midtoad’s mess.ages
excellence in creative mediocrity

Mt. Seven Ramp

Google Earth (formerly Keyhole) is a unique satellite mapping and viewing application purchased recently by Google. It’s already transforming the way we look at our world. Now we can use it to improve our site guides, by allowing pilots to see how the site looks in 3D (you can tilt and pan the view to any angle or direction). Here are three examples of Canadian sites: click on the links to download the .kmz files that GoogleEarth will read to zoom into the sites: Cochrane Hill, Mt. 7, Mt. Lady MacDonald, North Haven training hill, Mt. Ste-Anne, . The last one is interesting because in the satellite photo you can actually see 4 paragliders laid out on the ground ready to launch. (another interesting example is the Calgary international airport: if you look over McCall golf course you’ll see a jetliner on final approach).

Cochrane Hill

Mt. Lady MacDonald

North Haven

Mt. Ste-Anne

If you don’t have GoogleEarth installed yet (what are you waiting for?!), or aren’t running Windows (the application is not yet available on Mac OS or Linux), you can at least look at the pictures, but you’ll miss out on the coolest feature, ‘flying’ in from outer space right to the launch site.

It’s possible to upload a GPS tracklog into GoogleEarth (the Plus version is needed) and then ‘fly’ along your flight path, though the effect isn’t nearly as good as in CompeGPS or SeeYou.