Readers crack Google Earth photo challenge

On the other hand, does B actually show rocket sled tracks? Many of you thought so...

A Arrestor test facility B Rocket sled tracks C Parachute drop site D Hindenburg crash site marker E Hanger number 1

It took me around 2 minutes to identify the site as Lakehurst, as I have driven past Cardington [UK former airship field - .kmz here] on many occasions and recognised the similarity to the Hanger (site E). This is where the good news ends as the next frustrating 40 minutes failed to turn up any clues to the rest of the features. When I suggested to my son that he have a go, I have to shamefully admit that all the other sites were identified within 5 minutes. I blame 25 years exposure to London Pride for dulling the senses so what's your excuse for the Vulture Central crew taking half an hour to identify features one solitary teenager took 5 minutes to do?

Regards, Paul Stephenson

Well, we spent most of our time trying to exactly pinpoint the Hindenburg memorial (it's in image D somewhere, we're sure, although it is very, very small). Interestingly, the airship angle threw some of you, who, having correctly identified the hangar, then assumed C was where you'd tether your dirigible - the tethering mast being in the middle of the circle.

Of course, once you'd identified the location, the rest was just a matter of pulling the necessary info from the internet. Imagine, though, you were examining the photos for the first time and had no prior knowledge of the technology and no online resources to help you out. We wonder how many of us could have, in all honesty, had the faintest idea what B was, or what might have been going on in E?

Oh yes, and what about the WMD spotted by Paul Van Den Steene?

Too easy, many of you reckoned. Mike Henderson explains:

I'd guess he's found a dummy aircraft used for training airport fire rescue staff. They make an 'aeroplane' out of heavy steel so it can be set on fire with lashings of lovely jet fuel time and time again without melting. Then the fire-fighters can practice putting it out over and over until they're *really* good at it. I hope :-)

Yes indeed. For the record, this one is at Luton Airport (.kmz here). We're obliged to the airport's press office for confirming our suspicions, as follows:

You are correct, it is a fire training rig which is a mock up of a Boeing 767 aircraft fuselage. As you can imagine the fire and rescue services at the airport are highly trained and regularly keep their training current by dealing with various fire and rescue scenarios on the training rig.

Thank-you for your interest

Regards

Neil Thompson
Airfield Envionment Manager
London Luton Airport Operations Ltd.

Nice one. Keep those Google Earth recommendations coming in - anything weird and wonderful always welcome. ®

Bootnote

Google Earth is now available for Mac OS X (10.4). Download it right here. Linux users just talk among yourselves for the next couple of years. (Or not, try this here courtesy of Neil Greenwood and others.)