Nonstop flight route between McGrath, Alaska, United States and Pituffik, Greenland:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between McGrath Airport (MCG), McGrath, Alaska, United States and Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,026 miles (or 3,261 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 McGrath 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 McGrath Airport (MCG):

• Because of McGrath Airport's relatively low elevation of 341 feet, planes can take off or land at McGrath 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.
• McGrath Airport (MCG) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from McGrath Airport (MCG) is George Airport (GRJ), which is located 10,435 miles (16,793 kilometers) away in George, South Africa.
• In addition to being known as "McGrath Airport", another name for MCG is "(formerly McGrath Army Airbase)".
• The closest airport to McGrath Airport (MCG) is Tatalina LRRS Airport (TLJ), which is located only 12 miles (20 kilometers) WSW of MCG.
• McGrath Airport is a state-owned public-use airport serving McGrath, a city in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of the U.S.

Facts about Thule Air Base (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.
• There is only a brief period each year in the summer when sea ice thins sufficiently to send supply ships to the base.
• 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.
• The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".