Nonstop flight route between Pituffik, Greenland and Nissan Island, Papua New Guinea:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from THU to IIS:
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- About this route
- THU Airport Information
- IIS Airport Information
- Facts about THU
- Facts about IIS
- 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 IIS
- List of Nearest Airports to IIS
- Map of Furthest Airports from IIS
- List of Furthest Airports from IIS
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland and Nissan Island Airport (IIS), Nissan Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,204 miles (or 11,593 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 Nissan Island 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 Nissan Island 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: |
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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: | IIS / |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Nissan Island, Papua New Guinea |
| GPS Coordinates: | 4°30'0"S by 154°13'35"E |
| Elevation: | 100 feet (30 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from IIS |
| More Information: | IIS Maps & Info |
Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):
- 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.
- 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 addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
- 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.
- After liberation, Denmark ratified the Kauffmann treaty but began efforts to take over U.S.
- 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 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 1961, a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System radar was constructed at "J-Site," 21 km northeast of main base.
Facts about Nissan Island Airport (IIS):
- The furthest airport from Nissan Island Airport (IIS) is São Filipe Airport (SFL), which is located 11,714 miles (18,852 kilometers) away in Fogo, Cape Verde.
- Because of Nissan Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 100 feet, planes can take off or land at Nissan Island 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 Nissan Island Airport (IIS) is Buka Island Airport (BUA), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) SSE of IIS.
- Lagoon Airfield was abandoned after the war, while Ocean Airfield remained in use as a civilian airfield.
- Nissan Island Airport (IIS) currently has only 1 runway.
- In addition to being known as "Nissan Island Airport", other names for IIS include "AYIA" and "Nissan Island".
