Simviation Forum - Google Earth vs. Jeppesen Airport Charts

Aug 1^st, 2009 at 8:11pm

idahosurge Offline
Colonel
I Fly Sim!
Anna, Texas, USA

Gender:
Posts: 687

I now have ADE and have read the manual, the Airport Design Basics Tuturial 2 and am now in Airport Design Basics Tuturial 3 (Backround Images).

I have loaded KSGH Springfield-Beckley Muni along with the KSGH Jeppesen Airport Chart and the Goolge Earth image of this airport.

I would like to know why the Google Earth image and the Jeppesen Airport Chart do not match? The aprons taxiways are off and I would think that they would be close to an exact match. It is not a question of position, both Google Earth and the Jeppesen Chart are lined up to the two runways and the runways match.

Could someone explain why there is a difference between the two?

Would I be correct in assuming that the Google Earth image would be closer than the Jeppensen Chart?

Is there any way to tell how old the Google Earth image is? In this case I do not think it matters becasue I doubt if they would have moved the taxi ways.

Regards,

Rod

Asus R3E_i7 980X @ 4.44GHz_TR Silver Arrow_Mushkin Redline 6GB 1,644MHz @ 6-7-6-18_Zotac AMP GTX 480_OS - Windows 7 Ult 64b_OS SSD - Crucial C300 128GB_FSX HD - WD VR 600GB*2 w/3ware 9750-4i 6Gb/s Controller_Corsair AX850_CM HAF-X_FSX Gold, UTX, GEX, FSG, ST, MSX, MSE, FTX, FEX, FSWC, MTX, STB, AS F16, PMDG MD11, CS MD80 Pro, FSD P38, VRS FA18E

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #1 - Aug 2^nd, 2009 at 4:49pm

meshman Offline
Colonel
Fly FS

Posts: 37

In general, I think you will find few, if any of the default FSX (FS9) airports line up to a good satellite/aerial image. Pick any BIG airport, like KATL, KORD, KLAX, etc and import a background image and see how it works in FSX, but not really in the living world.

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #2 - Aug 3^rd, 2009 at 11:49am

idahosurge Offline
Colonel
I Fly Sim!
Anna, Texas, USA

Gender:
Posts: 687

I want to make sure that I made myself clear, I want to know why Google Earth and the Jeppesen Chart for Springfield-Beckley do not match each other.

I look at March ARB (KRIV) last night and Google Earth and the Jeppensen chart for KRIV also do not match. The taxiways on the Jeppesen Chart do not match the satellite view, why is that?

Rod

Asus R3E_i7 980X @ 4.44GHz_TR Silver Arrow_Mushkin Redline 6GB 1,644MHz @ 6-7-6-18_Zotac AMP GTX 480_OS - Windows 7 Ult 64b_OS SSD - Crucial C300 128GB_FSX HD - WD VR 600GB*2 w/3ware 9750-4i 6Gb/s Controller_Corsair AX850_CM HAF-X_FSX Gold, UTX, GEX, FSG, ST, MSX, MSE, FTX, FEX, FSWC, MTX, STB, AS F16, PMDG MD11, CS MD80 Pro, FSD P38, VRS FA18E

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #3 - Aug 3^rd, 2009 at 3:29pm

meshman Offline
Colonel
Fly FS

Posts: 37

March I can speak of, as I use to pass by almost daily. It also applies to many other fields, construction work. Runways are clipped or made longer, taxiways rerouted, any number of scenarios.

After seeing what Jeppesen did for one airport, missing the location by over 1,00', I take their accuracy as being kinda close, nothing more.

If you want a definitive answer, pick the phone up and call Jeppesen. I'm sure they'd love to hear from you. Wink

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #4 - Aug 8^th, 2009 at 7:35pm

Capt.Propwash Offline
Colonel
Let's get a little mud
on the tires!
KCHS, Charleston, SC, USA

Gender:
Posts: 1958

for 1, Google Earth is NOT satellite views. it is nothing more than Aerial Photography. Someone in an airplane flew over the specified area and took a picture in the same manner as the military did for recon to see what building is where so the AirForce knew what to bomb.

How old are the "pictures" in Google Earth???

How old are your Jeppesen Charts?

Jeppesen Charts are FAA regulated which means they **MUST** be correct. If there is a change at the airport in question, Jeppesen must create a new chart for it to include the change. -- If you are a real pilot, and your Chart says the runway is at an elevation of 3,256 feet ASL, with a pressure of 29.96, then the runway will be +/- 1 foot of that elevation. Otherwise you are going to have problems when you try to land and the runway is 50ft HIGHER than what you think it is.

Google earth does NOT have to change. Google Earth is pretty much nothing more than a desktop globe on your computer.

If you are flying in the USA, go to http://airnav.com/airports

The thoughts and expressions contained in the post above are solely my own, and not necessarily those of Simviation.com, its Moderators, its Staff, its Members, or other guests. They can not, are not, and will not be held liable for any thoughts, or expressions, or posts that I have made, or will make in the future.

Computer Specs:: Acer Aspire Laptop..Win7 Home Premium 64-bit (sp1), AMD Athlon II X2 P340 (Dual Core) [2.2 Ghz], ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 (256mb), 4GB DDR3......FS9.1(sp3) / FSX (sp2)..... Ultimate Terrain X, Ground Environment X, REX, FTX ORBX PNW-PFJ-NRM-CRM, OZx, Tongass Fjords, Misty Moorings

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #5 - Aug 9^th, 2009 at 1:00am

meshman Offline
Colonel
Fly FS

Posts: 37

Capt.Propwash wrote on Aug 8^th, 2009 at 7:35pm:

Jeppesen Charts are FAA regulated which means they **MUST** be correct.

Checking AirNav for the latest chart for John Rogers Field - PHJR, on the island of O'ahu. Darn, despite it being "FAA regulated", which means it "**MUST**" be correct, there the chart shows it off by about 1100 feet. I'm using the center point of runways 4R and 29 for reference. Matched against the desktop globe aka Google Earth and also the USGS 30cm aerial photography, which wasn't taken by some guy leaning out the window with a digital SLR.

Point being, Jepp charts are very accurate for runway placement, 99% of the time. For taxiway alignment, fuhgetaboutit...

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #6 - Aug 9^th, 2009 at 8:03am

idahosurge Offline
Colonel
I Fly Sim!
Anna, Texas, USA

Gender:
Posts: 687

Thanks for the confirmation Meshman, that is what I was getting at, the runways match, but the taxiways do not match.

Now for my other questions that no one seems to have an answer, is there anyway to tell how old the Google Earth images are?

Rod

Asus R3E_i7 980X @ 4.44GHz_TR Silver Arrow_Mushkin Redline 6GB 1,644MHz @ 6-7-6-18_Zotac AMP GTX 480_OS - Windows 7 Ult 64b_OS SSD - Crucial C300 128GB_FSX HD - WD VR 600GB*2 w/3ware 9750-4i 6Gb/s Controller_Corsair AX850_CM HAF-X_FSX Gold, UTX, GEX, FSG, ST, MSX, MSE, FTX, FEX, FSWC, MTX, STB, AS F16, PMDG MD11, CS MD80 Pro, FSD P38, VRS FA18E

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #7 - Aug 9^th, 2009 at 11:15am

meshman Offline
Colonel
Fly FS

Posts: 37

When viewing in GE the date of the imagery will show down at the bottom, as in May 2009. Doesn't indicate for all the coverage areas, but a lot of them.

Back to top

IP Logged

Reply #8 - Aug 11^th, 2009 at 9:05pm

idahosurge Offline
Colonel
I Fly Sim!
Anna, Texas, USA

Gender:
Posts: 687

Thanks, next time I am in GE I will take a look.

Rod

Asus R3E_i7 980X @ 4.44GHz_TR Silver Arrow_Mushkin Redline 6GB 1,644MHz @ 6-7-6-18_Zotac AMP GTX 480_OS - Windows 7 Ult 64b_OS SSD - Crucial C300 128GB_FSX HD - WD VR 600GB*2 w/3ware 9750-4i 6Gb/s Controller_Corsair AX850_CM HAF-X_FSX Gold, UTX, GEX, FSG, ST, MSX, MSE, FTX, FEX, FSWC, MTX, STB, AS F16, PMDG MD11, CS MD80 Pro, FSD P38, VRS FA18E

Back to top

IP Logged

	Search the archive: