Nonstop flight route between Pituffik, Greenland and Scottsdale, Arizona, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland and Scottsdale Airport (SCF), Scottsdale, Arizona, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,259 miles (or 5,245 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 Scottsdale 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 Scottsdale 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 AB was constructed in secret under the code name Operation Blue Jay, but the project was made public in September 1952.
• Knud Rasmussen was the first to recognize the Pituffik plain as ideal for an airport.
• 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.
• 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 closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
• 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".
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Scottsdale Airport (SCF):

• Scottsdale Airport (SCF) currently has only 1 runway.
• Neighbors complain about aircraft noise around the airport, with over 9,000 complaints being logged in 2004 alone.
• While in operation, Thunderbird #2 underwent a transformation that took it from a small piece of isolated desert to a primary training school.
• The closest airport to Scottsdale Airport (SCF) is Phoenix Deer Valley Airport (DVT), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) WNW of SCF.
• In addition to being known as "Scottsdale Airport", other names for SCF include "Thunderbird Field #2" and "SDL".
• The furthest airport from Scottsdale Airport (SCF) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,436 miles (18,404 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.