Nonstop flight route between Narsarsuaq, Greenland and Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Narsarsuaq Airport (UAK), Narsarsuaq, Greenland and Santa Cruz Air Force Base (SNZ), Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,811 miles (or 9,352 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 Narsarsuaq Airport and Santa Cruz Air Force Base, 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 Narsarsuaq Airport and Santa Cruz Air Force Base. 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 Narsarsuaq Airport (UAK):

• Narsarsuaq Airport handled 26,284 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Narsarsuaq Airport (UAK) is Igaliku Heliport (QFX), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) S of UAK.
• Narsarsuaq Airport (UAK) currently has only 1 runway.
• In the 1960s and 1970s Greenlandair and SAS were operating with Douglas DC-6s and Icelandair with Boeing 727s in Greenland, and in the 80's SAS was using DC-8s at Narsarsuaq.
• The airfield at Narsarsuaq was first built by the American Department of Defense as an army airbase, its construction beginning in July 1941 and the first aircraft landing in January 1942.
• In the terminal there is a large cafeteria, a duty-free 'Nanoq' shop, as well as a small tourist office, which helps coordinate general aviation activities at the airport.
• In addition to being known as "Narsarsuaq Airport", other names for UAK include "Mittarfik Narsarsuaq" and "Narsarsuaq Lufthavn".
• Because of Narsarsuaq Airport's relatively low elevation of 112 feet, planes can take off or land at Narsarsuaq 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 Narsarsuaq Airport (UAK) is Hobart International Airport (HBA), which is located 11,062 miles (17,803 kilometers) away in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

Facts about Santa Cruz Air Force Base (SNZ):

• The closest airport to Santa Cruz Air Force Base (SNZ) is Rio de Janeiro/Galeão–Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport (GIG), which is located 31 miles (50 kilometers) ENE of SNZ.
• On 12 February 1942, six months before Brazil declaring war against the Axis, the airport became a base of the Brazilian Air Force.
• In addition to being known as "Santa Cruz Air Force Base", another name for SNZ is "Base Aérea de Santa Cruz".
• Additionally, the base has one U-7A and two U-42 for administrative missions.
• Santa Cruz Air Force Base (SNZ) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Santa Cruz Air Force Base's relatively low elevation of 10 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Cruz Air Force Base 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.
• As a consequence to the Hindenburg disaster on 6 May 1937 at Lakehurst Air Naval Station in New Jersey, USA, the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin requested to the Brazilian Government on 17 June 1937 the suspension of services.
• The furthest airport from Santa Cruz Air Force Base (SNZ) is Central Field (Iwo Jima)Motoyama No. 2Airfield No. 2 (IWO), which is nearly antipodal to Santa Cruz Air Force Base (meaning Santa Cruz Air Force Base is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Central Field (Iwo Jima)Motoyama No. 2Airfield No. 2), and is located 12,093 miles (19,462 kilometers) away in Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands, Japan.