maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&m … 77dff87473
This is a public map I created, to mark any “in-flight” aircraft that appear in the Satellite view on Google Maps. The first one I have found is marked, and if you spot any others, feel free to mark those too. Just a goofy game, but finding them is harder than you might expect.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=114222675733799407719.0004743318177dff87473
Just go to any airport on google earth, and go straight out from a runway. And then turn from N, S, E, or W, because those pics were took at different times and you might find one on approach. I have found several before at IAH and LAX and many other places.
N40.77085 W73.85428
Somebody needs to tell this guy to go around!!!
Yup, that is what occurred to me - so I scanned the sectionals and watched the live view on FA…then viewed the aerials all the way from Logan, out the approach path all the way out of the state of MA…114 miles I think. Nothing. I was crosseyed after that. It’s surprising that one must zoom so far ‘in’ to spot these, but then as a photographer it occurs that the satellite is 200 miles up, the jet is 8, and a zoom lens compresses distance…so of course the jet looks like it is sitting on the ground in a farmer’s field…weird.
There are several great shots on Google Earth… Not sure if they match up to Google Maps. Here are a couple links to sights that have great sightings
Those are some cool photos! 
And I thought I was being original…noop. BUT, it’s cool to see these sites and shots, and to know others find this interesting. Think I will check out the Gulf of Mexico for Oil Co. Heli action…they take very straight routes!
Pretty cool.
Checking the north altantic crossings to see what i can see.
It seems to me that Google Maps does not contain any detail over the oceans…I guess it might be a waste of bandwidth, with nothing but water to see. However, some of the A/C following the ‘Great Circle’ routes naturally fly over the coastlines of landmasses on their way to/from Europe…I live in southern NH and see the bigguns flying in a SW direction, following the US coastline all the way down from Nova Scotia enroute to JFK and midwest airports, even some 747’s enroute to mexico…
I have seen a few shots with the contrails in the view.
Three shadows, can only find one airplane…
maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&m … 77dff87473
If the link doesn’t work, try westward departing aircraft from Heathrow.
Hmmm…same link…
Like I said, look for aircraft departing westward out of Heathrow. Not far form runway you’ll see three shadows. Find the aircraft.
on the link above, most of the shadows are pointing in a WNW direction, that would lead to the plane located ESE of the shadow, but several shadows are acutally in different directions. Google uses software to stitch together a complete picture, so that plane shadow can be from 1 frame, and the airplane could be on another frame that didnt get used, or has been updated with a frame that doesnt include the plane.
also i was thinking maybe their software removes all plane identifications, and that is the actual plane (generic). i found something similar about 25 miles west of phoenix on I-10, you can see the plane and what appears to be a shadow, but the plane is super detailed and she shadow is not or has been altered. maybe google removed the plane and put in a generic plane.
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/9692/planealso.jpg
Is that an MD-80 series, or maybe CRJ?
Not in flight but a Dreamlifter parked at PDX while it was here for FAA cert
I like those LCF’s. Is that an A340 or a DC-8 to the left?
To the right of the Dreamlifter… I suspect it is a DC-8… Might be a UPS DC-8 since that is the cargo area of PDX. the only A340 I know of was the Luftansa flights that used to come into PDX
Nope that is FedEx’s ramp. UPS is north of that- I know this cause before flying for a living I was a ramp rat for UPS at PDX
Oh, sorry. I meant to the right of the Dreamlifter. Ya, i guess it is a DC-8. I know what a Dreamlifter is NeedleNose. 