Nonstop flight route between Mackinac Island, Michigan, United States and Pituffik, Greenland:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Mackinac Island Airport (MCD), Mackinac Island, Michigan, United States and Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,167 miles (or 3,487 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 relatively short distance between Mackinac Island Airport and Thule Air Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Mackinac Island Airport (MCD):

• Because of Mackinac Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 739 feet, planes can take off or land at Mackinac Island 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 closest airport to Mackinac Island Airport (MCD) is Pellston Regional Airport of Emmet County (PLN), which is located 22 miles (35 kilometers) SSW of MCD.
• The furthest airport from Mackinac Island Airport (MCD) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,111 miles (17,881 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Mackinac Island Airport (MCD) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):

• 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 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.
• In 1949, Denmark joined NATO and abandoned its attempt to remove the United States bases.
• Knud Rasmussen was the first to recognize the Pituffik plain as ideal for an airport.
• 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.
• Thule AB was constructed in secret under the code name Operation Blue Jay, but the project was made public in September 1952.
• Thule became an Air Force Space Command base in 1982.
• The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
• In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
• 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.