satcom15
Tourist
Reged: 06/16/07
Posts: 169
Loc: Colorado, USA
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Quote:
They may be bushes but i doubt they were purposely planted. Why do all that work in a spot no one can see? (except in ge) Why not fill in the whole plane, why make the engines crooked and the tail a mess? etc.
I still think it was a spot where they fire trained, and the water that ran off the plane made plants grow after the plane was removed. The soil around the removed plane would have more water than the rest of the area, and once the plane was removed the sunlight would help them grow. However those black spots are also on the tar and concrete nearby, so im not fully convinced.
Good catch Cyclonic. If earlier conjectures on a temporarily parked plane provided shade which allowed denser plant growth is correct, why wouldn't the whole area have higher plant density instead of just the outline? The black spots have me puzzled too. Could they have been petrochemical in nature (i.e. fuel or oil) or burn/smoke marks? Strange.
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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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Diane9247
Humanitarian
Reged: 01/15/07
Posts: 1917
Loc: Californian in Oregon
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How in the name of Satan and all his little wizards did you find that?
Rainbowrichard, I like your style - colorful. I found it like I do most odd things in life - while I'm looking for something else. I've been trying to locate a dirtbike track I found, which disappeared from a folder after a computer crash last week. All I remember is that it's near an airbase in S.A.. Still looking, but I've been mightily distracted by this find. Never in my GE use so far have I had to sit and stare so long before I could process what I was seeing! 
Diane
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Women for Women International - For the special needs of women surviving war.
Kiva - Small loans changing lives around the world.
Bukavu Foundation - For the Panzi Women's Shelter & other programs in Eastern Congo.
Room to Read - Change begins with educated children.
Edited by diane9247 (09/08/07 04:57 PM)
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Diane9247
Humanitarian
Reged: 01/15/07
Posts: 1917
Loc: Californian in Oregon
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I have just e-mailed King Khaled Airport "Feedback" with an inquiry about the phantom airplane. Included some images, so hope someone takes the time to send a go-fer to take a look. I tried to be as charming as possible.   
UPDATE: Charm went to waste. Rec'd a "Mailer Daemon" for that address. Bummer! 
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Women for Women International - For the special needs of women surviving war.
Kiva - Small loans changing lives around the world.
Bukavu Foundation - For the Panzi Women's Shelter & other programs in Eastern Congo.
Room to Read - Change begins with educated children.
Edited by diane9247 (09/09/07 05:17 PM)
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GSightseeing
Tourist
Reged: 05/01/07
Posts: 5
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Well I don't know if it will help, this seems a nice mystery - but I've just posted this great find to Google Sightseeing. Maybe our readers will come up with more ideas to help get to the bottom of this one!
Mystery Plane Outline at googlesightseeing.com
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Google Sightseeing - Featured sights from around the Google Earth.
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Forkboy2
Cartographer
Reged: 07/16/05
Posts: 445
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Ok....so this is a stretch.....but I'll throw it out there anyway.
I lived in Saudi Arabia about 25 years ago and had to fly to Riyadh every month for 2 years on a small Beechcraft to go to the orthodontist. I remember very clearly seeing a burnt up airplane near the approach path right near the airport. I think it was a 707, which sort of matches the outline. I can't remember if the aircraft was from an actual crash or just used for fire training. The pilots told me it was a crash, but I think they were just teasing me since I was just a kid at the time.
I would fly in from Dhahran, which would put us right over this location if they were doing a short final approach and landed 1/2 way down the runway (they were military pilots so wouldn't surprise me).
If it goes back that far, they may have just dismantled the aircraft and thrown it in the back of a dump truck, in which case there wouldn't be any tracks anymore.
Anyway, just a guess.
Matt
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Matt
Google Earth Library
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Diane9247
Humanitarian
Reged: 01/15/07
Posts: 1917
Loc: Californian in Oregon
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Forkboy - OK, we're getting closer. Finally, we're hearing from someone who's actually flown over the place in question! Thanks, your theory agrees with Cyclonic's.
GSightseeing - thanks for posting this on your website! I do hope we can get to the bottom of this.
I might try writing to the airport. The E-mail addr. didn't work, OR is being blocked. I admit to being a little squeemish about directly contacting any entity in the middle east. I don't want to be "monitored." 
Diane
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Women for Women International - For the special needs of women surviving war.
Kiva - Small loans changing lives around the world.
Bukavu Foundation - For the Panzi Women's Shelter & other programs in Eastern Congo.
Room to Read - Change begins with educated children.
Edited by diane9247 (09/11/07 01:46 AM)
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Diane9247
Humanitarian
Reged: 01/15/07
Posts: 1917
Loc: Californian in Oregon
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AHA! We might have an answer! It's too long to quote, so go to GoogleSightseeing, scroll down to comment #20 from Pat. What does everyone think of his theory? I admit to bias. I'm in the "put there intentionally" or "art" camp, like Felippo.
dp
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Women for Women International - For the special needs of women surviving war.
Kiva - Small loans changing lives around the world.
Bukavu Foundation - For the Panzi Women's Shelter & other programs in Eastern Congo.
Room to Read - Change begins with educated children.
Edited by diane9247 (09/11/07 09:49 PM)
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Forkboy2
Cartographer
Reged: 07/16/05
Posts: 445
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I think it's either A) An art project or B) Many many years ago they had an aircraft shell there for fire training and what your seeing is the last bit of oil residue.
If it was an art project, then why is it darker within the outline?? How did they get the dimensions so accurate (within a few feet, although it's a bit lopsided). Why build it so far away from the concrete apron?
If it was an aircraft shell for fire training, wouldn't they have first removed the engines?? Is it just a strange coincidence that it's right next to the fire training pad? Where is the burned out aircraft I remember seeing as a child?
I don't think there's any way to convince me one way or the other without some direct information. Another one of lifes great mysteries....although not exactly up there with "What's the meaning of life?"
Matt
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Matt
Google Earth Library
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Diane9247
Humanitarian
Reged: 01/15/07
Posts: 1917
Loc: Californian in Oregon
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Quote:
I don't think there's any way to convince me one way or the other without some direct information.
I absolutely agree! An update: got a PM from Delta102 - the resident Mister Airplane at GE. He's going to try to find out from some friends. Last might I e-mailed someone I lost contact with awhile back & sort of forgot about - a pilot for (get this, kids) Emirates Airlines!
So, Forkboy, help is on the way..........
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Women for Women International - For the special needs of women surviving war.
Kiva - Small loans changing lives around the world.
Bukavu Foundation - For the Panzi Women's Shelter & other programs in Eastern Congo.
Room to Read - Change begins with educated children.
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Felippo
Collection Editor
Reged: 07/18/05
Posts: 1764
Loc: Hameln, Germany
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Quote:
Dear Felippo -
You MUST know I would find your idea charming, given my signature. It's not very scientific, like your colleagues' theories, but certainly very entertaining when I picture thirsty, sweltering-hot artists on the ground constructing their "environmental art installation." Now, another key question to flesh out the story - were they Bedouins or ex-pats?
Dear Diane
Please take a closer look at the airport and the road to Ar Riyad. I see tenthousands of bushes and little trees. I don't know if they were sweating while creating this or if it was made bedouins, but it gives me a good idea about how much gardeners they must have there.
Quote:
AHA! We might have an answer! It's too long to quote, so go to GoogleSightseeing, scroll down to comment #20 from Pat. What does everyone think of his theory?
He said:"So the plane is made up of rocks and other non-sand debris, and not vegetation. "
After taking a closer look at the GE imagery and seeing some photos of this area I'm sure (100%) that the plane outline is made of vegetation.
I'm in good hope that Delta102 can find out something about this geoglyph.
Greetings Felippo 
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