Google Sightseeing takes you on tour of the world as seen from satellite, using the free Google Earth program, or Google Maps in your web browser. Each weekday your guides James and Alex present new weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.
We’ve had loads of planes posted in the comments thread of the Planes In Flight Mega Post, but none as big as this one! Obviously it’s just very close to the camera, but still, it’s really cool 
Thanks: Peter Gluck
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The weirdest and best of Google Earth is now available in the…
Here is a closer one :
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth
We can see the pilot!
Great shot of a 737. It’s hard to tell if the aricraft livery is actually white or it’s just the sun reflecting off the hull.
Looks like the first plane is coming out of Burbank. Thats probably why it s so close.
I wonder how high that plane is.
Where’s the shadow?
Great shot, should be at or about 30,000 feet.
planes don’t cast shadows when they’re high up, they don’t block out enough of the sun.
cool picture though.
Shadows don’t ‘disappear’, but they do become more diffuse at greater distances. However, in this case I doubt the aircraft in question is anywhere near high enough for its shadow to be that diffuse. The shadow was probably well to the left of the aircraft, and the area where the shadow should have hit wasn’t photographed at the right time.
PS are we sure this is a 737? The tail cone makes me think it might be a 757….
Hello
Both plains can’t be very high. because the little one looks like a Cessna and this kind of aircraft only fly to an altitude about max. 15000 ft. The 737 can’t be very high because there is no contrail behind the plain.
well, guys you probably are too thick to notice somethings.
havent you noticed?
THAT is indeed a flying ninja.
god bless you, idiots,
Will
They can’t be “very high” because the zoomiest pictures are taken at 17,500 feet.
Test Charlene’s explanation of shadows by holding your hand with fingers spread and a light source to cast a shadow on the wall. Start with a few inches and move back a couple of feet and watch the sharp shadow get blurry.
The 747-SP was the short model of the 747 (nose to tail).
They were cheaper than the original 747 costing 10 million a plane, today is cost 20X times as much, plus any extras.
Contrails are not a given in fight.
The sun is so far away that the rays of light cast by it are virtually parallel. Shadows of aircraft do not get more diffuse, and they do not increase in size. This means you can measure the size of an aircraft, and the speed it’s moving, by looking at it’s shadow as it passes over you!
Its a 737 with its typical nose. Altitude is - i think so too - not that high, maybe just departed out of LAX. Under high pressure an dry air there are no trails visible.
Don’t know if this one has already been posted…
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth
Another plane flying to Paris airport Chalres de Gaulle:
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth
Este avião é Brasileiro !!!!!!!!!!!
São Paulo futebol clube Tri-Campeão da Libertadores!!!!!
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth
The planes disappeared from Google Earth since they updated it though it’s still on Google Maps.
OK, for those of you interested in the type of aircraft shown in the picture, I’m going to release my Inner Geek now…
It is NOT a 737 - the shape and sweep angle of the tailplane is all wrong.
It is NOT a 757 - the body is too wide.
It COULD well be a 767…
http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/gallery/images/commercial/767200-01.html
… but, if I were a betting man…
… I’d say it’s an Airbus A320.
http://www.airbus.com/store/photolibrary/AIRCRAFT/CUSTOMER/A320/att00001735/media_object_image_lowres_709X473_514.jpg
http://www.airbus.com/store/photolibrary/AIRCRAFT/CUSTOMER/A320/att00001755/media_object_image_lowres_709X473_1039.jpg
http://www.airbus.com/store/photolibrary/AIRCRAFT/CUSTOMER/A320/att00001970/media_object_image_lowres_499.jpg
Trust me, it’s an A320…I fly one…