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: |
|
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: |
|
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):
- In 1818, Sir John Ross’s expedition made first contact with nomadic Polar Eskimos in the area.
- 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.
- A cluster of huts known as Pituffik stood on the wide plain where the base was built in 1951.
- Thule Air Base is the U.S.
- 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.
- 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.
- In 1957 construction began on 4 Nike Missile sites around the base, and they and their radar systems were operational by the end of 1958.
Facts about Avenger Field (SWW):
- 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.
- Avenger Field was the largest all-female air base in American history.
- 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.
- The closest airport to Avenger Field (SWW) is Dyess Air Force Base (DYS), which is located 36 miles (58 kilometers) E of SWW.
- In addition to being known as "Avenger Field", another name for SWW is "(former Avenger Army Airfield)".
- Avenger Field covers 896 acres at an elevation of 2,380 feet.
- In 1967 the search radar was replaced by an AN/FPS-67B.