Google Earth Where are the planes???

As you know, the Google Earth free download is a real nifty program. If you live in a populous city, chances are you can get the highest resolution showing people and cars. But, really curious, I've tried to look for aircraft flying in the sky-but where are they? I've looked for 2 weeks and found only 1 on landing run on O'Hare. I do not mean the aircraft on the ground-lots of these. But the ones flying. I thought our airways were choked with planes?

Just curious,
Ivan

Ah, yes! I was reminded of a site that I came across once that displayed a picture from Google Earth showing an Avro Lancaster WW11 bomber in the air somewhere over the UK here. What a catch ! I think there's only one left that's able to fly.
Anyway, there appears to be a minor sport in plane spotting on Google Earth.
I hope the links I've pasted in are 'active' for you.
http://www.gearthhacks.com/dlcat24/Aircraft-in-flight.htm
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/09/google_lancaster/
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/19/google_earth_prestwick/

Bruce

I've seen a helicopter in flight on Google. I just happened to be on one of the forest properties I manage just north of Mobile, AL.

Eddie

Having lived nearby Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta I remembered that there's a lot of air traffic there. Found a chain of 4 aircraft taking off on Google Earth in a couple minutes. I tried predicting where the 5th would be but the trail went cold :-)

Attached Image:

I stumbled across a small Cessna type plane in Arizona. You could see it's shadow, as it wasn't flying too high.

The LA Times had an article about 'virtual' travelers this week. A few points from the article:

*There is a Google Earth forum or chat--I've never been to it. Finding planes, and trying to identify them is a common endeavour.

*The pics are often updated. Some are several years old. I spent several hours with a friend checking known (to us) locations. Some new buildings that are only a few years old don't show up.

*Events get a lot of attention, and finding more about them, too. A boat on fire off of Iceland (boat sunk, boater rescued). An alligator in the LA Zoo. I couldn't find that, but did find some other animals.

*a person recently disappear off a boat in the San Franssco Bay. Google through it's contacts with the imaging satellite owners posted new pics of the area to help the search. He's still missing and presumed lost at sea.

*A boat (sub?) leaving Tokyo Harbour..

*And yes, there is a site that claims to have pics of unclothed sunbathers. Although the resolution leaves a lot to the imagination. 8O

My find: go to Area 51, North West of Vegas. Zoom out and look for another dry lake bed further north and west. It has circular markings like a targert and several small round things on it. Nuclear test zone?