Nonstop flight route between Misawa, Aomori, Japan and Narsarsuaq, Greenland:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Misawa Air Base 三沢飛行場 Misawa Hikōjō (MSJ), Misawa, Aomori, Japan and Narsarsuaq Airport (UAK), Narsarsuaq, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,388 miles (or 8,671 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 Misawa Air Base 三沢飛行場 Misawa Hikōjō and Narsarsuaq Airport, 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 Misawa Air Base 三沢飛行場 Misawa Hikōjō and Narsarsuaq Airport. 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 Misawa Air Base 三沢飛行場 Misawa Hikōjō (MSJ):

• The Misawa Passive Radio Frequency space surveillance site was used for tracking satellites using the signals they transmit.
• The American occupation of Misawa began in September 1945.
• After the immediate postwar reconstruction of facilities, the first permanent USAAF tenant was the 613th Air Control and Warning Squadron, taking up residence on July 15, 1946 and providing air traffic control in the Misawa area for the next decade.
• In addition to being known as "Misawa Air Base 三沢飛行場 Misawa Hikōjō", another name for MSJ is "Misawa AB".
• The closest airport to Misawa Air Base 三沢飛行場 Misawa Hikōjō (MSJ) is JMSDF Hachinohe Air Base (HHE), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) SSE of MSJ.
• The furthest airport from Misawa Air Base 三沢飛行場 Misawa Hikōjō (MSJ) is Rio Grande Regional Airport (RIG), which is located 11,479 miles (18,473 kilometers) away in Rio Grande, Brazil.
• After the Soviet Union shot down an RB-29 aircraft on November 7, 1954, the 39th provided fighter escort for all friendly reconnaissance aircraft flying near Soviet territory and the Northern Air Defense Sector.

Facts about Narsarsuaq Airport (UAK):

• Narsarsuaq Airport (UAK) currently has only 1 runway.
• Narsarsuaq Airport handled 26,284 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Narsarsuaq Airport (UAK) is Hobart International Airport (HBA), which is located 11,062 miles (17,803 kilometers) away in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
• The new route was closed before the first flights could commence, adding to resentment amongst businesses and the community of South Greenland.
• The closest airport to Narsarsuaq Airport (UAK) is Igaliku Heliport (QFX), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) S of UAK.
• Because of Narsarsuaq Airport's relatively low elevation of 112 feet, planes can take off or land at Narsarsuaq 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.
• On 21 September 1977, Douglas C-47 N723A of NJ Airlines crashed at Narsarsuaq Airport.
• The US Air Force left Bluie West One in November 1958, and the airbase was closed.
• In addition to being known as "Narsarsuaq Airport", other names for UAK include "Mittarfik Narsarsuaq" and "Narsarsuaq Lufthavn".