Nonstop flight route between Pituffik, Greenland and Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from THU to APA:
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- About this route
- THU Airport Information
- APA Airport Information
- Facts about THU
- Facts about APA
- Map of Nearest Airports to THU
- List of Nearest Airports to THU
- Map of Furthest Airports from THU
- List of Furthest Airports from THU
- Map of Nearest Airports to APA
- List of Nearest Airports to APA
- Map of Furthest Airports from APA
- List of Furthest Airports from APA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland and Centennial Airport (APA), Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,773 miles (or 4,463 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 Thule Air Base and Centennial 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 Thule Air Base and Centennial Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | THU / BGTL |
Airport Names: |
|
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 |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | APA / KAPA |
Airport Name: | Centennial Airport |
Location: | Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 39°34'12"N by 104°50'57"W |
Area Served: | Denver, Colorado |
Operator/Owner: | Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 5885 feet (1,794 meters) |
# of Runways: | 3 |
View all routes: | Routes from APA |
More Information: | APA Maps & Info |
Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):
- Knud Rasmussen was the first to recognize the Pituffik plain as ideal for an airport.
- 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 AB was constructed in secret under the code name Operation Blue Jay, but the project was made public in September 1952.
- 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.
- In 1961, a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System radar was constructed at "J-Site," 21 km northeast of main base.
- In 1818, Sir John Ross’s expedition made first contact with nomadic Polar Eskimos in the area.
- 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 the winter of 1956/57 three KC-97 tankers and alternately one of two RB-47H aircraft made polar flights to inspect Soviet defenses.
Facts about Centennial Airport (APA):
- In 1985 a new control tower was built.
- The closest airport to Centennial Airport (APA) is Denver International Airport (DEN), which is located 22 miles (36 kilometers) NNE of APA.
- Located in Dove Valley, an unincorporated area of Arapahoe County, the airport’s runways extend into Douglas County.
- The furthest airport from Centennial Airport (APA) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,899 miles (17,540 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- Centennial Airport covers 1,400 acres at an elevation of 5,885 feet.
- Because of Centennial Airport's high elevation of 5,885 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at APA. Combined with a high temperature, this could make APA a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- Centennial Airport does not offer scheduled airline passenger service.
- Centennial Airport (APA) has 3 runways.