Nonstop flight route between Newburgh, New York, United States and Pituffik, Greenland:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from SWF to THU:
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- About this route
- SWF Airport Information
- THU Airport Information
- Facts about SWF
- Facts about THU
- Map of Nearest Airports to SWF
- List of Nearest Airports to SWF
- Map of Furthest Airports from SWF
- List of Furthest Airports from SWF
- 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 Stewart International Airport (SWF), Newburgh, New York, United States and Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,425 miles (or 3,903 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 Stewart International Airport 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: | SWF / KSWF |
| Airport Name: | Stewart International Airport |
| Location: | Newburgh, New York, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 41°30'15"N by 74°6'16"W |
| Area Served: | Hudson Valley |
| Operator/Owner: | State of New York |
| Airport Type: | Public / Military |
| Elevation: | 491 feet (150 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from SWF |
| More Information: | SWF 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 Stewart International Airport (SWF):
- After the creation of the United States Air Force following World War II, the army airfield was converted to an air force base while still being used for training of cadets at West Point.
- In 1997 the state formally began, through the Empire State Development Corporation, the process of soliciting bids for a 99-year lease on the airport and, potentially, the adjacent undeveloped lands as well, whatever bidders wanted.
- By the time the land was finally available, the 1973 oil crisis and the attendant increase in the price of jet fuel had forced airlines to cut back, and some of the airport's original backers began arguing it was no longer economically viable.
- Because of Stewart International Airport's relatively low elevation of 491 feet, planes can take off or land at Stewart International 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.
- The closest airport to Stewart International Airport (SWF) is Orange County Airport (MGJ), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) W of SWF.
- Stewart International Airport (SWF) has 2 runways.
- In 1930 Thomas "Archie" Stewart, an early aviation enthusiast and descendant of prominent local dairy farmer Lachlan Stewart, convinced his uncle Samuel Stewart to donate "Stoney Lonesome", split between the towns of Newburgh and New Windsor, to the nearby city of Newburgh for use as an airport.
- As the 1980s wore on, veterans of earlier battles over Stewart returned to start new ones.
- The furthest airport from Stewart International Airport (SWF) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,712 miles (18,848 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):
- In 1818, Sir John Ross’s expedition made first contact with nomadic Polar Eskimos in the area.
- Thule AB was constructed in secret under the code name Operation Blue Jay, but the project was made public in September 1952.
- In 1959, the airbase was the main staging point for the construction of Camp Century, some 150 mi from the 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.
- 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 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 Pentagon maintained that all four weapons had been destroyed.
- In 1954, the 378 m Globecom Tower, a tower for military radio communication, was built at Northmountain.
- In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
- The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
