Flying Archives

June 26, 2008

Notes from the Bahamas: GE in Education, AGE More KML, Disney 3D

I'm currently writing you from a beautiful resort in the Bahamas! My wife and I had an unexpected opportunity to visit the Bahamas and stay at a nice resort for a couple of days. And, since I've never flown myself to the Bahamas, I decided to make an effort. After running around getting an international FCC radio license, US customs decal, and making arrangements for other necessary equipment and charts, we finally were ready. Yesterday we got up early, and had a nice flight down to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE). Here we picked up some necessary survival equipment (e.g. life vests and life boat), and then headed out over the water. After getting out of the way of Miami traffic, they finally let us fly direct for Georgetown, Great Exuma (MYEF). We're staying at the St. Francis Resort which is a delightful place on beautiful island called Stocking Island. You can view our GPS tracks and the resort . Oh, and I forgot to mention that I used Google Earth to plan the route, check out the airports, check weather, and view the resort before we left (see GE for Pilots).

Here's some other news:

  • GE in Education - Google is having a "Google Teacher Academy" and I like this post about using Google Earth for literary teaching. Also, hundreds of teachers in Greenville County are getting exposure to Google Earth at a teacher conference.

  • AGE More KML - ESRI's ArcGIS Explorer has a new update - part of the ArcGIS 9.3 new release coming this week. ArcGIS Explorer is the GIS giant's own virtual globe. The new update includes better KML support. via AnyGeo.

  • Disney 3D - Google has now made a layer available under Gallery->Travel and Tourism->Walt Disney World Resorts which shows placemarks of many sights at the Disney Resorts in Orlando. These are worth looking at with the 3D Buildings layer because Disney and Google recently added very detailed 3D models of the resorts (including trees, rides, hotels, and more). See a YouTube demo of the Disney in 3D collection.

Posted by FrankTaylor at 08:03 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

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June 13, 2008

Links: Big Dog, Plugins, Smoke, Stonehenge, SketchUp Camp, Kenya

Regular readers should read this one carefully - lots of interesting little tidbits today.

  • Big Dog - A bunch of news writers picked up on this story about a huge dog "seen from space" in the front of a hotel in London. And, you can in fact see the dog (just barely) in Google Earth. However, the imagery is actually from an airplane - not a satellite photo (you can see "BlueSky" in the copyright message - which is an aerial photography company in the UK). Aerial imagery is often better than satellite imagery since its easier to get higher resolution if you're closer to the ground. Read more about Google Earth imagery.

  • Plugins - James Stafford has added a page dedicated to his experiments with the Earth API plugin. I have not yet written about his cute experiment with a mini-flight simulator (I was waiting for some new features like altitude changes). He's added three new applications he's playing with: 1) A polygon editor , 2) put some of his flight tracking KMLs into the plugin, and 3) my favorite - an astronomy application showing stars categorized on a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (I'm looking forward to his explanation on how that was done).

  • Smoke - My local TV news station's web site used a Google Maps My Map to explain where smoke from a wildfire was coming from - blanketing the Raleigh area with smoke yesterday. This of course means you could view the map with Google Earth too. So, I had to mention this.

  • Stonehenge - Stonehenge has been in the news quite a bit lately. Saw this video from National Geographic showing Stonehenge being viewed through Microsoft Photosynth based on photos taken by a NG photographer (via VerySpatial). This made me wonder whether Panoramio's new Look Around feature was available for Stonehenge. Sure enough, you can see Stonehenge using Look Around based on photos by many people. And, it works on the Mac as well as Windows!

  • SketchUp Camp - Google hosted Google SketchUp 3D Basecamp this week. Only 300 of 4500 people who expressed interest were able to go. AEC News Randall Newton has been live-blog reporting on 3D Basecamp. So far that's the only source of regular news I've seen from the event. According to AEC News Google is saying there won't be any product announcements at the event.

  • Kenya - Google recently released new street maps in Kenya. According to NetworkWorld students and a team from India were involved in creating the street maps. I believe this is based on Google's methods used for street maps in India which uses GPSes in the hands of many people ("crowd sourcing") to collect data. This way you use local knowledge to enhance the quality of the data. The new street maps are not yet in the Roads layer in Google Earth. So you can compare what they used to look like to now. Interestingly, the very useful Tracks4Africa (which was recently upgraded) and included Kenya with their crowd sourced data - has now been "demoted"/moved to the "More" layer folder in Google Earth.

Posted by FrankTaylor at 09:35 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 20, 2008

PictEarth Flies UAV with N95 Over WhereCamp

PictEarth Googleplex in Google EarthDuring WhereCamp this weekend, the guys from PictEarth flew a remote controlled plane over the Googleplex with a Nokia N95 cellphone onboard taking photos. They first flew the plane in the morning when the winds were lighter and the sun angle was high. What's really cool, is that within a couple of hours, they had selected photos processed such that they could be viewed in Google Earth. They uploaded them to the free imagery server called OpenAerialMap.org. First, you load the OpenAerialMap KML file and then fly to the Googleplex by following this KML . The imagery is super-overlayed which means it will load multiple zoom levels with more details as you get closer. You will see the imagery PictEarth took around 10:00 AM on Saturday May 17th during WhereCamp. Since this was there first run with a new plane, they didn't tell any of the attendees who were inside attending sessions. So, there aren't many people to be found in the imagery.

PictEarth's founder, David Riallant came from France to attend WhereCamp. Also involved was Jeff Johnson and Stewart Long from the USA branch of PictEarth. Stewart flew the plane. Here are some photos and video clips showing them setting up and flying the plane later in the day (NOTE: you have to click on the images to view the video clips at PicasaWeb):

For some reason, the famous "Google Pool" looks different in their imagery:

Google Pool Shots

For those of you who don't know, it used to be that Google had photoshopped the Google logo on the bottom of their pool in Google Earth as shown in the screenshot above (now the base imagery shows the pool to have no logo). So, PictEarth was going to show the photoshop with their logo in the pool, but for some reason they didn't include it for the OpenAerialMap imagery.

Posted by FrankTaylor at 09:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 16, 2008

Mike's Flying Bike for Google Earth

Ok, I have to say this is the craziest way to control Google Earth I've seen yet (even crazier than the ping pong ball interface). This guy Mike has used a SunSPOT (a 3D sensor device that has a Java software interface) to enable his bicycle to serve as a flight control joystick for Google Earth's flight simulator. He claims the pedals serve as the power control, and has built a couple other lever controls for what looks like aerolon (banking) controls. Anyway, check out Mike's Flying Bike YouTube video:

Thanks to Mike Pegg for the tip!

Btw, here are tips on flying the Google Earth flight simulator.

Posted by FrankTaylor at 10:05 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

April 29, 2008

Google Earth for Pilots

This is part of a new series exploring Google Earth uses for different professions/hobbies.

If you're a pilot, there are many ways Google Earth can be used to really enhance your trip plans both from an aviation and ground-based perspective. But, Google Earth goes way beyond just trip planning as a tool for pilots. I'm a pilot myself, and have been using Google Earth to enhance my flying experiences for nearly three years.

F16 cockpit for Google Earth Flight Simulator

Here are just a few ways you might use Google Earth as a pilot:

  • Destination familiarization - Never been to your destination airport before? Zoom in to Google Earth, and most of the time you're likely to see high resolution satellite or aerial photos to help get you familiar with what the airport looks like. You should be aware that the photos can be an average 1 to 4 years old, so things may have changed since the photo was taken (just like charts). More importantly, since Google Earth is 3D, you can get a perspective on the lay of the land. It helps to know what the surrounding hills and valleys look like. Use the search function to help find businesses you need such as rental cars, hotels, restaurants, etc. You can also get driving directions and discover fun places to visit like beaches, amusement parks, museums, etc.
  • Flight Simulator - Google Earth has a built-in flight simulator (tips on how to use). Only two types of planes are available (Cirrus SR-22 and an F16). It's not built for accuracy of flight, and the flight instrument simulation is kind of basic, so I wouldn't use this for flight training. It's intended to help give you a better perspective on the 3D terrain in Google Earth. It can also help give you a pilot's-eye view of your trip and help familiarize you with your planned approaches. Or, you can just use it because it's fun!
  • Flight Planning - I typically use AirNav to plan an initial route (I really like the ability to plan a route with low-cost fuel stops). After planning a route, you can use Google Earth to visualize it. GE will recognize searches for four-letter airport designators (like KATL). You can even get full sectional charts for overlaying in Google Earth. You can also load the DAFIF Nav Aids database for the entire world into Google Earth so you can see your primary nav aids along your route (I haven't yet seen an intersections database for GE, but you could input placemark coordinates for them if you have them). And, check out Flyagogo, a Google Maps mashup which was designed for pilots
  • Weather Planning - there are all kinds of weather tools for use with Google Earth (here's a collection of some of the best). These are not geared specifically towards aviators, but they can be another set of data until you get to your regular weather resources.
  • Flight Review - Take a handheld GPS with you on your flights, and use Google Earth to visualize your flight afterwards. Download your GPS tracks to your PC. You can then view your GPS tracks in 3D (complete with altitudes) and see what things you flew over during your trip. Here's a post describing how I do this using a Garmin GPS and some other tools to enhance the track data.
  • Sightseeing - If you're on a long trip, you might want to make sure you fly to or over some particular sight. Recently I missed seeing something really unique because I didn't check my planned flight for interesting sights. Next time I won't because I input a waypoint in my GPS to help remind me.
  • Plane Afficionados - If you like planes, you might be interested to know that Google Earth not only shows houses, but also airplanes. And not just planes sitting on the tarmac, but planes captured flying around too. There are many plane aficionados using Google Earth to discover all kinds of planes. For example, look at this collection of DC-3s. Or, this frequently updated list of planes in flight. And, there are even folks who have simulated 3D flying like this Red Bull Air Race. You can also track airline flights in near-real-time in Google Earth.
  • Aerial Photography - Maybe Google Earth will inspire you to become an aerial photographer. A year and a half ago, I had great fun flying over an air and space show in New Mexico and working with Google to put some aerial photos I took into Google Earth on the same day. That photo is now what you see if you look at the Las Cruces airport.
  • Recreational Flying - If you're into paragliding/gliding, you should check out this paragliding forum which also provides resources for recording and viewing your tracks for Google Earth.

These and many other stories related to flying and Google Earth can be found in the Flying category of Google Earth Blog.

Posted by FrankTaylor at 09:55 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

More entries for this category:

  1. How to Get 3D Buildings in Google Earth 4.3 Flight Simulator - April 24, 2008
  2. Links: SR22 Cockpit, Jane Austen, Magnetic Pole, Taiwan GE Bonanza, Tutorial, VE3D on Mac - March 17, 2008
  3. YouTube API on Swiss Fighter Video - March 14, 2008
  4. F-16 Cockpit Add-on For Google Earth Flight Sim - February 08, 2008
  5. Cool US Flights Visualization in Google Earth - February 07, 2008
  6. Guys Fly Balloon to 30 km Altitude - See it in Google Earth - January 25, 2008
  7. Major Geek Cred - January 17, 2008
  8. Tracking Flights in Google Earth - January 11, 2008
  9. Missed Opportunity - It's a Sign - January 09, 2008
  10. Top 25 Stories of Google Earth 2007 - December 27, 2007
  11. Astronaut Mode For Google Earth - December 18, 2007
  12. Two Old Planes Caught Close Up in Google Earth - December 09, 2007
  13. Google Earth and Santa Claus - December 07, 2007
  14. Links: Tracking Santa, Netherland Statistics, Boat Parades, OpenAerialMap - December 03, 2007
  15. News and Links - Out of Beta, Crysis, Our Dumb World, Visual ILS - November 30, 2007
  16. X PRIZE Cup Photos Mapped - November 01, 2007
  17. Trip Status, Links: PhotoOverlay tool, CIA World Factbook, Another BMNG - October 29, 2007
  18. Links: Glider Towing, 3D Bonanza, John Hanke Presentation, Google Maps Profiles, Virtual Earth 3D Modeling - October 19, 2007
  19. 2007 Wirefly X PRIZE Cup - October 08, 2007
  20. 3D Red Bull Flights in Google Earth - September 21, 2007
  21. Burning Man 2007 in Google Earth - September 18, 2007
  22. New DigitalGlobe Imagery for Steve Fossett Search - September 13, 2007
  23. Back to School - Educational Uses with Google Earth - September 11, 2007
  24. News Roundup: Flight Sim Tips, Clouds and Weather, KML 2.2, Google Solar Panels, Pollution - September 10, 2007
  25. Help Find Steve Fossett with Google Earth - September 09, 2007
  26. Flight Simulator HUD Display Guide, and an Advanced Tip - September 06, 2007
  27. Get Inside a Helicopter in Google Earth - September 05, 2007
  28. News Roundup: Flight Simulator Goodies, PhotoViewer Stuff, Video tourism - September 04, 2007
  29. Video for Flying with Google Earth Flight Simulator - September 03, 2007
  30. Flight Simulator Mode in Google Earth 4.2 - August 31, 2007
  31. Google Earth 4.2 Roundup - August 27, 2007
  32. R/C Planes and Camera Fun with Google Earth - August 12, 2007
  33. Biography of Neil Armstrong in Google Earth - August 06, 2007
  34. News Roundup: Panoramio 2 Million, Geographic Web, Loop the Loop, Starbucks, Bug in GE - June 28, 2007
  35. Pict'Earth - UAV Aerial Photography Solutions - June 19, 2007
  36. ChartGeek - Sectional Maps for Pilots in Google Earth - May 28, 2007
  37. Plane-shaped Pools in Google Earth - April 28, 2007
  38. Stephen Hawking Flies in Zero G - April 27, 2007
  39. News Roundup - Fixes for Windows Vista, Airshows, FBOWeb update, Photos with Search - March 19, 2007
  40. Meigs Field - Preserved in Google Earth - March 15, 2007
  41. Nine Planes in Formation - Faked in the Google Earth Database! - March 13, 2007
  42. NOT a Cruise Missile in Flight Over Utah - March 04, 2007
  43. Swiss Alps "Fighter" Tour in Google Earth - March 01, 2007
  44. SpaceNavigator News: Fly Inside Demo, Security Checkpoints - February 22, 2007
  45. Planes in Flight Hobby - February 13, 2007
  46. Sydney Aerial Photo Shoot - January 26, 2007
  47. Play Tour Mode in Google Earth - January 10, 2007
  48. New Imagery Update for the Holidays - Awesome! - December 17, 2006
  49. Santa's Toy Hunt and Santa Tracker in Google Earth - December 13, 2006
  50. News Roundup - Animated 3D, EmerGeo, Altered Oceans, Virtual Airlines - October 29, 2006
  51. Geotagged Photos from X PRIZE Cup, GPS Track too - October 25, 2006
  52. Flight Back from Las Cruces in Google Earth - October 23, 2006
  53. Same Day Aerial Photo in Google Earth - October 21, 2006
  54. Trip Report and News Roundup: Flight to Las Cruces, Sensors, BBC on Maps, New blog - October 18, 2006
  55. Flight of Space Ship One Depicted in Google Earth - October 12, 2006
  56. Plane Crashed into Building in New York - See Location in Google Earth - October 11, 2006
  57. Burning Man 2006 in Google Earth - October 03, 2006
  58. Take Flight Sim Scenery and Port it to Google Earth - September 28, 2006
  59. Google Earth as a "Flight Simulator" - September 15, 2006
  60. 3D 747 Airliner on Approach at Maho Beach in Google Earth - August 25, 2006
  61. Salute to the An-2 in Google Earth - August 10, 2006
  62. Goggles - Google Maps Flight Simulator, Also: Google Earth Flying - August 08, 2006
  63. FSEarth 3.0 - MS Flight Simulator and Google Earth - July 08, 2006
  64. Aeronautical Information System - June 26, 2006
  65. KC-135 Caught Refueling C-5 Galaxy in Mid-Air in Google Earth! - June 25, 2006
  66. Sightseeing Roundup for Google Earth - May 02, 2006
  67. Go Flying - Flight Tracklogs for Google Earth - April 30, 2006
  68. Tribute to 'Connie' in Google Earth - April 09, 2006
  69. FSEarth - MS Flight Simulator 2004 and Google Earth - April 06, 2006
  70. Maldives Island Group in High Res - March 24, 2006
  71. Flyagogo - A Pilot Google Maps Mashup (with GE tie-in) - March 23, 2006
  72. GlobalFlyer Attempting Third World Record - March 15, 2006
  73. Identifying Planes in Google Earth - March 01, 2006
  74. FSPilot Connects FS2004 to Google Earth - February 26, 2006
  75. Touch and Gos - February 22, 2006
  76. Follow Steve Fossett/Global Flyer in Google Earth - February 09, 2006
  77. Pilot World-wide Weather in Google Earth - February 08, 2006
  78. Gliders "Crashing" in Google Earth - February 03, 2006
  79. Flying Car? Not Really - January 23, 2006
  80. 3D Planes for Flight Tracking in Google Earth - January 19, 2006
  81. FBOWeb Flight Tracking Revisited - January 11, 2006
  82. Lancaster Bomber Caught Flying in Google Earth - January 10, 2006
  83. Slick Airfare Tool for Google Earth - December 16, 2005
  84. Planes in Flight in Google Earth (revisited) - December 06, 2005
  85. Near Real-time Flight Tracking in Google Earth - December 02, 2005
  86. The Ubiquitous DC-3 Found in Google Earth - November 23, 2005
  87. UFO Sighting Locations in Google Earth - November 04, 2005
  88. Magnalox - GPS Story Telling for Google Earth - October 19, 2005
  89. Huge Resource of 3D Glider Tracks for Google Earth - October 12, 2005
  90. Categorized African Animals in Google Earth - October 11, 2005
  91. Documenting a Recent Flying Trip - October 09, 2005
  92. Garmin Buys MotionBased - October 04, 2005
  93. Update to Planes in Flight Story - September 23, 2005
  94. Planes in Flight Captured in Google Earth - September 21, 2005
  95. MS Flight Simulator Interface - September 01, 2005
  96. Flying - Keeping a Flight Log - August 05, 2005
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