19 replies to this topic

[Buford]

Don't know if this was posted before. Don't see it in the search. Pretty cool. http://www.gearthhac...Test-Tracks.htm

[Barry Boor]

An interesting (to me, anyway) fact that has come to light this afternoon is this; the Google Earth image of the Hungaroring show a paddock filled with racing car transporters. The red ones, I assume to be Ferrari, while further along are some that seem to carry the Toyota colours. Opposite the trucks are what appear to be hospitality units, one of which has an oval shaped roof.

Now, the thing is, the image date purports to be June 30th 2009 but the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix took place from the 24th to the 26th of July. So, did the F.1 teams sneak back there for a crafty test session?

I think we should be told!

[HistoricMustang]

An interesting (to me, anyway) fact that has come to light this afternoon is this; the Google Earth image of the Hungaroring show a paddock filled with racing car transporters. The red ones, I assume to be Ferrari, while further along are some that seem to carry the Toyota colours. Opposite the trucks are what appear to be hospitality units, one of which has an oval shaped roof.

Now, the thing is, the image date purports to be June 30th 2009 but the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix took place from the 24th to the 26th of July. So, did the F.1 teams sneak back there for a crafty test session?

I think we should be told!

Barry, good point and inquiring TNF minds need to know!

Henry

[Terry Walker]

The image date is not necessarily the date the image was actually shot, but the date it was retrieved from the satellite downloads (if it's a satellite shot) or air photo downloads. The satellites, despite what you see on TV shows, don't transmit "live" but collect images for a while and download to earth in packets. Perhaps overflew the day after the GP, before the support vehicles finished packing, and downloaded a day or so later.

That's my understanding, but what do I know?

Edited by Terry Walker, 13 February 2010 - 02:35.

[Barry Boor]

Well, Terry, you may be entirely correct in what you say, but, in this case, the image date appears to be almost a month BEFORE the cars were there.... In which case, it's a pretty remarkable satellite.

[Terry Walker]

Google Earth, as we all know, is run by Dr Who.

That's my understanding but what do I know?

(Less than I thought).

[HistoricMustang]

Dr. Who or Dr. No.

Henry

[Ray Bell]

Maybe it's a July 2008 photo?

It could have taken a long time to get through the processes...

[Bleu]

McLaren motorhome seems to have oval-shaped roof.


By the locations of the trucks it really seems that Ferrari is first, McLaren second which was 2008 WCC order. Then there's
two which can't really be recognized but they should be BMW Sauber and Renault. Then Toyota and then a big one, which is likely Red Bull Energy Station, combination for Red Bull and Toro Rosso teams' motorhomes.

[Andrew Stevens]

Not quite a race circuit, but probably deserves one!
http://maps.google.c...u...mp;t=h&z=16
(Hope the link works ok)

[Catalina Park]

Not quite a race circuit, but probably deserves one!
http://maps.google.c...u...mp;t=h&z=16
(Hope the link works ok)

Well done sir!

[chdphd]

This is a great use of Google Street view. You can do a full lap of Thunderhill Raceway Park. Every track should invite a camera car for a visit

Link

[Les]

There's a fascinating (well to me anyway) new website called Britain from Above. Anyway on it there are some amazing pics of Brooklands on it that some of you may also be interested in:

http://www.britainfr...6784?filter=top

http://www.britainfr...6858?filter=top

http://www.britainfr...6788?filter=top

http://www.britainfr...6229?filter=top

http://www.britainfr...6787?filter=top

http://www.britainfr...6784?filter=top

http://www.britainfr...6789?filter=top

[LittleChris]

Thanks for this Les. The site was mentioned on the local news earlier this week and I meant to investigate but forgot. Have now got it bookmarked

[WDH74]

Those are neat, Les. I've always been fascinated by Brooklands.

IIRC there was a Google Earth race tracks thread a few years ago, but it may have been purged. There is or was a KMZ file that had most tracks new and old. Some ghosts show up really well.

[Barry Boor]

It's called GERCA. Are you a member.

[Odseybod]

There's a fascinating (well to me anyway) new website called Britain from Above. Anyway on it there are some amazing pics of Brooklands on it that some of you may also be interested in:

Thanks for pointing me towards this site - fascinating stuff.

Maybe inevitably, I broadened the criteria to other forms of transport. The airfields at rural Croydon and Hendon are interesting (is that Cobham's flying circus in one of the Hendon pics?). And Southampton docks has an unidentfiied transatlantic liner.

Much more exploring still to do.

Edited by Odseybod, 28 June 2012 - 08:22.

[Barry Boor]

I don't think this has been mentioned before - apologies if it has.

 

As part of the different things you can do with Google Earth, it has the facility that enables you to move a slider along to view images of the place you are looking at from earlier versions of G.E.  Most people are aware of this, but....   have you ever done it when looking at Silverstone?

 

Remarkably, they have an aerial view of the airfield with a date of 1945.  In other words, after WW2, just, but before the place was turned into a racing circuit.  Trust me, it's well worth a look if you haven't already done so.

[alansart]

I don't think this has been mentioned before - apologies if it has.

 

As part of the different things you can do with Google Earth, it has the facility that enables you to move a slider along to view images of the place you are looking at from earlier versions of G.E.  Most people are aware of this, but....   have you ever done it when looking at Silverstone?

 

Remarkably, they have an aerial view of the airfield with a date of 1945.  In other words, after WW2, just, but before the place was turned into a racing circuit.  Trust me, it's well worth a look if you haven't already done so.

 

You can do the same with Oulton Park as well 

 

 

Edit: And Crystal Palace.

Edited by alansart, 26 November 2013 - 11:16.

[swintex]

You can do the same with Oulton Park as well 

 

 

Edit: And Crystal Palace.

And (slightly OT) Biggin Hill, where there is absolutely no sign of the airfield, which seems rather odd.

 

More disappointingly (and even further OT), the farm directly to the south of the southern apron where my great grandmother grew up is not covered by the '45 imagery

 

But the other farm, a couple of miles to the north, on the road to Farnborough, where she lived later, with my grandmother is visible

 

Richard