Nonstop flight route between Pituffik, Greenland and Isiro, Democratic Republic of the Congo:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from THU to IRP:
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- About this route
- THU Airport Information
- IRP Airport Information
- Facts about THU
- Facts about IRP
- 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 IRP
- List of Nearest Airports to IRP
- Map of Furthest Airports from IRP
- List of Furthest Airports from IRP
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland and Matari Airport (IRP), Isiro, Democratic Republic of the Congo would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,129 miles (or 9,864 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 Matari 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 Matari 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: | IRP / FZJH |
| Airport Name: | Matari Airport |
| Location: | Isiro, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| GPS Coordinates: | 2°49'39"N by 27°35'17"E |
| Area Served: | Isiro |
| Operator/Owner: | Government |
| Airport Type: | Civil |
| Elevation: | 2438 feet (743 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from IRP |
| More Information: | IRP Maps & Info |
Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):
- A cluster of huts known as Pituffik stood on the wide plain where the base was built in 1951.
- The ratification of the treaty in 1951 did not change much, except that the Danish national flag Dannebrog must be side by side with Stars and Stripes on the base.
- Thule Air Base or Thule Air Base/Pituffik Airport, is the United States Air Force's northernmost base, located 1,207 km north of the Arctic Circle and 1,524 km from the North Pole on the northwest side of the island of Greenland.
- 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.
- 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 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.
- Thule Air Base has served as the regional hub for nearby installations, including Cape Atholl, Camp Century, Camp TUTO, Sites 1 and 2, P-Mountain, J-Site, North and South Mountains, and a research rocket firing site.
- Knud Rasmussen was the first to recognize the Pituffik plain as ideal for an airport.
- On 21 January 1968, a B-52G Stratofortress from the 380th Strategic Aerospace Wing, Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York on a secret airborne nuclear alert crashed and burned on the ice near Thule Air 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 Matari Airport (IRP):
- Matari Airport (IRP) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Matari Airport (IRP) is Cassidy International Airport (CXI), which is located 11,960 miles (19,248 kilometers) away in Christmas Island, Kiribati.
- The closest airport to Matari Airport (IRP) is Buta Zega Airport (BZU), which is located 193 miles (310 kilometers) W of IRP.
