Nonstop flight route between Pituffik, Greenland and Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from THU to LYE:
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- About this route
- THU Airport Information
- LYE Airport Information
- Facts about THU
- Facts about LYE
- 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 LYE
- List of Nearest Airports to LYE
- Map of Furthest Airports from LYE
- List of Furthest Airports from LYE
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland and RAF Lyneham (LYE), Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,423 miles (or 3,899 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 RAF Lyneham, 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: | LYE / EGDL |
Airport Name: | RAF Lyneham |
Location: | Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom |
GPS Coordinates: | 51°30'19"N by 1°59'35"W |
Operator/Owner: | Ministry of Defence |
Airport Type: | Military |
Elevation: | 512 feet (156 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from LYE |
More Information: | LYE Maps & Info |
Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):
- 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.
- The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
- 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.
- 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 addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
- 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 AB was constructed in secret under the code name Operation Blue Jay, but the project was made public in September 1952.
- 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.
Facts about RAF Lyneham (LYE):
- The furthest airport from RAF Lyneham (LYE) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,913 miles (19,172 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
- In 1956, with the arrival of the de Havilland Comet operated by 216 Squadron, the main runway was extended from 6,000 feet to its present length of 7,830 feet.
- Because of RAF Lyneham's relatively low elevation of 512 feet, planes can take off or land at RAF Lyneham 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 RAF Lyneham (LYE) is RAF Fairford (FFD), which is located only 15 miles (24 kilometers) NE of LYE.
- A single enemy aircraft attacked the station on 19 September 1940, dropping an incendiary and two high explosive bombs before strafing part of the airfield.
- Lyneham's position as the primary tactical transport base for the RAF was emphasised in February 1971 when Nos.
- The station closed on 31 December 2012 with the majority of its personnel and other assets having moved to RAF Brize Norton.
- The airfield became renowned for being the "gateway" between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan.
- The airfield was built in 1939, necessitating the demolition of Lyneham Court manor house, the buildings of Cranley Farm and the village's tennis courts.
- RAF Lyneham (LYE) has 2 runways.
- It was announced in July 2011 by the then-Secretary of State for Defence, Dr Liam Fox, that Lyneham would become the new site of the Defence Technical Training Change Programme centre.
- RAF Lyneham was the Royal Air Force's principal Transport hub, operating the modern Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules, and the aging, but very adaptable, Lockheed C-130K Hercules.