New Poster and Interesting Video

[Bill Richards]

Hi

I've been lurking on this forum for some time and today I was compelled to post a video that I stumbled across on youtube.  It is a video of a round-the-world flight in 66 hours by a Lufthansa MD-11F and at apx. the 12:20 mark the co-pilot is seen taking a picture of an atoll as they are en route to New Zealand.  I was immediately struck by the similarity of Nikumaroro.  Is it the same island?  I may be wrong but I thought an interesting coincidence.  Here's the video link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh5U-w_9NuI

Bill Richards
TIGHAR #4270

[Ric Gillespie]

No doubt about it!  That's our Niku at 12:29 into the video. .  BEAUTIFUL!

[Bill Richards]

Thanks for the confirmation Ric.  Obviously I've lurked enough to recognize Niku :-)

[Chris Johnson]

Nice :)

[manjeet aujla]

wow, it looks pretty from the air - the blue  lagoon in the center stands out so much.

[Ric Gillespie]

the blue  lagoon in the center stands out so much.

That's the first thing you see when you're flying - the color of the lagoon.  It's one reason why Niku would be so much easier to see than Howland which has no lagoon.

[Gus Rubio]

Wow, nice catch by the new guy!   :)

Such a beautiful place from above, yet so inhospitable on the ground. 

[Alfred Hendrickson]

Wow! Nice! I like it!

[Gloria Walker Burger]

Nice catch! Beautiful!
Is this what it may have looked like to Amelia and Fred? How high up would you estimate this guy was compared to how high Amelia could fly?

[Ric Gillespie]

How high up would you estimate this guy was compared to how high Amelia could fly?

My guess is that the jet was flying at about 10,000 ft - surprisingly low.  AE could fly that high but I'd be surprised if they were up there when they spotted Gardner.  They were down at 1,000 feet trying to find Howland.  A climb back up to 10,000 would be very expensive fuel-wise.

[Gloria Walker Burger]

Interesting. Thanks, Ric!

[Stacy Galloway]

Beautiful! Thank you, Bill :)