Nonstop flight route between Pituffik, Greenland and Maripasoula, French Guiana:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from THU to MPY:
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- About this route
- THU Airport Information
- MPY Airport Information
- Facts about THU
- Facts about MPY
- 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 MPY
- List of Nearest Airports to MPY
- Map of Furthest Airports from MPY
- List of Furthest Airports from MPY
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland and Maripasoula Airport (MPY), Maripasoula, French Guiana would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,066 miles (or 8,154 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 Maripasoula 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 Maripasoula 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: |
|
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: | MPY / SOOA |
Airport Name: | Maripasoula Airport |
Location: | Maripasoula, French Guiana |
GPS Coordinates: | 3°39'27"N by 54°2'13"W |
Area Served: | Maripasoula, French Guiana |
Operator/Owner: | Conseil Général de la Guyane |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 377 feet (115 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from MPY |
More Information: | MPY Maps & Info |
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.
- 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".
- Thule is the location where the fastest recorded sea level surface wind speed in the world was measured when a peak speed of 333 kilometres per hour was recorded on 8 March 1972 prior to the instrument's destruction.
- 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.
- 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.
- A board of Air Force officers headed by Gordon P.
- In 1954, the 378 m Globecom Tower, a tower for military radio communication, was built at Northmountain.
- 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.
Facts about Maripasoula Airport (MPY):
- The closest airport to Maripasoula Airport (MPY) is Drietabbetje Airstrip (DRJ), which is located 54 miles (87 kilometers) NW of MPY.
- Maripasoula Airport (MPY) currently has only 1 runway.
- Because of Maripasoula Airport's relatively low elevation of 377 feet, planes can take off or land at Maripasoula 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 Maripasoula Airport (MPY) is Namrole Airport (NRE), which is nearly antipodal to Maripasoula Airport (meaning Maripasoula Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Namrole Airport), and is located 12,384 miles (19,930 kilometers) away in Buru, Indonesia.