Nonstop flight route between Pituffik, Greenland and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from THU to MDT:
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- About this route
- THU Airport Information
- MDT Airport Information
- Facts about THU
- Facts about MDT
- 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 MDT
- List of Nearest Airports to MDT
- Map of Furthest Airports from MDT
- List of Furthest Airports from MDT
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland and Harrisburg International Airport (MDT), Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,522 miles (or 4,059 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 Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg International 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: | MDT / KMDT |
| Airport Name: | Harrisburg International Airport |
| Location: | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 40°11'35"N by 76°45'47"W |
| Area Served: | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 310 feet (94 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from MDT |
| More Information: | MDT Maps & Info |
Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):
- 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 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.
- Thule AB was constructed in secret under the code name Operation Blue Jay, but the project was made public in September 1952.
- A cluster of huts known as Pituffik stood on the wide plain where the base was built in 1951.
- 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.
- 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.
- The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
- In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
Facts about Harrisburg International Airport (MDT):
- The closest airport to Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) is Capital City Airport (HAR), which is located only 5 miles (8 kilometers) WNW of MDT.
- Runway 13 has a CAT III approach allowing operations down to 600 feet RVR.
- The Middletown Air Depot at Olmsted provided logistical and maintenance support of military aircraft until it closed in 1969.
- Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) currently has only 1 runway.
- Harrisburg International Airport has freight-forwarding capability.
- Because of Harrisburg International Airport's relatively low elevation of 310 feet, planes can take off or land at Harrisburg 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.
- The furthest airport from Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,654 miles (18,755 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Harrisburg International Airport remains an active touch and go practice runway for SAM 28000 and SAM 29000.
