Airports on Google Maps
Discussion
Was looking for something for work on Google Maps in Shepperton near Heathrow and saw that the imagery of Heathrow must have been updated at some time in the past year as it is empty
The stands, the car parks, everything is deserted. Of course, this is not a surprise but seeing it was a little eerie and quite sad.
I had a look at Gatwick too and the same story there with the addition of some very neatly parked BA aircraft and one car park where all the bendy buses are parked up.
The picture of Luton must be older as it is rammed!
The stands, the car parks, everything is deserted. Of course, this is not a surprise but seeing it was a little eerie and quite sad.
I had a look at Gatwick too and the same story there with the addition of some very neatly parked BA aircraft and one car park where all the bendy buses are parked up.
The picture of Luton must be older as it is rammed!
I saw this the other day too. I don't think it's real as there have been a fair amount of planes coming and going (my back garden looks out to the airspace for Gatwick, Heathrow and Farnborough), yet on the satellite view there's litterly zero planes at gates. I looked around other global airports and found similar at some like JFK, but not at others like SIN.
I suspected it's something google maps deliberate related to local navigation or stretching the images over 3D building views.
I suspected it's something google maps deliberate related to local navigation or stretching the images over 3D building views.
If you remember the volcanic ash drama a few years ago (c2008/2009) I had flown from Manchester to Edinburgh to do some work, but my return flight had been cancelled (like all flights due to the ash cloud). I had to drive the hire car back to Manchester airport to collect my own vehicle, it was completely deserted, the car rental return was on the top of a multistorey, most of the car multistorey was empty and the top floor there was literally a guy from each rental company chewing the fat together and they looked shocked to see me arrive and drop off a car.
eein said:
I saw this the other day too. I don't think it's real as there have been a fair amount of planes coming and going (my back garden looks out to the airspace for Gatwick, Heathrow and Farnborough), yet on the satellite view there's litterly zero planes at gates. I looked around other global airports and found similar at some like JFK, but not at others like SIN.
I suspected it's something google maps deliberate related to local navigation or stretching the images over 3D building views.
Yep - I scrolled for miles, all the way into London, and there isn't a car driving on any main road. That was simply never the case.I suspected it's something google maps deliberate related to local navigation or stretching the images over 3D building views.
Not sure whether I find it ominous or not - makes for a nice clear image, but also has hints of airbrushing documented images.
...
There is no way they are going to the effort of airbrushing roads etc, even with automatic machine learning (and there are a couple of planes at Heathrow on Google Earth, and cars on surrounding roads, so it would make no sense to leave some in). Bournemouth Airport is covered in parked planes, for example.
Not sure on exposure times but if it's longer than about half a second you probably wouldn't see a moving car at all. That would make sense if roads are quieter and therefore traffic is actually moving, and would explain why the motorways look empty. Free-flowing roads have never been full of cars on Google Maps, as far as I'm aware.
Not sure on exposure times but if it's longer than about half a second you probably wouldn't see a moving car at all. That would make sense if roads are quieter and therefore traffic is actually moving, and would explain why the motorways look empty. Free-flowing roads have never been full of cars on Google Maps, as far as I'm aware.
Edited by ch37 on Tuesday 4th May 10:21
Its a real photo, not touched up, all the staff car parks are pretty much empty as well, as all the ones in WBC, and Compass Centre. T1/T2 works is about right for last summer as well, and trees are in folliage, so taken last summer sometime would be my guess. If was very recent, in past couple of months you'd see the full car park to the west of Compass Centre, which has been in use as a Covid Vaccination centre since Jan.
I'm talking about the M25 - it definitely wasn't completely empty for miles on end at any time during lockdown. If you go up to Junction 16 where the 3D map ends then the cars reappear on the road.
The cars are not "airbrushed out". It's a side effect of the photogrammetry algorithm used to create the 3D map.
Here's an example nearby - permanently parked cars look solid, cars that have been stationary for a few seconds at the traffic lights are ghosted. Moving cars or pedestrians won't show up at all.
The cars are not "airbrushed out". It's a side effect of the photogrammetry algorithm used to create the 3D map.
Here's an example nearby - permanently parked cars look solid, cars that have been stationary for a few seconds at the traffic lights are ghosted. Moving cars or pedestrians won't show up at all.
Edited by zetecuk on Tuesday 4th May 11:07
48k said:
zetecuk said:
I doubt there was ever a time in lockdown when the entire M25 was empty as shown on Google maps. I think it is because they build these 3D maps from multiple photos, so anything that moves is erased.
My Google maps shows traffic on the M25 
louiebaby said:
I had a Zoom job interview for an analyst role in May last year.
The first question was designed to see if I could estimate and work out numbers:
"How many passengers move through Heathrow on a daily basis?"
I answered:
"Right now? None."
Was that the one with the rejection feedback 'No-one likes a smart arse'? The first question was designed to see if I could estimate and work out numbers:
"How many passengers move through Heathrow on a daily basis?"
I answered:
"Right now? None."
Blippy said:
The sterile image of Heathrow is definitely something stitched together by Google, possibly as a result of their photogrammetry which creates the 3D buildings. I've worked airside at various times over the past year and I did not imagine the parked aircraft...
I'm inclined to agree- they've even removed all of the aircraft from around BA's Tech Blocks and Virgin's hangars, which would have a/c parked regardless of COVID.Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff