Holy freaking cool (flight data related)

**akrdubbs** · 11-21-2007, 04:54 PM

This guy took all the data on flights in North America for a day and mapped it ...

http://users.design.ucla.edu/~akoblin/work/faa/

13 · 11-21-2007, 05:01 PM

hawaii is plainly obvious in the lower left of the screen, but what the hell is there almost due W of SFO in the middle of the pacific?!

**couloirman** · 11-21-2007, 05:06 PM

Originally Posted by 13

hawaii is plainly obvious in the lower left of the screen, but what the hell is there almost due W of SFO in the middle of the pacific?!

Maybe some of the US's nuclear weapons that are in the air, always, 24/7. what a waste of fuel.

**MeatPuppet** · 11-21-2007, 05:11 PM

Aircraft carrier?

That's odd. Midway and Easter Island are both North West of the Hawaiian islands. There is nothing on Google earth in that part of the Pacific.

**Jumper Bones** · 11-21-2007, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by couloirman

Maybe some of the US's nuclear weapons that are in the air, always, 24/7. what a waste of fuel.

We don't do airborne nuclear alert anymore, that was discontinued a long time ago. We don't even do ground alert (for airplanes), the only nuke assets on alert are subs and the ICBMs in their silos.

EDIT - Wow...I knew airborne alert had been discontinued for awhile, but didn't realize it was 1966...

**The AD** · 11-21-2007, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by MeatPuppet

Aircraft carrier?

I kinda doubt miliary flights would be included, besides flights from a carrier wouldn't generally be vectoring off to some distance destination.

From that map you'd think everyone in the U.S. is heading into or out of Miami on a daily basis.

**couloirman** · 11-21-2007, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by Jumper Bones

We don't do airborne nuclear alert anymore, that was discontinued a long time ago. We don't even do ground alert (for airplanes), the only nuke assets on alert are subs and the ICBMs in their silos.

so the govt tells us, but I don't buy it though, much like all the rest of the diarrhea of the mouth they spew out...

**Theodore** · 11-21-2007, 05:19 PM

Saw this a few days ago and that mystery spot was the first thing I noticed too!

**Jumper Bones** · 11-21-2007, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by couloirman

so the govt tells us, but I don't buy it though, much like all the rest of the diarrhea of the mouth they spew out...

Considering that I'm in the service that would be doing such alert, and have friends that fly the bombers that would be doing it, no we don't do that mission anymore. At all.

The subs and icbms are enough.

Any chance the 'mystery dot' could be more flights to hawaii, but somehow didn't line up with all the others for some map reason?

**akrdubbs** · 11-21-2007, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by The AD

From that map you'd think everyone in the U.S. is heading into or out of Miami on a daily basis.

You mean we're not?

And I'm surprised by that point out West of Anchorage ... Dutch Harbor maybe? Looks like a lot of flights for somewhere out in the Aleutians.

**couloirman** · 11-21-2007, 05:32 PM

Originally Posted by Jumper Bones

Considering that I'm in the service that would be doing such alert, and have friends that fly the bombers that would be doing it, no we don't do that mission anymore. At all.

The subs and icbms are enough.

Any chance the 'mystery dot' could be more flights to hawaii, but somehow didn't line up with all the others for some map reason?

I see, well I still like to be Mr Conspiracy Theorist anyway, but touche...

**Jumper Bones** · 11-21-2007, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by akrdubbs

And I'm surprised by that point out West of Anchorage ... Dutch Harbor maybe? Looks like a lot of flights for somewhere out in the Aleutians.

Exactly - I figured the one to the west was anchorage, and the one to the east was Juneau. But the traffic volume would be the complete opposite...

I've flown to and from Shemya, way way way out there in them there Aleutians, but they have maybe a flight or two a day, if that...

**hutash** · 11-21-2007, 05:47 PM

The dots west of SFO are planes flying from Japan. They got half way across the pacific and ran out of gas, so they had to go back.

It's an old Marx Brothers gag.

**squirrelmurphy** · 11-21-2007, 06:04 PM

KMZ file of the flight paths

click link, not actual file. neat.

**Rontele** · 11-21-2007, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by MeatPuppet

Aircraft carrier?

That's odd. Midway and Easter Island are both North West of the Hawaiian islands. There is nothing on Google earth in that part of the Pacific.

You clearly are unsmart with the geography.

**summit** · 11-21-2007, 07:39 PM

Yep... 1966 after the Palermo incident where a 52 bumped a 135 and sent 3 arrows into the drink and one into a farmers field... messy and expensive.

Originally Posted by couloirman

so the govt tells us, but I don't buy it though, much like all the rest of the diarrhea of the mouth they spew out...

WRONG

If you don't believe it, check out google earth. Check Barksdale, Whiteman, and Minot. The alert pads are empty.

**MeatPuppet** · 11-21-2007, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by Rontele

You clearly are unsmart with the geography.

Bwhahahah! "Eastern" island.

I thought that seemed odd, but my mind was somewhere else.

**P_McPoser** · 11-21-2007, 07:53 PM

Alert pads at Minot show me B-52s

**DharmaBum** · 11-21-2007, 11:06 PM

Wow. Click on the link and watch the "blobular" Quicktime vid. Do drugs first!

**summit** · 11-22-2007, 12:20 AM

Originally Posted by P_McPoser

Alert pads at Minot show me B-52s

Ooh... you are right!

Maybe recent Russian action has spurred this. What I really hope is that there are some B2s on alert at Whiteman. Without bombers actually on alert, you may as well write off the strategic bomber leg of the triad as they are no longer a credible deterrent against Russia.