Nonstop flight route between Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States and Pituffik, Greenland:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from SMD to THU:
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- About this route
- SMD Airport Information
- THU Airport Information
- Facts about SMD
- Facts about THU
- Map of Nearest Airports to SMD
- List of Nearest Airports to SMD
- Map of Furthest Airports from SMD
- List of Furthest Airports from SMD
- 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 Smith Field (SMD), Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States and Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,494 miles (or 4,013 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 Smith Field and Thule Air Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SMD / KSMD |
Airport Name: | Smith Field |
Location: | Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 41°8'35"N by 85°9'10"W |
Area Served: | Fort Wayne, Indiana |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 835 feet (255 meters) |
# of Runways: | 4 |
View all routes: | Routes from SMD |
More Information: | SMD 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 Smith Field (SMD):
- The federal government’s anticipation of World War II and old Baer Field’s role in the pioneer airmail service brought the U.S.
- Because of Smith Field's relatively low elevation of 835 feet, planes can take off or land at Smith Field 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.
- Smith Field (SMD) has 4 runways.
- The closest airport to Smith Field (SMD) is Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) S of SMD.
- Smith Field covers 234 acres at an elevation of 835 feet above mean sea level.
- The United States government’s pioneering of a national airmail system begun in 1918, provided essential subsidies for America’s fledgling airline industry.
- The furthest airport from Smith Field (SMD) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,224 miles (18,064 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):
- There is only a brief period each year in the summer when sea ice thins sufficiently to send supply ships to the base.
- 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 1957 construction began on 4 Nike Missile sites around the base, and they and their radar systems were operational by the end of 1958.
- 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.
- In 1818, Sir John Ross’s expedition made first contact with nomadic Polar Eskimos in the area.
- In 1949, Denmark joined NATO and abandoned its attempt to remove the United States bases.