Nonstop flight route between Pittsburg, Kansas, United States and Pituffik, Greenland:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Atkinson Municipal Airport (PTS), Pittsburg, Kansas, United States and Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,816 miles (or 4,532 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 Atkinson Municipal 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 Atkinson Municipal 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:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Atkinson Municipal Airport (PTS):

• Atkinson Municipal Airport (PTS) has 2 runways.
• Established as Pittsburg Airport in April 1940.
• Atkinson Municipal Airport covers an area of 742 acres at an elevation of 950 feet above mean sea level.
• Because of Atkinson Municipal Airport's relatively low elevation of 950 feet, planes can take off or land at Atkinson Municipal 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 closest airport to Atkinson Municipal Airport (PTS) is Fort Scott Municipal Airport (FSK), which is located 24 miles (39 kilometers) N of PTS.
• The furthest airport from Atkinson Municipal Airport (PTS) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,752 miles (17,304 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.

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.
• 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.
• In 1949, Denmark joined NATO and abandoned its attempt to remove the United States bases.
• In 1961, a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System radar was constructed at "J-Site," 21 km northeast of main base.
• The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
• 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.
• Thule AB was constructed in secret under the code name Operation Blue Jay, but the project was made public in September 1952.