Nonstop flight route between Vernal, Utah, United States and Pituffik, Greenland:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from VEL to THU:
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- About this route
- VEL Airport Information
- THU Airport Information
- Facts about VEL
- Facts about THU
- Map of Nearest Airports to VEL
- List of Nearest Airports to VEL
- Map of Furthest Airports from VEL
- List of Furthest Airports from VEL
- Map of Nearest Airports to THU
- List of Nearest Airports to THU
- Map of Furthest Airports from THU
- List of Furthest Airports from THU
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Vernal Regional Airport (VEL), Vernal, Utah, United States and Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,770 miles (or 4,458 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 Vernal Regional Airport and Thule Air 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 Vernal Regional Airport and Thule Air Base. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | VEL / KVEL |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Vernal, Utah, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 40°26'26"N by 109°30'36"W |
Area Served: | Vernal, Utah |
Operator/Owner: | Uintah County & Vernal City |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 5278 feet (1,609 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from VEL |
More Information: | VEL Maps & Info |
Arrival 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 |
Facts about Vernal Regional Airport (VEL):
- Air Midwest began flights to Salt Lake City International Airport on 2 July 2006, replacing Salmon Air.
- The closest airport to Vernal Regional Airport (VEL) is Rock Springs–Sweetwater County Airport (RKS), which is located 83 miles (134 kilometers) NNE of VEL.
- Vernal Regional Airport (VEL) has 2 runways.
- The furthest airport from Vernal Regional Airport (VEL) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,947 miles (17,617 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- Because of Vernal Regional Airport's high elevation of 5,278 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at VEL. Combined with a high temperature, this could make VEL a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- The airport covers 254 acres at an elevation of 5,278 feet.
- In addition to being known as "Vernal Regional Airport", another name for VEL is "Vernal - Uintah County Airport".
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 Pentagon maintained that all four weapons had been destroyed.
- In 1954, the 378 m Globecom Tower, a tower for military radio communication, was built at Northmountain.
- 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.
- After liberation, Denmark ratified the Kauffmann treaty but began efforts to take over U.S.
- In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
- After the German occupation of Denmark on 9 April 1940, Henrik Kauffmann Danish Ambassador to the United States, made an agreement "In the name of the king" with the United States authorizing the United States to defend the Danish colonies on Greenland from German aggression - this agreement faced Kaufmann with a charge of high treason.
- 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.
- The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.