The World's Strangest International Airport - Kangerlussuaq, Greenland (Cultural Travel Guide)

Рет қаралды 419,469

Жыл бұрын

Kangerlussuaq has a fascinating history and an uncertain future. The former US airbase of Sondrestrom is currently the hub of Air Greenland's network and the only airport in the country that can accommodate the Airbus A330 that flies the daily lifeline link to Copenhagen. A small town of around 500 people services the airport, far from the major urban centres of Greenland. Local tour operators provide options for transiting passengers that include searching for musk oxen and driving to the ice cap. However, all that is about to change as new international airports are scheduled to open in Nuuk and Ilulissat in 2024. The future for Kangerlussuaq's airport and, more importantly, for its residents, is very much in doubt.
Filmed September 2022
Jonathan Wheeler
www.travelobscurer.com
#visitgreenland #kangerlussuaq
#grønland #kalaallitnunaat
#greenland #airgreenland
#sondrestrom #airports
Music licensed through Artlist

Пікірлер: 238

@jacquesmertens3369 Жыл бұрын

If Ryanair could use the airport they'd call it Copenhagen West.

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

Very good!!

@ronaldellis4662 Жыл бұрын

LOL 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

@drdewott9154 Жыл бұрын

@@GeoMeridium IDK about that. Air travel aint exactly sustainable either. But IF you wanna be that guy, Copenhagens airport is one of the closest to its city centre out of any country in the world. The downtown is just 15 minutes away via either regional train or Metro. Both take the same amount of time and cost the same. Its only about 7 kilometers from downtown to the terminal.

@rickmelzi811 Жыл бұрын

😂

@marcheprovencal592 11 ай бұрын

you are a menace to society *rofl*

@1993smoker Жыл бұрын

TORBEN IS SUCH A NICE GUY!!!! when i was in Kangerlussuaq in August, I stayed the night with him in his apartment, we went driving around the area and had a nice time

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

Agreed. Such a friendly chap.

@DanRasmussen72 Жыл бұрын

Grew up there in the 80ies, when the americans were still there. Very special place, hope it survives, but am looking forward to travel directly to Nuuk and not wait for hours in Sondy...

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

I bet it was an interesting place to be in the 1980s!

@tadeastolverpliestik5949 Жыл бұрын

I wish the best for Kangerlussuag. Greetings from Czechia🇨🇿🇬🇱

@julianneheindorf5757 Жыл бұрын

Kangerlussuaq doesn’t have the largest road net anymore. Nuuk does, but you still can’t drive between the different towns in Greenland. Only way to travel is by boat or by air. Kangerlussuaq will probably stay open for a number of years yet. The runway is considered an alternative runway if the jet can’t land in Nuuk or Ilulissat. It is also used by the Danish Air Force and while the Americans may have currently “mothballed” it, it wouldn’t take much for them to come back and reopen it, it they wanted it.

@SnakeBush Жыл бұрын

Dang y'all are a colony huh

@erikstorm8935 Жыл бұрын

Very interesting, I didn't realize Nuuk has more now. Although definitely still a large road for Greenland. I was there in 2018 and took a couple of tours. Highly recommended for anyone who has a stopover (if they have enough time, of course). I was there at the very end of August and saw all the Autumn colors :). But also snowfall at the Ice Sheet. Many different locations visited. I loved those tours and would love to return.

@marci3667 11 ай бұрын

My relative was stationed there in the 2000s! Can’t remember exact year! Owned by Denmark!

@SeeLasSee Жыл бұрын

Thanks for that video. Both the local and Danish man had a pleasant energy to them. Cheered me up.

@ruthiemay423 2 ай бұрын

My older brother was stationed at the AFB there in the 1960s. He had a desk job.

@MusicalRadiation Жыл бұрын

Fun fact: Kangerlussuaq has the only non-tundra climate on Greenland outside of Qinngua valley, where a small forest is situated. This combined with the sheltered location deep in the fjord probably helps keeping the aeroport open year-round.

@colinmacdonald5732 Жыл бұрын

Some warming has just nudged average July, August temperature above the 10°C isotherm and therefore a temperate Climate? Maybe they should move the capital here.

@rais1953 8 ай бұрын

I saw a video of Narsarsuaq where they have a small forest and apparently even some small scale honey production. The trees seemed to be flourishing.

@greasher926 6 ай бұрын

Yep it averages above 50F in summer meaning it can support trees. Kangerlussaq Jul record high: 79.9F Jul avg high: 62.2F Jul daily avg: 52.2F Jul avg low: 41.0F Jul record low: 30.7F And I also found a young fir tree on Google street view maps.app.goo.gl/e1WWbwmQwUz4WR1TA?g_st=ic And found even more outside of town, seems like global warming is going to turn this region into a forest pretty soon! maps.app.goo.gl/wNxx4PvTbWKtQqct5?g_st=ic

@onkelmarvin8360 11 ай бұрын

I was there in 1974. Back then, you couldn`t fly to the other towns in Greenland, but had to fly in a helicopter to get there. I`ve never forgotten the flight to Greenland which was so horrible, that my Grandmother canceled our original tickets home, and booked new ones with SAS instead, and the flight home was just perfect............❤

@johnfeeney5276 Жыл бұрын

If you think this is a strange international airport, try Kulusuk, also in Greenland. For baggage claim, you wait outside for a front loader to dump all the bags on the ground. That’s because the “terminal “ is a single room with space for a single plane-load worth of passengers. So, departing passengers wait inside while arriving passengers go in one door and out the other one to await the bags. Pray it isn’t raining when you get there!

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

I've had a short stopover in Kulusuk. It really does feel like an airport at the end of the world!

@michellehaberman5918 11 ай бұрын

I've been to one in the U.S. like that, in Bullhead City, AZ. One runway, bags in a pile outside. When flights leave, the line is out the building and around the corner. 😅

@MrSpruce 11 ай бұрын

Hahaha, I know of the existence of both of these airports from Flight Simulator X when I was circumnavigating the Earth by Spitfire and had a low fuel range :D

@lzh4950 10 ай бұрын

Reminds me of Woodlands Train Checkpoint on Singapore's side of its Causeway border crossing to Malaysia, which serves international trains from Malaysia, but I heard its immigration hall lacks separation between arriving & departing passengers, so the station's can't handle both of them at the same time

@rais1953 9 ай бұрын

This fits the description of the airport at Cocos Keeling Islands, Indian Ocean. The Shire of Cocos Keeling Islands is part of Australia's Indian Ocean Territories. It has two passenger flights from Perth each week plus freight flights.

@jonasolsen1668 Жыл бұрын

I wish the best for Kangerlussuaq greetings from Norway🇳🇴❤️🇬🇱

@Tertnes1953 Жыл бұрын

Jeg elsker Grønland

@michaelwiebe4282 11 ай бұрын

I've been to this airport in 2017, bringing in spare parts for our aircraft. Amazing experience, would never have gotten to Greenland on my own!

@user-pt1ow8hx5l 10 ай бұрын

Wonderful video. As a Dane: ThankYou!!!!,.....

@Alfeco-dm7uk 10 ай бұрын

Something very special in greenland is that there are no trees.

@GrundleMathius 11 ай бұрын

Spent a month there last year on a military exercise was a beautiful experience.

@st-ex8506 Жыл бұрын

I stopped there twice while ferrying light aircraft from the US to Europe or vice-versa. I remember going for a walk on a never finishing Greenland summer evening, and stumbling upon a herd of wild muskoxen... impressive!

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

You were lucky. I've now been four times and still not seen any musk oxen!

@st-ex8506 Жыл бұрын

@@TravelObscurer I was lucky indeed! When I saw them, it was August 1991. Maybe, human activities around the base have developed since that time, and the herd moved further away? I asked locals were I could find them, hiked in that direction... and stumbled upon them alright! On the same hike, I also saw a couple of reindeer skeletons... a testimony of the harsh winter, I guess.

@pamelajohnson9260 10 ай бұрын

Looks amazing and very interesting.

@awatt1404 Жыл бұрын

I remember this place well. The first time in 1997, I arrived by ship and flew back to Ottawa. The second time, a few years later, I flew there from Iqaluit on First Air. I was there for 2 days and knew the settlement inside out! I then returned to Iqaluit. Fine memories!

@iheartflying 5 ай бұрын

I love this video. Thank you for introducing me to such a fascinating place. And for finding out how to pronounce the name of the town correctly! 🙌🏼

@TravelObscurer 5 ай бұрын

Thank you! Hope you like the rest of the channel.

@peterscott7140 Жыл бұрын

Pased through in 1970 on way to Kulusuk. Watched the delightful film 'Ballad of Cabel Hogue' in the air force cinema.

@tomcaine752 Жыл бұрын

I was an Explorer Scout in the mid 70's and had the opportunity to visit Sondrestrom and Thule - not once, but twice! We traveled on a military cargo ship (USNS Pvt. John R. Towle) that delivered supplies to both bases in July and August '74 and '75. We hiked through the hills surrounding the towns and walked on the glacier. There isn't enough space here to describe how beautiful Greenland is. But your video certainly encourages me to figure out how to go back. How I hope Sondrestrom survives. Perhaps tourism is the answer.

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

If only you'd had a film camera on those trips Tom - what an incredible experience that must have been! The urban landscape of Sondrestrom won't have changed very much.

@tomcaine752 Жыл бұрын

@@TravelObscurer I did actually. I shot hundreds of pictures!

@zenshy2139 Жыл бұрын

@@tomcaine752any possibility you could make a picture collage on your channel?

@tomcaine752 Жыл бұрын

@@zenshy2139 Possibly. All of the pictures need to be scanned. I have a few hundred. It's on my list to do. It's going to take a while. I've been wanting to do it for a while.

@eddy2561 Жыл бұрын

Kangerlussuaq, easy for you to say!

@rjustison 11 ай бұрын

A fun place to visit. The locals were very nice.

@AlanJ-mr9xz 2 ай бұрын

Visited here and Thule during a 1982 Icebreaker deployment onboard U.S.C.G.Cutter Northwind ...WAGB 282... Semper Paratus

@12345fowler Жыл бұрын

Great, another remote place you thought you could cruise along alone nicely only to find out it becoming overcrowded with tourists.

@DailyPassenger Жыл бұрын

Much appreciation for making this fantastic video for us to share.The quality is sublime. Greenlandi looks stunningly beautiful. Looking forward to watching new videos on your channel

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

Thank you. Much appreciated!!

@erikstorm8935 Жыл бұрын

@@TravelObscurer I also wanted to say thanks for this video, as well! I didn't realize the new airports were coming so soon. I was in Kangerlussuaq twice in 2018. Took tours both times. It'd be very sad if those tours are no more come 2024 (due to much less visitors). There's so many beautiful places to easily explore there. Although, one can certainly still go hiking (not easy for everyone, though). More importantly: sad for the community & workers. And as for me there's the wonderful memories! But maybe I'll be able to return someday.

@NicolaW72 Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for this impressive Presentation of a Town in Greenland only known as an Airport!👍👍👍

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the feedback Nicola. Much appreciated!

@NicolaW72 Жыл бұрын

@@TravelObscurer 🙂

@Mr.Monta77 11 ай бұрын

It's a nice place actually. I visited some years ago. The most impressive about the airport was the flight over the Greenland ice. Very beautiful and H U G E!

@kareemsalessi Жыл бұрын

Short & sweet documentary, thanks for the history lesson.

@michelledauvergne6830 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing this amazing county and airport.

@tranmere292 Жыл бұрын

I don't know why but as a resident of sub-tropical Australia I find Greenland and indeed the rest of the frozen north fascinating. Thanks for that insight into Kangerlussuaq. I regularly watch the airport cams at Nuuk but didn't know why there were so many flights to Kangerlussuaq until now.

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

Thank you David. Ironically I'm currently in Tasmania which is as cold today as I was when shooting the Kangerlussuaq film!

@lisagermany Жыл бұрын

I'm from northern NSW and I now live in Sisimiut, Greenland. Was fascinated by it for ages, then fell in love with it once I visited. Currently home in Oz for the first time in 3 years (thanks Covid).

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

@@lisagermany Wow that's an incredible change of environment!

@lisagermany Жыл бұрын

@@TravelObscurer Indeed :) Absolutely love it!

@freeagent8225 Жыл бұрын

@@lisagermany I too was fascinated, caught s fishing boat from Iceland. Stayed 3 months. Out of 63 countries the Greenlanders have helped me the most. Great memories😅.

@freeagent8225 Жыл бұрын

I visited in the 90 's, l left on Nov12. I sent my warm clothes home. Waited 5 hours for my flight, so i went for a walk. It got so cold, thankfully i got a lift back. Greeting from Australia😅.

@mk1e6 Жыл бұрын

Spent a year here 1979-1980, USAF. Very unique, actually a great place to get away from it all.

@Daniel-gi3jo 10 ай бұрын

So much more than the live cam offers. It should stay operational for the safety of the area.

@herbertjohnston4608 11 ай бұрын

Can't imagine much police activity, no locked doors, I bet.😊 🇬🇧👍

@ChrisH-1952 11 ай бұрын

Another fascinating revelation for me. Thanks.

@EdwindePaula Жыл бұрын

what a great video, I am fascinated by your content on greenland

@iainmillar1532 Жыл бұрын

In my airline we cross the North Atlantic frequently. We have to do special training in the simulator to be able to use kangerlussuaq as an emergency diversion airport. I’d love to visit one day (as a passenger, not in an emergency!)

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

I understand that it's not too challenging in clear weather but the downfall of the airport is fog. I've been stuck there a couple of times with very limited visibility.

@iainmillar1532 Жыл бұрын

@@TravelObscurer yes indeed, it's fairly straight forward when the easterly runway is in use, the training is focused on the westerly runway which has a visual turn over quite high terrain.

@waterwalker1315 5 ай бұрын

Stationed there, Air Force, 77-78, Air Traffic Control.

@pagophilus Жыл бұрын

I have fond memories of hanging around here for the better part of a month, with a short time in Sisimiut, in 1998, and again in 2003, though visiting more places on that trip.

@OttawaRocks Жыл бұрын

A well done documentary. Many thanks.

@davidsaks1244 Жыл бұрын

Great again mate, really share your hope that the community survives

@strafrag1 Жыл бұрын

Very interesting video. Thank you.

@TheAslakVind 11 ай бұрын

Air Greenland just received their brand new Airbus A330 NEO.

@viocaia 11 ай бұрын

Really interesting place, I've been so many times that I start like it!

@misskitty2133 11 ай бұрын

Tusen tak!

@mayureshgawade3842 Жыл бұрын

Best scenic airport the world 😍

@joeyjamison5772 Жыл бұрын

I (briefly) visited Thule, Greenland when I was in the US Air Force. After 3 days, I was glad to move on.

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

I'd love to visit Thule (briefly!)

@ReflectionTool637 Жыл бұрын

Looks an awful lot like Adak, Alaska and other remote places in AK that people like me were at/going thru for work and such. I do miss the cold. The wind, not so much ;)

@SantaFe19484 Жыл бұрын

Craziness!

@DChatburn1 11 ай бұрын

I was in Kangerlussuaq in February of 2023, but only for two nights before heading to Ilulissat. I hope that the town survives when the new airports open up.

@mikebarton Жыл бұрын

Decent vid. 👍

@rickherman4539 Жыл бұрын

I love it

@ubiquitousdiabolus Ай бұрын

Going there next month to hike the ice cap.

@cherylsemrau7100 Жыл бұрын

I would love to visit there. Greetings from Canada.

@waqasahmad8015 10 ай бұрын

A very good documentary there are thousands and thousands of places like these all around the globe there are tourists who want to visit and make the most of it sadly not enough is being done to modernise the infrastructure and sadly then people turn away and the local suffers

@dangraham9741 Жыл бұрын

the Airbus A -330 - 800 is a magnificent plane to see there .. . ..

@Flent82 Жыл бұрын

0:50 it's a surveillance radar for the ATC tower 😁

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

My footage of the other towers and antennae was unusable. That old bus shuddered too much as we were passing!😊

@Flent82 Жыл бұрын

@@TravelObscurer the antennaes are HF antenna for ATC also 👍

@PeterNGloor 5 ай бұрын

that Danish bus driver spoke very good English.

@scottl.1568 Жыл бұрын

Air Greenland has an all-RED paint job 😮

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

It's to do with the country's flag - but it is ironic though.

@juliansmith4295 Жыл бұрын

2:50 Well-spotted. Yes, that bus is from Canada. EDIT: Thank you for this. I fear the decision of moving the international airport to Nuuk will mean the death of this community.

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

I agree, sadly.

@iheartflying 5 ай бұрын

@@TravelObscurerthey should really promote trips to see the northern lights here as a way to keep the town alive. Watching the live airport cams all week, the northern lights in Kangerlussuaq are outstanding!! The sky is almost always clear.

@shlomok9731 11 ай бұрын

Nuuk and Ilulissat airports will always have trouble with the weather and therefore flights will inevitably be diverted here. Therefore the airport cannot be closed

@DougKahn Жыл бұрын

Been there!

@Krachmaschinchen Жыл бұрын

Lovely video, watched it 2 time back to back. Just a quick question (no one seems to have asked yet): What are the bits of classical music and whom by? It sounds very beautiful, and I'd like to find and listen to the whole thing, pretty please.

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

Hi Georg, thanks for the feedback. The music was from an archive on Artlist. Heavens by Itai Argaman I believe.

@MikiLund Жыл бұрын

Home if my soul 🇬🇱 the video doesn’t justify, usually it’s sunny and calm and 20 in shade during summer but the winters are brutal. Don’t care much for the settlement as such but the nature surrounding it-oh my god !!!

@erikstorm8935 Жыл бұрын

The nature really is incredible! I was there during a late August (back in 2018). The Autumn colors were magical! And by the ice sheet the snow was already falling. Diverse and very beautiful landscapes.

@victorklaesson8270 Жыл бұрын

The plans for a road between Sisimiut and Kangerlussuaq might save the town seeing how (from what I’ve heard) Sisimiut won’t be getting a new airport anytime soon.

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

I wonder whether that will ever happen. The cost would be astronomical.

@Wind99dir 6 ай бұрын

Hello, from Frankfurt a. M., Germany.

@Abandoned_Brane 11 ай бұрын

Musk ox are my gre disappointment. They look like giant beast from the pics of my childhood, but they're only about 2ft tall at the shoulder.

@stanislavkostarnov2157 Жыл бұрын

I think it is also the furthest Greenland town from the open sea, some might say, it is even not on the coast at all, since in that place the fjord is classified already as the estuary of a river... also, I believe there were always a small number of international flights to other Greenland communities, mainly to Narsarsuaq International Airport but also, small ATR flights to Iceland Keflavik... the problem always was no large flights to the continent...

@MikiLund Жыл бұрын

You are right, it’s our only place with genuine inland weather, warm during summer and brutally cold in the winter.

@rais1953 8 ай бұрын

Yes there are flights from Keflavik to Nuuk using Dash 8 aircraft with extra fuel tanks for extra range.

@desdicadoric Жыл бұрын

That bus driver must work 24 hours a day 😂

@corbinpearce7686 Жыл бұрын

Greenland is beautiful, but I would be so depressed living there. It just doesn't seem like a place to choose to live, even if you want to be away from people.

@simonjackson7269 Жыл бұрын

Stanstead Airport used to be a RAF Airbase... it hosted the American Army Airforce during WW2!

@timmiekat6072 11 ай бұрын

Kind of odd seeing one of humanities greatest achievements namely a brand new hyper modern jet airliner in the middle of nowhere

@bigbenlorax Жыл бұрын

Yay, the bus driver called hiking tramping! I wonder whether he got the term from New Zealand, where we use the term tramping to mean hiking or walking in the outdoors.

@flashtheoriginal Жыл бұрын

Totally confused. At 1.14 you say no-one flies here to visit "Kang.....". So do you mean they fly in from Denmark to then fly back to Denmark? Or do they arrive in Greenland from elsewhere? No-one would fly to Denmark via Greenland by choice if there were (are) loads of other routes to get to Denmark. Could you explain please?

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

What I mean is it Kangerlussuaq is not a final destination. Apart from the occasional local resident every passenger arriving on the A330 from Copenhagen then has to wait for a plane to somewhere else - normally Nuuk or Ilulissat. Hence when new airports open there the flights to Kangerlussuaq will stop as there is no demand.

@flashtheoriginal Жыл бұрын

@@TravelObscurer Ah! Thank you. Really enjoyed the piece

@NejBk 2 ай бұрын

Let's hope overtourism will be managed properly once direct US flights start.

@TravelObscurer 2 ай бұрын

Yes, that will be a challenge!

@advancetotabletop5328 Жыл бұрын

Is the Nuuk airport the international hub? Would be interested in an update! Thanks for the video!

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

Nuuk's new runway is not scheduled to open until 2024.

@LordDavid04 Жыл бұрын

Nuuk's runway of under 900m is obviously too small for large scale or even mid scale commercial aircraft, so the government decided to extend the runway (controversially) to 2,400m allowing mid sized aircraft to land and direct flights to Copenhagen, Denmark. A new terminal is being build alongside with it. Perhaps this will open up flight routes again with Iqaluit, Nunavut in Canada.

@FastGuy1 Жыл бұрын

@@LordDavid04Canada had flights to Nuuk??

@LordDavid04 Жыл бұрын

@@FastGuy1 No, I think it was briefly this airport.

@anna-karinsvengren6657 11 ай бұрын

I have seen that a330 in copenhagen

@joeylantis22 11 ай бұрын

I'm just curious does anyone know where Jonathan's accent is from in the UK? I've heard it before but I don't know what the 'general area' this accent is from.

@TravelObscurer 11 ай бұрын

I live in Scotland but I'm from Leicester, so I suppose there's a bit of an East Midlands accent in there.

@PeterNGloor Жыл бұрын

Air Greenlands only A-330. The rest is Dash-8's

@streptokokke1003 11 ай бұрын

4:19 There are several container houses, that recently won design awards. Just sayin'.

@TravelObscurer 11 ай бұрын

Really! I'll have to look that up. I'm delighted to be proved wrong!

@RichManSCTV0 Жыл бұрын

It is technically still a base of operations

@nwofoe2866 11 ай бұрын

I can't even pronounce it without a mouth full of food.

@majy1735 Жыл бұрын

A flight between Greenland and continental Denmark is a domestic one, as Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark: they're not an independant country.

@veronicaroach3667 Жыл бұрын

Aren't they trying to get independence from Denmark now ? They must have so much in the way of unrecognized wealth still to be discovered that I fear that others covet their resources & they will need a major partner to avoid being invaded ! Watch out for Russians getting a toehold in there ! They would be better off staying part of Denmark IMO !

@majy1735 Жыл бұрын

@@veronicaroach3667 Yes, there is a pro-independence movement on the move in Greenland but they're still part of the Kingdom of Denmark, so it's a domestic flight. As for the merits, I share your take that they'd better stick with Denmark rather than go it alone. You're right.

@yoenyoen3121 Жыл бұрын

its safe walking around? any polar bear or danger animal? i plan transit in there for 24 hours, any tips and trick or thing i should do? where that bus go and how much ?

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

Perfectly safe - there are no dangerous animals. The bus is cheap and simply does a loop around the town.

@yoenyoen3121 Жыл бұрын

@@TravelObscurer what currency we pay? danish money? any top location to stop when i hop on that bus mate?

@jonathanwheeler4444 Жыл бұрын

@@yoenyoen3121 Currency is Danish. Take the bus to the museum. After that you can walk to the bridge then catch the bus back. In reality, if the weather is good then you can walk everywhere from the airport.

@yoenyoen3121 Жыл бұрын

@@jonathanwheeler4444 thanks for you tips mate

@MikiLund Жыл бұрын

It’s the nature surrounding it, the settlement is not interesting but do remember the Moskitos net !!

@brucebrown4480 Жыл бұрын

As a youngster, I had orders for Sonderstrom AB (as it was called back then). I missed the opportunity to go there due to getting my orders changed to Germany. I always wondered if this would have been a better assignment.

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

A more memorable assignment perhaps. I'd love to see archive footage of life at the airbase in the fifties and sixties.

@johnnycrash3270 Жыл бұрын

1974 S A S flight from Seattle U S A we flew from Vancouver Canada (united airline) (S A S did not have a landing permits in Canada in 1974) Re-fueling stop back then it was called Sondrestrom airport 3am and complete daylight got off plane and airport Terminal they were still using U S army/Airforce vehicles on the ground Cafeteria had coffee/pop and Sandwiches the only hot food was FISH (gee ya think ) a great expreince for a 14 yr old kid While Reboarding I got to sit in the cockpit (Captins seat) WOW🤩🤗 PS: Just before mom & dad moved to Canada from Denmark in 1954 dad worked as a Welder at the U.S Military base @ Sondrestrom

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

Great story. Thanks for sharing!

@jackiesanders489 10 ай бұрын

sadly you never mentioned the USAF name for the Base, I may spell it wrong but it wasTOULE AFB. i was stationed there in the early 60's.

@TravelObscurer 10 ай бұрын

Hi Jackie. I haven't seen that name in my research. I know that for a while it was Bluie West 8 before officially becoming Sondrestrom. What aircraft were in use there during your posting?

@jackiesanders489 10 ай бұрын

I think the AFB was Thule afb, we had Kc97 tankers there. i was on a 90 day temp duty there from Shilling AFB in Kanas.

@iheartflying 5 ай бұрын

@@jackiesanders489The Thule Base is further north in Pituffik

@jackiesanders489 5 ай бұрын

I was there with a KC97 wing of SAC from smokieHill AFB in Kansas.@@TravelObscurer

@ninadsheth8422 Жыл бұрын

Very beautiful a part of the cold war dying....

@ukar69 11 ай бұрын

It still seems to be used by the USAF. The airport now has a webcam and the channel has other Greenland airport webcams kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mq1ko8VjlavVepc.html

@sudipjana1795 Жыл бұрын

I live in USA and I want to visit Greenland for couple of days. Wanted to know, if there are any tour packages available? and what's the best time to Greenland? If anyone, knows greatly appreciated.

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

It would be very difficult to visit Greenland just for a couple of days from the USA as there are no direct flights from North America, only Denmark and Iceland. There are links to tour operators through the Air Greenland website. Best time to visit has to be the summer as that is the only time when transport is reliable and most tours are operating.

@sudipjana1795 Жыл бұрын

@@TravelObscurer Hi, Thanks for replying back.

@marci3667 11 ай бұрын

Where’s Thule Air Base from here?

@TravelObscurer 11 ай бұрын

A lot further north.

@jimphillippi616 Жыл бұрын

Wildlife tourism is a thing, you know.

@Cancun771 Жыл бұрын

New airports just in time for the climate catastrophe destroying the glaciers and opening up the vast inland areas.

@user-vh6zt7ty3b Жыл бұрын

Kangerlussuaq

@tangatoto362 Жыл бұрын

Well, how fascinating is that, thank you. Ok, who has since tried to type that name into Google earth 😎. The OCD in me has a problem with the Air Greenland livery being red ! ( very smart that it is) ..

@davidaarthur Жыл бұрын

I think the ex-school bus is probably U.S.-built, but those propellor planes are all Canadian.

@TravelObscurer Жыл бұрын

The bilingual French English signs inside the bus made me think it was probably Canadian

@davidaarthur Жыл бұрын

@@TravelObscurer Oh, sorry, I was so surprised to see a yellow school bus in Greenland that I didn't even notice the text. Yes, that does suggest it served in Canada - the Americans don't tend to go in for French very much. :-)