Nonstop flight route between Orlando, Florida, United States and Pituffik, Greenland:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from ORL to THU:
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- About this route
- ORL Airport Information
- THU Airport Information
- Facts about ORL
- Facts about THU
- Map of Nearest Airports to ORL
- List of Nearest Airports to ORL
- Map of Furthest Airports from ORL
- List of Furthest Airports from ORL
- 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 Orlando Executive Airport (ORL), Orlando, Florida, United States and Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,342 miles (or 5,378 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 Orlando Executive 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 Orlando Executive 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: | ORL / KORL |
Airport Name: | Orlando Executive Airport |
Location: | Orlando, Florida, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 28°32'44"N by 81°19'59"W |
Area Served: | Orlando, Florida |
Operator/Owner: | Greater Orlando Aviation Authority |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 113 feet (34 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from ORL |
More Information: | ORL Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | THU / BGTL |
Airport Names: |
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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 Orlando Executive Airport (ORL):
- Because of Orlando Executive Airport's relatively low elevation of 113 feet, planes can take off or land at Orlando Executive 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.
- By the early 1960s development around the airport had made airport expansion unlikely.
- Orlando Executive Airport (ORL) has 2 runways.
- In 1943 the AAFSAT began training units in Night Fighter operations.
- The closest airport to Orlando Executive Airport (ORL) is Orlando International Airport (MCO), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) S of ORL.
- The furthest airport from Orlando Executive Airport (ORL) is Shark Bay Airport (MJK), which is located 11,503 miles (18,513 kilometers) away in Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.
- With the lessening of the U-Boat threat, Orlando AAB became the home of the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics and subsequently as the Army Air Forces Tactical Center.
- The airport has been used for special air industry events and showcases including the National Business Aviation Association Convention which was held there in 2008 and again in 2009.
Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):
- Thule became an Air Force Space Command base in 1982.
- In 1959, the airbase was the main staging point for the construction of Camp Century, some 150 mi from the base.
- Knud Rasmussen was the first to recognize the Pituffik plain as ideal for an airport.
- The ratification of the treaty in 1951 did not change much, except that the Danish national flag Dannebrog must be side by side with Stars and Stripes on the base.
- The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of 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.
- 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.
- 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".