Nonstop flight route between Pituffik, Greenland and Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, Philippines:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland and Laoag International Airport (LAO), Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, Philippines would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,882 miles (or 9,466 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 Laoag International 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 Laoag International Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):

• 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 1949, Denmark joined NATO and abandoned its attempt to remove the United States bases.
• 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.
• 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.
• In 1954, the 378 m Globecom Tower, a tower for military radio communication, was built at Northmountain.
• There is only a brief period each year in the summer when sea ice thins sufficiently to send supply ships to the base.
• In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
• A cluster of huts known as Pituffik stood on the wide plain where the base was built in 1951.
• 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.

Facts about Laoag International Airport (LAO):

• In addition to being known as "Laoag International Airport", another name for LAO is "Paliparang Pandaigdig ng LaoagSangalubong a Pagtayaban ti Laoag".
• Because of Laoag International Airport's relatively low elevation of 16 feet, planes can take off or land at Laoag International 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.
• Laoag International Airport handled 177,339 passengers last year.
• Laoag International Airport (LAO) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Laoag International Airport (LAO) is Puerto Suárez International Airport (PSZ), which is nearly antipodal to Laoag International Airport (meaning Laoag International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Puerto Suárez International Airport), and is located 12,316 miles (19,820 kilometers) away in Puerto Suárez, Bolivia.
• The closest airport to Laoag International Airport (LAO) is Tuguegarao Airport (TUG), which is located 87 miles (140 kilometers) ESE of LAO.