The furthest airport from Wilmington/Philadelphia Regional Airport (ILG) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,724 miles (18,869 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
Facts about Thule Air Base (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.
- 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.
- In 1954, the 378 m Globecom Tower, a tower for military radio communication, was built at Northmountain.
- In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
- 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.
- Knud Rasmussen was the first to recognize the Pituffik plain as ideal for an airport.
- 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.
