Nonstop flight route between Pituffik, Greenland and Stoelmans Eiland, Suriname:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from THU to SMZ:
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- About this route
- THU Airport Information
- SMZ Airport Information
- Facts about THU
- Facts about SMZ
- 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 SMZ
- List of Nearest Airports to SMZ
- Map of Furthest Airports from SMZ
- List of Furthest Airports from SMZ
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Thule Air Base (THU), Pituffik, Greenland and Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip (SMZ), Stoelmans Eiland, Suriname would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,017 miles (or 8,074 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 Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip, 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 Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip. 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: | SMZ / SMST |
Airport Name: | Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip |
Location: | Stoelmans Eiland, Suriname |
GPS Coordinates: | 4°20'59"N by 54°25'0"W |
Operator/Owner: | Luchtvaartdienst Suriname |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 187 feet (57 meters) |
View all routes: | Routes from SMZ |
More Information: | SMZ Maps & Info |
Facts about Thule Air Base (THU):
- Thule AB was constructed in secret under the code name Operation Blue Jay, but the project was made public in September 1952.
- The closest airport to Thule Air Base (THU) is Savissivik Heliport (SVR), which is located 69 miles (111 kilometers) ESE of THU.
- In 1818, Sir John Ross’s expedition made first contact with nomadic Polar Eskimos in the area.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- In addition to being known as "Thule Air Base", another name for THU is "Thule AB".
- 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.
Facts about Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip (SMZ):
- The closest airport to Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip (SMZ) is Drietabbetje Airstrip (DRJ), which is located 24 miles (38 kilometers) SW of SMZ.
- The furthest airport from Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip (SMZ) is Namrole Airport (NRE), which is nearly antipodal to Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip (meaning Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Namrole Airport), and is located 12,353 miles (19,880 kilometers) away in Buru, Indonesia.
- Because of Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip's relatively low elevation of 187 feet, planes can take off or land at Stoelmans Eiland Airstrip 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.