Nonstop flight route between Pituffik, Greenland and Sweetwater, Texas, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from THU to SWW:
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- About this route
- THU Airport Information
- SWW Airport Information
- Facts about THU
- Facts about SWW
- 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 SWW
- List of Nearest Airports to SWW
- Map of Furthest Airports from SWW
- List of Furthest Airports from SWW
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland and Avenger Field (SWW), Sweetwater, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,209 miles (or 5,164 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 Avenger 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 Avenger 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: | SWW / KSWW |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Sweetwater, Texas, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 32°28'1"N by 100°27'59"W |
| Area Served: | Sweetwater, Texas |
| Operator/Owner: | City of Sweetwater |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 2380 feet (725 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from SWW |
| More Information: | SWW Maps & Info |
Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):
- 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 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.
- 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.
- After liberation, Denmark ratified the Kauffmann treaty but began efforts to take over U.S.
- In 1959, the airbase was the main staging point for the construction of Camp Century, some 150 mi from the base.
- In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
- Thule AB was constructed in secret under the code name Operation Blue Jay, but the project was made public in September 1952.
Facts about Avenger Field (SWW):
- The furthest airport from Avenger Field (SWW) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,107 miles (17,874 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- Avenger Field (SWW) has 2 runways.
- Avenger Field was the largest all-female air base in American history.
- The United States Air Force Air Defense Command exercised a right of return to Avenger Field in 1955 when Sweetwater Air Force Station was established as a USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Station.
- As a Texas World War II Army Airfield, "Avenger Field" opened in August 1941 as a United States Army Air Forces training base of the AAF Flying Training Command, Gulf Coast Air Corps Training Center.
- In addition to being known as "Avenger Field", another name for SWW is "(former Avenger Army Airfield)".
- In the year ending February 6, 2012 the airport had 4,500 general aviation aircraft operations, average 12 per day.
- In 1963 the AN/FPS-6A evolved into an AN/FPS-90, and on July 31, the site was redesignated as NORAD ID Z-89.
- The closest airport to Avenger Field (SWW) is Dyess Air Force Base (DYS), which is located 36 miles (58 kilometers) E of SWW.
