Nonstop flight route between Pituffik, Greenland and Selma, Alabama, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from THU to SEM:
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- About this route
- THU Airport Information
- SEM Airport Information
- Facts about THU
- Facts about SEM
- 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 SEM
- List of Nearest Airports to SEM
- Map of Furthest Airports from SEM
- List of Furthest Airports from SEM
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland and Craig Field (SEM), Selma, Alabama, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,109 miles (or 5,004 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 Craig Field, 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 Craig Field. 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: | SEM / KSEM |
| Airport Name: | Craig Field |
| Location: | Selma, Alabama, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 32°20'38"N by 86°59'16"W |
| Area Served: | Selma, Alabama |
| Operator/Owner: | Craig Field Airport & Industrial Authority |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 166 feet (51 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from SEM |
| More Information: | SEM Maps & Info |
Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):
- In 1959, the airbase was the main staging point for the construction of Camp Century, some 150 mi from the base.
- A delegation from NATO's Parliamentary Assembly visited Thule in early September 2010 and were told by the base commander that, at that time, approximately 600 personnel were serving at Thule, a mix of mostly U.S.
- A cluster of huts known as Pituffik stood on the wide plain where the base was built in 1951.
- In 1954, the 378 m Globecom Tower, a tower for military radio communication, was built at Northmountain.
- The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
- 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 addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
- 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.
- 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.
Facts about Craig Field (SEM):
- Craig Field (SEM) currently has only 1 runway.
- Because of Craig Field's relatively low elevation of 166 feet, planes can take off or land at Craig Field 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.
- Multiple civilian government and corporate tenants have taken up residency.
- The closest airport to Craig Field (SEM) is Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM), which is located 35 miles (56 kilometers) E of SEM.
- Although the former USAF air traffic control tower at Craig Field remains standing, as of 2007 it was unmanned and non-operational, with UNICOM being used as a common traffic advisory frequency.
- The furthest airport from Craig Field (SEM) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,157 miles (17,955 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Craig Field covers an area of 1,790 acres at an elevation of 166 feet above mean sea level.
