Google Earth

[polysciguy9]

Hey guys,

I've found Google Earth to be an awesome program for GA flight planning purposes. The program gives you a detailed sattelite map of most urban areas (and their surrounding areas). It's good for GA planning because you can identify nearby buildings, roads, etc. - especially if it's an airport you're unfamiliar with. The rotation and movement features actually allow you to approach the airfield like you would in flight.

Even if you don't use it for flight purposes, it's still pretty awesome - check it out ... http://earth.google.com/

 

[greygoose]

The program gives you a detailed sattelite map of most urban areas (and their surrounding areas).http://earth.google.com/

Google had satellite images out for a while, all you had to do was type in the area or address.

 

[polysciguy9]

Google had satellite images out for a while, all you had to do was type in the area or address.

Yeah, but the software just came out, I think. It offers a lot more features, and you can zoom in further. The best feature is the ability to rotate the camera to have more of a horizontal view than the simple over the top shot the pictures give you.

 

[Photoflight]

and to think......people used to fly airplanes with just a map and a compass.

 

[Flying Illini]

Good, fun, program, been out for a little over a month (I think). There was another thread on it in the "non-aviation" section.
IMHO, it's worth the download...but you'd better have broadband to use it, not for dialup!

 

[Flying Illini]

and to think......people used to fly airplanes with just a map and a compass.

...and people used to connect to the internet over their phone line...

 

[semperfido]

it is a neat deal for getting a "bird's eye" view before you launch to outer mongolia.

 

[Photoflight]

...and people used to connect to the internet over their phone line...

........i still do.

 

[MonkeyWrench]

the seahawks are just about to score...

 

[GravityHater]

Is there a free program out there that will give you a view of the terrain elevation in cross section so to speak, as if you are looking at your route from the side and can see the mountain peaks, valleys etc and your route above?

 

[cforst513]

and to think......people used to fly airplanes with just a map and a compass.

a what and a what? what buttons do i push on my GPS to get this new-fangled "compass" thing?

 

[Bryan D]

Caution!I installed the Google Earth software and it is loaded with Spyware. Pop up's everywhere. I ran Ad-Aware and it found 164 objects. I cleared my cache/cookies/files, uninstalled Google Earth program and everything is back to normal. What really threw me for a loop was my IE pop-up blocker was set on High and the pop-up's just kept coming before I uninstalled the Google Earth.

 

[CA1900]

Caution!I installed the Google Earth software and it is loaded with Spyware. Pop up's everywhere.

That would explain why they haven't finished the Mac version -- they just can't seem to get the spyware to work!

 

[MonkeyWrench]

Even spyware doesn't work on macs, geez those things can't do anything

 

[dispatchguy]

My favorite thing to do with Google earth is looking at old military bases I was stationed at - and trying to find the Area 51 Groom Lake test bed air base, you know, that base that doesnt officially exist

 

[EagleRJ]

- and trying to find the Area 51 Groom Lake test bed air base, you know, that base that doesnt officially exist

I definitely did NOT find an unmarked base northwest of Las Vegas next to Groom dry lake! It does not have several Janet 737s visible, as well as a few F-16s. It also does not have a closed runway that I estimated to be 18,000' long, with another 15,000' of overruns!

There was another thread about Google Earth that was lost in the Flightinfo crash that had the lat/long (stupid intrusive MIBs!). I've already found some other cool things around the world:

The Changing of the Guard is underway at Buckingham Palace.

The USS Nimitz is tied up in San Diego undergoing refitting or resupply.

The famous, and now closed, Kai Tak airport in Hong Kong is already partially covered by storage yards.

The dangerous road between the airport and the Green Zone in Baghdad looks quiet, and has three US armored vehicles parked in the median.

 

[iLR60Mac]

.

.....

 

[EagleRJ]

37.14N
115.49W

If anyone's interested...

 

[dispatchguy]

I definitely did NOT find an unmarked base northwest of Las Vegas next to Groom dry lake! It does not have several Janet 737s visible, as well as a few F-16s. It also does not have a closed runway that I estimated to be 18,000' long, with another 15,000' of overruns!

The one thing I thought didnt think was really interesting was that in the dry lake test bed, they dont have those lead-in circles for the 14s scratched into the dry lake.

What would need circles for a lead-in, not that I saw anything of course?

 

[Flying Illini]

No pop up issues or anything of the sort on my laptop or desktop, both have it installed.