Nonstop flight route between Pituffik, Greenland and Erigavo, Somalia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland and Erigavo Airport (ERA), Erigavo, Somalia would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,906 miles (or 9,504 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 Erigavo 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 Erigavo 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 Thule Air Base (THU):

• The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
• Knud Rasmussen was the first to recognize the Pituffik plain as ideal for an airport.
• In 1961, a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System radar was constructed at "J-Site," 21 km northeast of main base.
• Thule AB was constructed in secret under the code name Operation Blue Jay, but the project was made public in September 1952.
• Late 1950s the DEW 1 to 4 where build as "weather stations", Thule Air Base would act as an supply station for the DYE bases.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
• 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 home to the 21st Space Wing's global network of sensors providing missile warning, space surveillance and space control to North American Aerospace Defense Command and Air Force Space Command.
• 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 Erigavo Airport (ERA):

• Because of Erigavo Airport's high elevation of 5,720 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at ERA. Combined with a high temperature, this could make ERA a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The furthest airport from Erigavo Airport (ERA) is Atuona Airport (AUQ), which is located 11,997 miles (19,308 kilometers) away in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.
• The closest airport to Erigavo Airport (ERA) is Bender Qassim International Airport (BSA), which is located 127 miles (205 kilometers) ENE of ERA.