Flying Archives

October 28, 2009

A closer look at Africa

Yesterday we told you about a variety of organizations that Google is showcasing, both through their Google Earth Outreach and their Heroes Project. One of the organizations, MAPA (Mapping Africa's Protected Areas) was featured more in-depth on Google's blog today.

MAPA's March Turnbull has provided a deeper look at what MAPA is all about. Their goal is to make sure no one can say "We never knew!" when it comes to keeping African parks and wildlife in the public eye. Through their comprehensive KML file , you can view the major parks, reserves and protected areas in Southern and Eastern Africa. They plan on adding thousands more parks and other data in the future, and continue to build this already valuable resource.

MAPA

A semi-related item comes from Google Maps Mania, where they showcase a photo safari tour that Soren Johannessen created of J. Michael Fay's African imagery. Fay spent more than a year flying 70,000 miles in a small plane at low altitude over Africa, taking photos every twenty seconds, as part of his MegaFlyover project. Many of those extraordinary images can be found in Google Earth, and the tour that Soren created is a neat way to highlight those. You can view the tour here using the Google Earth Plug-in. It takes a while to load, so it's recommended that you have a fast connection. Alternatively, you can download the KMZ file to view it directly in Google Earth.

Posted by mickmel at 9:29 AM | Comments (0)

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October 26, 2009

3D plane in flight in 3D Buildings layer

A sharp-eyed GEB reader named 'Will' has discovered something pretty cool. At the north end of the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, the Netherlands' main airport, there is a 3D model of an airplane coming in for a landing. The plane was modeled by 'KG800'. You can view the plane using this KML file . Be sure to have the "3D Buildings" layer turned on.

Plane in flight

As far as we know, this it the first 3D plane included in the main "3D Buildings" layer. However, there are been plenty of planes added via third-party KML files before. There was a 3D Plane Tracker we showed a few years ago, the Wirefly X Prize Cup Event, and even an aircraft carrier that you can use with the flight simulator mode.

For normal satellite imagery of airplanes, you can browse this collection of planes in flight, a Lancaster Bomber from a few years ago, or a U-2 Spyplane discovered earlier this year. If you still want more, Google Earth Hacks has nearly 300 planes in their "aircraft in flight" category, and more than 900 "aircraft on the ground". You can even find tons of aircraft in Google StreetView: 121 in flight, or 283 on the ground.

All of that being said, it's still really cool to see a built-in 3D model of a plane in Google Earth. If you find others, please let us know.

[UPDATE 26-OCT: GEB reader 'Tom' just let us know that there are a few 3D planes parked at London Heathrow. I've created a KML file for you to check them out. Let us know if you find others.]

[UPDATE #2 26-OCT: GEB reader 'Christoph' pointed out that there's a second plane at Schiphol that we missed. You can view it here ]

Posted by mickmel at 8:54 AM | Comments (9)

October 13, 2009

Links: Race My Race, Random Hacks of Kindness, WorldView-2

Race My Race - Designed for athletes that want to visualize an upcoming event (running, biking, etc), this uses the Google Earth plug-in and gives you a test drive of your event. It has some slick features -- an elevation overlay as you go, start/finish gates, easily controllable speed. The downside is that many places are just flat. For example, I had it simulate the Boston Marathon, and the first 90% of the race is useless -- just flat scenery with a few hills. The end of the race (shown below) is kinda neat, with the 3D buildings all around. This simulator would do well to offer the option of StreetView, as that would make many of these courses much more lifelike. Still, it's a neat project. (via All Points Blog)

Boston Marathon Finish

Random Hacks of Kindness - Google is partnering with The World Bank to host a codejam called "Random Hacks of Kindness". As they explain: Random Hacks of Kindness will bring technologists and relief workers together to develop technologies that enable disaster victims to help themselves and give first responders and aid workers the tools they need to better help victims--to reduce loss of life and to speed recovery.

Google has built a variety of geo-related tools to assist after major disasters, such as Tropical Storm Ketsana, the Cyclone in Myanmar, and even back as far as Hurricane Katrina. The results of this gathering should help make these tools even more useful in the future.

DigitalGlobe launches WorldView-2 satellite - Just over a year ago, the GeoEye satellite was launched to provide exclusive imagery for Google. The WorldView-2 satellite was launched a few days ago aboard Boeing Delta II 7920, and promises to bring even more great imagery to Google Earth. You can read more on the DigitalGlobe site, or view the launch of the Delta 2 below:

Posted by mickmel at 9:39 AM | Comments (1)

September 11, 2009

Google Earth 5.1 Really Improved

Google Earth 5.1 was released this week (download here). Thanks to feedback from many GEB readers, and my finally having a chance to really fly Google Earth 5.1 for a while this morning, I've got a few observations to make about the latest release:

  • Speed Improvements - As Google stated in their announcement post, 5.1 really does have some speed enhancements. The loading time is much improved, and the graphics performance is also much better. I did some tests on both Windows XP and Mac OS X (Snow Leopard). GE 5.1 was much more likely to hold faster frame rates while moving over the Earth than previous versions. Alex Chitu at Google Operating System did some speed measurements that also supports these points. On my MacBook Pro, the speed improvements seem much more dramatic. If you love the GE flight simulator, these performance enhancements really make a big difference. The flight simulator is even more smooth and fun to fly than ever. In general, I think the speed enhancements are quite dramatic considering the many previous speed improvements Google has made in the past 4 years.

  • MacBook Pro with Anti-aliasing - for the first time on my 1.5 year-old MacBook Pro, Google Earth has anti-aliasing working! This may be due to the upgrade of the OS to Snow Leopard. But, I'm really glad to see Google Earth without the jaggies. It makes the views - particularly with 3D scenes - look so much better. Now I won't have to switch to Windows to take 3D screenshots!

  • Bug fixes - Lots of reports from readers about fixes to various bugs in 5.1 verses 5.0. Probably the most popular is that viewing Panoramio photos is much better on the Mac thanks to a bug fix. But, many other issues have been fixed as well. Of course, new problems are already being found as well. But, this is the first beta release for 5.1, expect an update to address the worst problems in the coming weeks or days.

Posted by FrankTaylor at 8:09 AM | Comments (12)

August 17, 2009

Links: Picasa Street View, Cool Screen, ArcExplorer Earth, SketchUp Podium Prize

  • Picasa Street View - Google has added geotagged photos from Picasa Web Albums (PWA) users to the "User Photos" of Street View. I'm hoping they'll also add PWA photos to the Geographic Web layer for Google Earth, and Google Maps "Photos".

  • Cool Google Earth Screen - Gerardo Paz e-mailed me this cool link (Gizmodo - here's English version) to an article about a Google Earth visualization for Lufthansa showing real-time flight tracking on a cool panoramic screen. The content was designed by WHITEvoid and apparently won some awards. Here's the video:

  • ArcExplorer Earth - ESRI has released a new version of their virtual globe ArcExplorer. According to Mapperz this upgraded version has improvements for a wider audience including better KML support (GE's file format). Here is ESRI's announcement, and the official page for ArcExplorer.

  • SketchUp Podium Contest Winner - SU Podium is a third-party plugin application for Google SketchUp that lets you create photo-realistic renderings from SketchUp scenes. They held a contest recently and the winner got featured in this SketchUp Blog post. Pretty cool how the winning artist created the scene.

Posted by FrankTaylor at 8:11 AM | Comments (0)

More entries for this category:

  1. Planes For Google Earth Flight Simulator - August 11, 2009
  2. Amazing Find Returns to Google Earth: Lancaster Bomber - July 28, 2009
  3. Memorial to UTA Flight 772 Visible from Space - June 16, 2009
  4. Air France Flight 447 - Google Earth Map - June 9, 2009
  5. 3D Flight Tracking in Netherlands with Google Earth - May 28, 2009
  6. Fantastic Free Google Earth Game: Ships - May 18, 2009
  7. The U-2 Incident in Google Earth - May 5, 2009
  8. Swiss Fighter Video Synched - GE 5 Style - April 26, 2009
  9. Heli-Ski Tour in Google Earth - March 12, 2009
  10. Google Earth 5 Tour Roundup - February 26, 2009
  11. Google Earth 5 Cool Tip: Flight Simulator in Ocean or Mars - February 25, 2009
  12. This Google Earth File Could Make you Sick - February 20, 2009
  13. Jimmy Buffet Helps Announce Google Earth 5 - February 5, 2009
  14. Links: New GE Help Forums, DC-3 Weather Vane, NYC GE Visitor Center, Virtual Alabama Video, 360Cities Embed - January 22, 2009
  15. Fly Flight 1549 Yourself in Google Earth - January 21, 2009
  16. U-2 Spyplane Caught in Flight in Google Earth - January 5, 2009
  17. Watch Santa Claus Make his Deliveries - December 24, 2008
  18. Planes on Poles in Google Earth (plus an extra feature) - December 12, 2008
  19. Location of Steve Fossett Remains Reportedly Found - October 31, 2008
  20. WikiSailing - Flying/Sailing Sightseeing Tours in Google Earth - October 29, 2008
  21. Paragliding Simulator with Google Earth Plugin - October 23, 2008
  22. Links: Planet Search, Interactive KML, FlightSim, iPhone GPS - October 21, 2008
  23. Links: Panoramio Heat Maps, See Russia?, 1m LiDAR, Airship - October 13, 2008
  24. Location of Plane Wreck of Steve Fossett - October 2, 2008
  25. Steve Fossett Items Found Near Mammoth Lakes - October 1, 2008
  26. New Virtual Earth with 3D Clouds - September 25, 2008
  27. Links: Hurricane Ike, GeoEye Launched, Aviation Maps, McClendon in Kansas - September 8, 2008
  28. Follow a Book, Check Aeronautical Charts in Google Earth Plugin - July 31, 2008
  29. More Add-ons for Google Earth Flight Simulator - July 28, 2008
  30. Notes from the Bahamas: GE in Education, AGE More KML, Disney 3D - June 26, 2008
  31. Links: Big Dog, Plugins, Smoke, Stonehenge, SketchUp Camp, Kenya - June 13, 2008
  32. PictEarth Flies UAV with N95 Over WhereCamp - May 20, 2008
  33. Mike's Flying Bike for Google Earth - May 16, 2008
  34. Google Earth for Pilots - April 29, 2008
  35. How to Get 3D Buildings in Google Earth - April 24, 2008
  36. Links: SR22 Cockpit, Jane Austen, Magnetic Pole, Taiwan GE Bonanza, Tutorial, VE3D on Mac - March 17, 2008
  37. YouTube API on Swiss Fighter Video - March 14, 2008
  38. F-16 Cockpit Add-on For Google Earth Flight Sim - February 8, 2008
  39. Cool US Flights Visualization in Google Earth - February 7, 2008
  40. Guys Fly Balloon to 30 km Altitude - See it in Google Earth - January 25, 2008
  41. Major Geek Cred - January 17, 2008
  42. Tracking Flights in Google Earth - January 11, 2008
  43. Missed Opportunity - It's a Sign - January 9, 2008
  44. Top 25 Stories of Google Earth 2007 - December 27, 2007
  45. Astronaut Mode For Google Earth - December 18, 2007
  46. Two Old Planes Caught Close Up in Google Earth - December 9, 2007
  47. Google Earth and Santa Claus - December 7, 2007
  48. Links: Tracking Santa, Netherland Statistics, Boat Parades, OpenAerialMap - December 3, 2007
  49. News and Links - Out of Beta, Crysis, Our Dumb World, Visual ILS - November 30, 2007
  50. X PRIZE Cup Photos Mapped - November 1, 2007
  51. Trip Status, Links: PhotoOverlay tool, CIA World Factbook, Another BMNG - October 29, 2007
  52. Links: Glider Towing, 3D Bonanza, John Hanke Presentation, Google Maps Profiles, Virtual Earth 3D Modeling - October 19, 2007
  53. 2007 Wirefly X PRIZE Cup - October 8, 2007
  54. 3D Red Bull Flights in Google Earth - September 21, 2007
  55. Burning Man 2007 in Google Earth - September 18, 2007
  56. New DigitalGlobe Imagery for Steve Fossett Search - September 13, 2007
  57. Back to School - Educational Uses with Google Earth - September 11, 2007
  58. News Roundup: Flight Sim Tips, Clouds and Weather, KML 2.2, Google Solar Panels, Pollution - September 10, 2007
  59. Help Find Steve Fossett with Google Earth - September 9, 2007
  60. Flight Simulator HUD Display Guide, and an Advanced Tip - September 6, 2007
  61. Get Inside a Helicopter in Google Earth - September 5, 2007
  62. News Roundup: Flight Simulator Goodies, PhotoViewer Stuff, Video tourism - September 4, 2007
  63. Video for Flying with Google Earth Flight Simulator - September 3, 2007
  64. Flight Simulator Mode in Google Earth 4.2 - August 31, 2007
  65. Google Earth 4.2 Roundup - August 27, 2007
  66. R/C Planes and Camera Fun with Google Earth - August 12, 2007
  67. Biography of Neil Armstrong in Google Earth - August 6, 2007
  68. News Roundup: Panoramio 2 Million, Geographic Web, Loop the Loop, Starbucks, Bug in GE - June 28, 2007
  69. Pict'Earth - UAV Aerial Photography Solutions - June 19, 2007
  70. ChartGeek - Sectional Maps for Pilots in Google Earth - May 28, 2007
  71. Plane-shaped Pools in Google Earth - April 28, 2007
  72. Stephen Hawking Flies in Zero G - April 27, 2007
  73. News Roundup - Fixes for Windows Vista, Airshows, FBOWeb update, Photos with Search - March 19, 2007
  74. Meigs Field - Preserved in Google Earth - March 15, 2007
  75. Nine Planes in Formation - Faked in the Google Earth Database! - March 13, 2007
  76. NOT a Cruise Missile in Flight Over Utah - March 4, 2007
  77. Swiss Alps "Fighter" Tour in Google Earth - March 1, 2007
  78. SpaceNavigator News: Fly Inside Demo, Security Checkpoints - February 22, 2007
  79. Planes in Flight Hobby - February 13, 2007
  80. Sydney Aerial Photo Shoot - January 26, 2007
  81. Play Tour Mode in Google Earth - January 10, 2007
  82. New Imagery Update for the Holidays - Awesome! - December 17, 2006
  83. Santa's Toy Hunt and Santa Tracker in Google Earth - December 13, 2006
  84. News Roundup - Animated 3D, EmerGeo, Altered Oceans, Virtual Airlines - October 29, 2006
  85. Geotagged Photos from X PRIZE Cup, GPS Track too - October 25, 2006
  86. Flight Back from Las Cruces in Google Earth - October 23, 2006
  87. Same Day Aerial Photo in Google Earth - October 21, 2006
  88. Trip Report and News Roundup: Flight to Las Cruces, Sensors, BBC on Maps, New blog - October 18, 2006
  89. Flight of Space Ship One Depicted in Google Earth - October 12, 2006
  90. Plane Crashed into Building in New York - See Location in Google Earth - October 11, 2006
  91. Burning Man 2006 in Google Earth - October 3, 2006
  92. Take Flight Sim Scenery and Port it to Google Earth - September 28, 2006
  93. Google Earth as a "Flight Simulator" - September 15, 2006
  94. 3D 747 Airliner on Approach at Maho Beach in Google Earth - August 25, 2006
  95. Salute to the An-2 in Google Earth - August 10, 2006
  96. Goggles - Google Maps Flight Simulator, Also: Google Earth Flying - August 8, 2006
  97. FSEarth 3.0 - MS Flight Simulator and Google Earth - July 8, 2006
  98. Aeronautical Information System - June 26, 2006
  99. KC-135 Caught Refueling C-5 Galaxy in Mid-Air in Google Earth! - June 25, 2006
  100. Sightseeing Roundup for Google Earth - May 2, 2006
  101. Go Flying - Flight Tracklogs for Google Earth - April 30, 2006
  102. Tribute to 'Connie' in Google Earth - April 9, 2006
  103. FSEarth - MS Flight Simulator 2004 and Google Earth - April 6, 2006
  104. Maldives Island Group in High Res - March 24, 2006
  105. Flyagogo - A Pilot Google Maps Mashup (with GE tie-in) - March 23, 2006
  106. GlobalFlyer Attempting Third World Record - March 15, 2006
  107. Identifying Planes in Google Earth - March 1, 2006
  108. FSPilot Connects FS2004 to Google Earth - February 26, 2006
  109. Touch and Gos - February 22, 2006
  110. Follow Steve Fossett/Global Flyer in Google Earth - February 9, 2006
  111. Pilot World-wide Weather in Google Earth - February 8, 2006
  112. Gliders "Crashing" in Google Earth - February 3, 2006
  113. Flying Car? Not Really - January 23, 2006
  114. 3D Planes for Flight Tracking in Google Earth - January 19, 2006
  115. FBOWeb Flight Tracking Revisited - January 11, 2006
  116. Lancaster Bomber Caught Flying in Google Earth - January 10, 2006
  117. Slick Airfare Tool for Google Earth - December 16, 2005
  118. Planes in Flight in Google Earth (revisited) - December 6, 2005
  119. Near Real-time Flight Tracking in Google Earth - December 2, 2005
  120. The Ubiquitous DC-3 Found in Google Earth - November 23, 2005
  121. UFO Sighting Locations in Google Earth - November 4, 2005
  122. Magnalox - GPS Story Telling for Google Earth - October 19, 2005
  123. Huge Resource of 3D Glider Tracks for Google Earth - October 12, 2005
  124. Categorized African Animals in Google Earth - October 11, 2005
  125. Documenting a Recent Flying Trip - October 9, 2005
  126. Garmin Buys MotionBased - October 4, 2005
  127. Update to Planes in Flight Story - September 23, 2005
  128. Planes in Flight Captured in Google Earth - September 21, 2005
  129. MS Flight Simulator Interface - September 1, 2005
  130. Flying - Keeping a Flight Log - August 5, 2005
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