Nonstop flight route between Pituffik, Greenland and Willmar, Minnesota, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from THU to ILL:
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- About this route
- THU Airport Information
- ILL Airport Information
- Facts about THU
- Facts about ILL
- 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 ILL
- List of Nearest Airports to ILL
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- List of Furthest Airports from ILL
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland and Willmar Municipal Airport (ILL), Willmar, Minnesota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,298 miles (or 3,698 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 Willmar Municipal 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: | ILL / KILL |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Willmar, Minnesota, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 45°7'4"N by 95°7'50"W |
| Area Served: | Willmar, Minnesota |
| Operator/Owner: | City of Willmar |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 1126 feet (343 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from ILL |
| More Information: | ILL Maps & Info |
Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):
- In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
- 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.
- Thule Air Base is also home to the 821st Air Base Group and is responsible for air base support within the Thule Defense Area for the multinational population of "Team Thule." The base hosts the 12th Space Warning Squadron which operates a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System designed to detect and track ICBMs launched against North America.
- There is only a brief period each year in the summer when sea ice thins sufficiently to send supply ships to the base.
- In 1959, the airbase was the main staging point for the construction of Camp Century, some 150 mi from the base.
- Thule AB was constructed in secret under the code name Operation Blue Jay, but the project was made public in September 1952.
- 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.
- The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
- Thule Air Base is the U.S.
Facts about Willmar Municipal Airport (ILL):
- In addition to being known as "Willmar Municipal Airport", other names for ILL include "John L. Rice Field", "KBDH" and "BDH".
- Willmar Municipal Airport (ILL) has 2 runways.
- The closest airport to Willmar Municipal Airport (ILL) is Benson Municipal Airport (BBB), which is located 29 miles (47 kilometers) WNW of ILL.
- The furthest airport from Willmar Municipal Airport (ILL) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,664 miles (17,162 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
