Nonstop flight route between Pituffik, Greenland and Gulkana, Alaska, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from THU to GKN:
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- About this route
- THU Airport Information
- GKN Airport Information
- Facts about THU
- Facts about GKN
- 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 GKN
- List of Nearest Airports to GKN
- Map of Furthest Airports from GKN
- List of Furthest Airports from GKN
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland and Gulkana Airport (GKN), Gulkana, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,919 miles (or 3,088 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 Thule Air Base and Gulkana Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
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: | GKN / PAGK |
| Airport Name: | Gulkana Airport |
| Location: | Gulkana, Alaska, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 62°9'18"N by 145°27'15"W |
| Area Served: | Gulkana, Alaska |
| Operator/Owner: | State of Alaska DOT&PF |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 1586 feet (483 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from GKN |
| More Information: | GKN Maps & Info |
Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Facts about Gulkana Airport (GKN):
- The furthest airport from Gulkana Airport (GKN) is Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ), which is located 10,451 miles (16,820 kilometers) away in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
- The closest airport to Gulkana Airport (GKN) is Copper Center Airport (CZC), which is located only 16 miles (25 kilometers) SSE of GKN.
- Gulkana Airport covers an area of 1,678 acres at an elevation of 1,586 feet above mean sea level.
- Gulkana Airport (GKN) currently has only 1 runway.
