JasonBo
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Reged: 08/18/05
Posts: 270
Loc: Austin Texas
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AFX UK Focus) 2007-09-07 01:10 GMT:
Google helps in search for aviator
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Google Inc. is best known for finding information online, but sometimes the Internet search leader also works behind the scenes to look for missing people like renowned aviator Steve Fossett.
The Mountain View-based company has emerged as a potentially useful resource for search-and-rescue teams because of its connections to the dozens of contractors that provide satellite imagery for its popular Google Earth software.
While most of the images used in Google Earth's 3-D tours of the world are anywhere from six months to three years old, the company can request more recent pictures taken from space.
That's what happened this week as search-and-rescue teams hunted for clues that might help them determine what happened to Fossett after he took off in a plane Monday from a Nevada airstrip without providing a flight plan.
Richard Branson, a British billionaire who has financed and participated in some of Fossett's past adventures, said he and others were coordinating efforts with Google to see if any of the high-resolution pictures might include Fossett's plane, a Bellanca Citabria Super Decathlon.
Google also helped obtain some of the satellite pictures that were used in an unsuccessful search earlier this year for acclaimed computer scientist Jim Gray after he disappeared on a yacht sailing from San Francisco. Google co-founder Sergey Brin is among the legion of young engineers who drew inspiration from Gray's pioneering work on database software decades ago.
A Google spokeswoman declined to discuss why the company became involved in the Fossett search. Branson apparently has a good relationship with Google, having participated in a charity event hosted by company co-founder Larry Page earlier this year.
DigitalGlobe, which supplies much of Google Earth's imagery, confirmed that Google called upon the Longmont, Colo.-based company for help Wednesday. Unfortunately, DigitalGlobe didn't have any pictures available from the area where Fossett took off Monday, said company spokesman Chuck Herring. DigitalGlobe doesn't expect to get any more images from that part of the country again until Saturday.
"We are partners with Google, so we always try to help out in any way we can," Herring said. Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Aim: jasonbtwc
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expedition
Tourist
Reged: 01/15/06
Posts: 61
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I predict they will find his crashed plane on the side of a mountain near Hawthorne, Nevada. Cory Peak ridge or Boundary Peak wilderness.
Edited by expedition (09/07/07 12:51 AM)
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DeDenker
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Reged: 07/24/07
Posts: 4
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Perhaps he flew to dreamland....
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DuncanBrinsmead
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Reged: 09/02/05
Posts: 12
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One observation technique that I've not heard mentioned:
If one has satellite photos from before and after the crash then one could create a second image showing pixel differences. With a technique like this a crash sight might turn out as bright spot on a black background. Such spots, even on a relatively low res satellite image, could help suggest possible search areas. This techique would also show up things like a scorch mark or indicators that do not resemble a plane.
The images would need to be relatively cloudless, exactly aligned and color balanced for the technique to work well. Also infra red might be more revealing.
I'm guessing the military is already doing this sort of thing for monitoring supply routes and such in Iraq and Afganistan.
Duncan
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pogmo47
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Reged: 09/08/07
Posts: 2
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Hi Guys
I used the Amazon Turk to help look for Steve Fossett.
They break up the search into quadrants, worth checking out the site and helping look.
I have attached the latest Sat data KML.
anyway here is a possible plane I have just found.
Thanks
Pog
Australia
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pogmo47
Tourist
Reged: 09/08/07
Posts: 2
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Here is the Sat data to show!
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JasonBo
Tourist
Reged: 08/18/05
Posts: 270
Loc: Austin Texas
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Some may have heard Amazon Turk ie Mturk.com Has Satelite overlays of the area being searched for Fossett. I havent seen it advertised anywhere so its credability is still in question. Im hoping this is good data since being hosted on mw1.google.com server.
You can go there or the kml file is located at
http://mw1.google.com/mw-earth-vectordb/fossett/geoeye/Pan/index.kml
General area to start is hiilton ranch.
Unfortunatly im at work and do not have access to goole earth to see what this is.
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Aim: jasonbtwc
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xylos
Searcher
Reged: 11/16/06
Posts: 52
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if you search on www.mturk.com
Steve Fossett Missing: Help find him by searching satellite imagery
then you get a legitimate HIT
Jim
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satcom15
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Reged: 06/16/07
Posts: 169
Loc: Colorado, USA
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Quote:
if you search on www.mturk.com
Steve Fossett Missing: Help find him by searching satellite imagery
then you get a legitimate HIT
Jim
It seems the imagery to be searched is all in California. Is there any in Nevada yet? Earlier news reports suggested Steve was scouting dry lake beds for a land speed record initiative. These would probably be in Nevada and not the mountainous Sierra terrain the current image shows. Or, is there some FAA radar data that suggests he might have been flying in the area of the imagery in mechanical turk?
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"So we arrived and were able to plant our flag at the geographical South Pole" R. Amundsen 1911
"The Pole. Yes, but under very different circumstances than expected" R. F. Scott 1912
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xylos
Searcher
Reged: 11/16/06
Posts: 52
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I am not sure how they selected the area but this is processed satellite imagery from Geoeye which is one of the sat imagery providers for google. I imagine they will provide more imagery is it comes available.
If you know of a website with current info on the search I would love to see it.
thanks
Jim
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