Google maps and airplanes

smittysrv · Post by **smittysrv** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 3:56 pm

Keep flying long enough and google maps will make you famous! I was searching for a business in Frisco, TX and the google map search brought this back:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&g ... 5&t=k&z=19

Post by **Spike** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 4:02 pm

That is funny.

rv8or · Post by **rv8or** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 4:12 pm

Smittyy--

Cool! What are the chances?

If you follow that road (Preston) north, it bends slightly to the right, continue north a little farther, a little past the NE corner of HWY 380 is Deon Sanders' humble abode (triangle-ish shaped black pond)...FWIW

Joe

JohnR · Post by **JohnR** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 5:21 pm

Smitty,

That is a pretty good find. Kind of a Google Easter Egg.

dons · Post by **dons** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 12:14 pm

I have to admit I have scanned along the approach paths to several airports looking for low level aircraft. I have found at least one at every major location I have looked at, but to have one show up when you are looking for an address is not overly likely for sure.

Wicked Stick · Post by **Wicked Stick** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 4:22 pm

He looks pretty low at that point in the map, but I didn't see any large airport in front of him or close by when I zoomed out.

I did find one major airport to the lower left of him, but it sure does seem pretty far away for the altitude he was at when the photo was taken.

Post by **bullojm1** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 4:52 pm

You sure he is low? I don't see the flaps extended. I don't see a shadow either. Also, take a look at this pic of KBWI at the same zoom level:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&g ... iwloc=addr

The 737 taking off looks WAY smaller than the bird in smitty's post.

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 8:11 pm

I think it's a effect of the zoom lens. That airplane could very well be at 5,000' or higher, but when zoomed in on the map on a picture taken with a zoom lens, weird perspectives happen.

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:55 am

That is the Gooooogle airplane capturing street level imagery!

CJ

rv8or · Post by **rv8or** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 5:22 pm

That's definitely along the Bohnam arrival for DFW...right around the point when the vectoring starts for the south flow. Typically 5-7000' at that point, 210 KIAS so I think it's a visual quirk of the pic.

I've looked a number of Air Force bases, airplanes on the ground. They all appear much smaller.

Who knows? It's still pretty cool to think a moving jet could be caught like that.

Joe