Nonstop flight route between Pituffik, Greenland and Fort Gillem, Forest Park, Georgia, USA:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from THU to FOP:
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- About this route
- THU Airport Information
- FOP Airport Information
- Facts about THU
- Facts about FOP
- 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 FOP
- List of Nearest Airports to FOP
- Map of Furthest Airports from FOP
- List of Furthest Airports from FOP
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland and Morris Army Airfield (Fort Gillem) (FOP), Fort Gillem, Forest Park, Georgia, USA would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,006 miles (or 4,838 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 Morris Army Airfield (Fort Gillem), 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 Morris Army Airfield (Fort Gillem). 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: |
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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 |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | FOP / |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Fort Gillem, Forest Park, Georgia, USA |
GPS Coordinates: | 33°37'19"N by 84°20'22"W |
Operator/Owner: | United States Army |
Airport Type: | Military |
Elevation: | 966 feet (294 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from FOP |
More Information: | FOP Maps & Info |
Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):
- In 1961, a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System radar was constructed at "J-Site," 21 km northeast of main base.
- The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
- Thule AB was constructed in secret under the code name Operation Blue Jay, but the project was made public in September 1952.
- 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.
- In 1818, Sir John Ross’s expedition made first contact with nomadic Polar Eskimos in the area.
- Originally established as a Strategic Air Command installation, Thule would periodically serve as a dispersal base for B-36 Peacemaker and B-47 Stratojet aircraft during the 1950s, as well as providing an ideal site to test the operability and maintainability of these weapon systems in extreme cold weather.
- 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.
- 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 1959, the airbase was the main staging point for the construction of Camp Century, some 150 mi from the base.
Facts about Morris Army Airfield (Fort Gillem) (FOP):
- The closest airport to Morris Army Airfield (Fort Gillem) (FOP) is Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), which is located only 5 miles (8 kilometers) W of FOP.
- Morris Army Airfield (Fort Gillem) (FOP) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Morris Army Airfield (Fort Gillem) (FOP) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,322 miles (18,221 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Because of Morris Army Airfield (Fort Gillem)'s relatively low elevation of 966 feet, planes can take off or land at Morris Army Airfield (Fort Gillem) 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.
- In addition to being known as "Morris Army Airfield (Fort Gillem)", another name for FOP is "65GA".