Nonstop flight route between Melfa, Virginia, United States and Pituffik, Greenland:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Accomack County Airport (MFV), Melfa, Virginia, United States and Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,695 miles (or 4,338 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 Accomack County 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 Accomack County 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 Accomack County Airport (MFV):

• The closest airport to Accomack County Airport (MFV) is Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) NE of MFV.
• The airport was built by the United States Army Air Forces about 1942, and was known as Melfa Flight Strip.
• Accomack County Airport covers an area of 100 acres which contains one runway designated 3/21 with a 5,000 x 100 ft asphalt surface.
• Accomack County Airport (MFV) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Accomack County Airport (MFV) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,777 miles (18,953 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Accomack County Airport's relatively low elevation of 47 feet, planes can take off or land at Accomack County 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.

Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):

• 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 addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
• Knud Rasmussen was the first to recognize the Pituffik plain as ideal for an airport.
• 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 1961, a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System radar was constructed at "J-Site," 21 km northeast of main base.
• 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.
• 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.