I'm kind of surprised how poor the satellite data is in many areas of the US compared to some other parts of the world I have flown in. I flew from one end of South Korea to the other and it all looked really nice. Japan is really amazing looking now and I'm hoping that the US update looks as good, but the US is a lot bigger so there might still be large areas with poor coverage. This is what I see in big areas of Virginia, green roads and snow.

I flew over most of Virginia today from E to W and did not see anything that looked like that.  Route was:

 KESN PXT  TAPPA  GVE V473 MOL V290 RNL V260 HVQV128 YRK V128 CVG  MOUTH  KBMG

Should have taken some screenshots.  Green, lush, and highly detailed.

Perhaps your experience is related to the issues you are experiencing with your system (have read your separate topic).

 

Edited November 7, 20205 yr by fppilot

No problem with my graphics. Looks like you flew over some of northern 3rd of Virginia, but there is a big section south central is like my screenshot, and matches what you will see in Bing. What I was pointing out was I didn't see anything like that in the whole country of South Korea or Japan, so why is it that the US doesn't have the same data as many full countries. Have you flown in Alaska yet? Also many areas in PA that are bad. Maybe I am just unlucky in many of the areas I regularly fly in. No problem though because I know they are going to be improving regularly.

Edited November 7, 20205 yr by desbean

1 hour ago, desbean said:

I'm kind of surprised how poor the satellite data is in many areas of the US compared to some other parts of the world I have flown in. I flew from one end of South Korea to the other and it all looked really nice. Japan is really amazing looking now and I'm hoping that the US update looks as good, but the US is a lot bigger so there might still be large areas with poor coverage. This is what I see in big areas of Virginia, green roads and snow.

 

There's a lot of that in MN and there's of a lot of older data (you know, the green tinted satellite stuff)

33 minutes ago, desbean said:

No problem with my graphics. Looks like you flew over some of northern 3rd of Virginia, but there is a big section south central is like my screenshot, and matches what you will see in Bing. What I was pointing out was I didn't see anything like that in the whole country of South Korea or Japan, so why is it that the US doesn't have the same data as many full countries. Have you flown in Alaska yet? Also many areas in PA that are bad. Maybe I am just unlucky in many of the areas I regularly fly in. No problem though because I know they are going to be improving regularly.

Have flown back and forth from Easton, MD, to Asheville, NC, but in IFR weather, so did not have a look.   I was under the clouds for about 30 NM last week late on a flight into Martinsville, VA (KMTV)  from Huntsville, AL, and just did not see anything like that.  But it was short exposure.  What I did find on the approach to Martinsville was this, and despite the strange formations you see, the area did not have the overall look I see in your screenie.  But until within 30 NM of  Martinsville I was above or in clouds.  Early this week I flew from Martinsville to Indianapolis, but it too was in marginal IFR conditions.

This is something a little disappointing. The availability of excellent satellite imagery is now enormous and one can surmise that an AI should know how to smooth out the terrain, picking up the right image.  Putting a shot taken in February side by side to another taken in June is a bit sloppy (this is an example).

If I was unkind (of course I am not) I’d say that the new sim is, in some places, a bad publicity for Bing.

Now braced  to read the « but it is a ten-year project » argument 😈 😄.

Yes, I think it‘s evident by now that Bing Maps‘ focus hasn‘t been on quality imagery. My hope is that the world updates will bring some improvement on this front. I haven‘t flown that much in Japan yet, but from what I‘ve seen I think looks quite good which gives hope for the future. I hope the US update includes some new imagery, especially for Alaska.

8 hours ago, desbean said:

Maybe I am just unlucky in many of the areas I regularly fly in.

I thought the same. I used to love flying in the  alps, but in MSFS they look terrible (at least the central alps). Now I mostly avoid that area. Luckily the world is a big place and there are many other beautiful spots to discover. 

9 hours ago, fppilot said:

and despite the strange formations you see

You obviously don't have a lifetime subscription to the National Enquirer as I do.  If you did, you'd clearly remember the article on page 11 of last week's edition mentioning this.  It not only talked about the formations you show in your pic...but how MSFS accidentally leaked them to the public, neglecting to rub them out. (Like they did all the planes at the civilian aircraft storage facility at Victorville, but forgot to at the military version in Tucson...that was a big mess-up!). 

I heard the ASL (Alien Supreme Leader) was really ticked and vaporized the guy in charge of AAR (Alien Artifact Removal) at MSFS with her ray gun. 🙂  There was a side story on that in the Enquirer too.  You really need to subscribe!

Oh, and I also heard (again in the Enquirer) that the chemical makeup of the rock outcrops in your pic (some call them mountains, hehe) have very good RF reflection capability...hence the antenna farms you see.  I think the AAR guy made sure he collaborated with the CTRT (Chem Trail Removal Team), making sure you don't see planes producing chem trails over these areas, which is a dead giveaway that they are antenna farms (the chem trails ionize the o2 in the atmosphere, and gives the air a much cleaner window for the radio waves to propagate through). 
In fact....the whole premise of the movie "Contact", especially at the VLA when she "hears" the signal, was all about how chem trails increase the chance of picking up the signals.  The ASL previewed the movie (naturally), and when she saw that original scene when Jodi Foster was on the hood of her car with the antennas in the background...the "original" scene showed tons of chem trails above her....of course we never saw that, it was left on the editing room floor...picked up by the MIB, and vaporized.  Page 16, Dec 22nd 1997 edition of the Enquirer. 🙂 

Oh...and that is a beautiful shade of dark red on that DA.  😉 

Edited November 7, 20205 yr by Steve Dra

38 minutes ago, Steve Dra said:

Oh...and that is a beautiful shade of dark red on that DA.  😉 

+1  At least we know where it came from.... 😉

36 minutes ago, Steve Dra said:

I heard the ASL (Alien Supreme Leader) was really ticked and vaporized the guy in charge of AAR (Alien Artifact Removal) at MSFS with her ray gun. 🙂  There was a side story on that in the Enquirer too.  You really need to subscribe!😉 

Finally someone at Avsim that won't fall for that fake scenery news.

10 hours ago, fppilot said:

and despite the strange formations you see, the area did not have the overall look I see in your screenie.  But until within 30 NM of  Martinsville I was above or in clouds.  Early this week I flew from Martinsville to Indianapolis, but it too was in marginal IFR conditions.

 

Lots of those "alien artifacts" in SW Virginia. There is a giant one just NW of KROA that disappears when you get within a couple of miles of it. Dozens of them west of smith mt lake, and the lake has lots of "waterfalls".

5 hours ago, Dominique_K said:

This is something a little disappointing. The availability of excellent satellite imagery is now enormous and one can surmise that an AI should know how to smooth out the terrain, picking up the right image.  Putting a shot taken in February side by side to another taken in June is a bit sloppy (this is an example).

If I was unkind (of course I am not) I’d say that the new sim is, in some places, a bad publicity for Bing.

Now braced  to read the « but it is a ten-year project » argument 😈 😄.

What you have to remember is that MSFS is a ten year...just kidding.  I think it's a combination of two things. 1. Up to date satellite data is very expensive. 2. Bing figures not many people use data out in the rural areas.

4 minutes ago, desbean said:

Lots of those "alien artifacts" in SW Virginia. There is a giant one just NW of KROA that disappears when you get within a couple of miles of it. Dozens of them west of smith mt lake, and the lake has lots of "waterfalls".

That's interesting. My birthplace is in Transylvania County, NC.  In and around Brevard, just south of Asheville.  The county has 250+ waterfalls,  more than the entire state of Oregon.  I will have to do some flying around there to see if any show up...

5 minutes ago, desbean said:

There is a giant one just NW of KROA

Oh yeah...even the aliens know that those tropical islands are beautiful...and when they find the right geo-content AND in a great vacation area, you can bet you'll see an antenna there! 🙂 

 

18 minutes ago, desbean said:

Finally someone at Avsim that won't fall for that fake scenery news.

Yep....and I should have more specific that if you do subscribe to the NE.....make sure you pay the extra $2.50 a month to get the CTE (Conspiracy Theory Edition).

It's chock full of articles on things like how to make an antenna to wear on your head to pick up these signals yourself (You see a few examples of them in that "Contact" movie when she drives past all the "Vega-worshipers")...or...  How to build a mask to protect you from the "other" chemicals they mix in the the chem trail formula that has nothing to do with radio wave propagation...etc.   Its great reading!

4 minutes ago, fppilot said:

Transylvania

Wow....now I fully understand why you are so attracted to that color on your DA!....The lightbulb JUST came on! 🤣

And also pops a few questions into my head.....

1. What are you doing flying in the daytime?  Have 1,000,000 sunblock on?
2. Are your bat-wings in the shop?  Or do you prefer the medium us mortals use, who can't poof into a flying creature at will? 

Edited November 7, 20205 yr by Steve Dra