Instructions for downloading Google Earth placemark files:

The following instructions assume you're viewing this page with Internet Explorer. If you're using a different browser, hopefully the instructions will still work for you.

To download the .kml or .kmz files below, place your cursor on the link, right-click, then choose "save target as".
After you've saved the file on your computer, start Google Earth, choose File / Open, navigate to the file, and open it.

If you have Google Earth installed on your computer, then you should be able to click the link, below, and have it open in Google Earth.

Either way, after you've brought the placemark into GE, you can then move it from the Temporary Places portion of your placemark list to another permanent place on the list. To save off the list, in GE, click File / Save / Save My Places (for version 4.xxx beta). For earlier versions, right-click on the top-most entry (My Places), and choose "Save".

Here are the links:

Hang Gliding sites (Ernie's collection)
3D Solar's network linked collection Several good overlays, including high-res photo overlays, etc.
Screen Crosshair

RAWS weather reporting stations

World Wide Site Guide, from the Oz Report

Get Google Earth here Get the latest beta version.

How a network link works

The network link is a single placemark that points to a (usually) larger set of placemarks that reside on a network server somewhere. When you open the placemark initially, you'll see both a right-pointing arrow and a check box. If you click the right-pointing arrow, the placemark will fetch the rest of it's branch from the network, and the arrow will change to a down-pointing arrow.

If you only see a checkbox next to the network link placemark, then check it to fetch the rest of the placemark branch.

You can then expand the branch to get to the individual placemark you want, then check the box next to it to make it live. If the placemark is an overlay placemark, the overlay image will be downloaded and displayed in GE. If you double-click the placemark name, you'll be taken to the placemark's location.

Using the 3DSolar Ortho 1 meter sattelite photo overlay

Open/Start Google Earth
Click the 3D Solar link above to download the placemark and bring it into GE's "Temporary Places"
Check the checkbox in front of the "3D Solar Ltd addons for Google Earth" placemark. This will bring down the contents of this network link's placmarks".
Click-hold-and-drag the "USGS Ortho 1 meter" placemark out of the temporary area and to a spot in the permanent area of your placemark list.
Right-click the placemark and choose "properties". You're now editing the placemark.
- Change the name to "Ortho 1 meter A"
- Click on the "Refresh" tab.
- Change "View based refresh" / "When" from "after camera stops" to "on request"
- Click OK to exit the edit mode
The placemark is now ready for use. To use:
- position yourself directly above the spot you want an overlay for
- Right-click the "Ortho 1 meter A" placemark and choose "Refresh". An overlay should appear shortly. If it doesn't, you're probably too close to the ground. Back away a bit and try another refresh. At a certain altitude, you'll get an overlay. This closest-to-the-ground overlay will provide the best detail.
- With the overlay in place, you can now pan/zoom/tilt/rotate as you like.
You can get multiple overlays by using multiple Ortho placemarks. To get more than one placemark:
- Save the "Ortho 1 meter A" placemark. give it a name of "orthob.kml" make sure it's a .kml file.
- edit the .kml file you just saved. change the Name line from"ortho 1 meter A" to "ortho 1 meter B".
- save the edited placemark file.
- You can now open the "orthob.kml" file in GE as a new placemark.