This is the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning. In what sounds like a hideous industrial accident, this building attempts to ‘fuse the idea of a modern skyscraper with the tradition and ideals of Gothic architecture’, and is America’s tallest university building. Not much of the height is shown from this angle, except for the gigantic shadow of course, which dwarves all other shadows for miles around.

Completed way back in 1937 the building is over 163 metres tall, has 2,529 windows and 42 floors. Apparently floors 38 through 42 are closed off to the general public though, as they not only contain electrical wiring for the building, but also house a nesting pair of peregrine falcons.

There’s a tour of the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh’s site, with a great ground-level shot, and there’s also a webcam at the top of the building which you can spin around and zoom in and out till you’re dizzy.

Worth noting by the way, that this is only the second tallest educational building in the world…

Thanks to Sixf00t4, Sayf Sharif and David Drexler.

As the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum is spread over a couple of locations. The main display facility is right in the heart of Washington DC, although all the aircraft are stored indoors so it’s not much to look at.

The companion facility, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Centre was opened in December 2003 but in the aerial photo it is still under construction (so no planes to see). The completed hanger currently houses hundreds of aircraft including Concorde 205.

The Smithsonian Institution also have two aircraft on permenant display at Dulles International Airport (finally, some planes!). The one to the north is a Lockheed C-130 (one of more than 2,000 built) and the one to the south a Lockheed Constellation (which were the first pressurised aircraft in widespread use).

Thanks: Kirk & Marquis de Sade

Large type painted atop the basketball gym at Loyola University in Chicago. Student legend says that it was painted for the sake of the many passengers flying into O’Hare airport. However; the normal flight path is to the south of the basketball gym, so most passengers see the writing upside-down.

Thanks: Gabe Germann, Ryan, Ramsey Callaway, Shard & Peter