Photo Challenge

[A Cousin]

No doubt, my theory has holes but it just sort of jumped out at me. One of the holes I see is that if this guy is on his way to Orlando to accept an award that evening, he sure is cutting it close!

I don't know about the ring. Most graduates have a class ring but I am not aware of any specific finger on which it is worn. Good thought.

One thing I did notice about the shirt is that it looks looks like the "O" in what may be "Point" has a stroke through it, which is more of a European thing, I am told? I have found a West Point shirt that looks much like it (not exactly). It would indeed be very easy to buy, but I would assume that if he weren't an alum, he has to have some kind of reason to choose to purchase it? Being a member of the ACOE would be a good reason: Army solidarity.

I am going to keep looking and see if Tyndall AFB has anything else happening around that time.

[picard1109]

Wasn't trying to shoot you down, A cousin - it's still a good theory. Maybe the guy in our photo is in his 40s and just looks good for his age!

There certainly looks like something in the 'O' on his t-shirt. Could it be some kind of spoof t-shirt? Maybe some kind of computer-related pun?

I wondered whether it could be a West Florida uni t-shirt (as he's flying to Florida and what we assume is the "P" in Point could also be an "F") but from their website their t-shirts seem to have a specific logo on them.

This is becoming a bit obsessive - I've just saved the original photo to my desktop so that I don't have to keep flicking back to p1 of this thread!!!

[Nitrus]

Here's how I got all the info I had before posting this thread:

First of all, I looked at the EXIF data of the photo which gave me the date/time of the photo (03/08/2009 15:22PM) and the longitude and latitude of where the photo was taken. I looked up the lat/lon on Google Maps and found this:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s...8&t=h&z=19

This told me that the flight was departing from the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the marker is very close to a particular gate so I went onto the airport website and obtained a map which is here:

http://www.atlanta-airport.com/docs/terminal/d.pdf (Google Maps told me it was Concourse D)

From that map I concluded I was looking for a flight departing from gate D1A, assuming the lat/lon was correct. Next I googled for a website which could show me past flight details. I found this website:

http://www.flightstats.com/go/FlightStat...Airport.do

Using this website I searched for flights leaving that airport between 3 and 4pm, I was presented with a massive list and found a couple of flights that could be correct. I decided to find out which airline the flight was on before going further. I noticed the wi-fi sticker and did some googling and found this website, which rates the speeds of airline wi-fi:

http://www.kayak.com/wifi/airlines

From this I had a shortlist of airlines which I could move forward with. I saw the flight attendant with her uniform in the photo and did some more googling and found this website, which catalogues airline uniforms over time:

http://www.uniformfreak.com/

From this website I looked at the uniforms of all the airlines on my shortlist, and concluded that it was Delta airlines:

http://www.uniformfreak.com/1delta.html

At the bottom of the above page is the most recent uniform and the distinguishing red band behind the cuff on that website and on the photo gave it away. Once I knew it was Delta I narrowed my search on flightstats.com and found this flight:

http://www.flightstats.com/go/FlightStat...umber=5121

From Atlanta, GA to Panama City, FL. It fits the time the photo was taken and assuming it was the correct flight, I moved forward. The next thing I did was try to determine which plane the flight was using, I have only managed to narrow it down to two:

http://www.delta.com/planning_reservatio...t/crj-200/
http://www.airliners.net/aircraft-data/s...ain?id=109

I obtained both of those planes, by searching for flights from Atlanta to Panama City in the next 3 days on Delta airlines, ensuring the flight duration was roughly the same as the flight detailed above. Both of those planes featured on all the flights on that route over the next few days, and I have assumed that one of those planes was also used on the date in question.

**For those that don't know EXIF data can be viewed on Windows machines by right-clicking a photo and clicking "Properties" the amount of data stored depends on the camera. The photo we're concerned with was taken with an iPhone which is why it stored the lat/lon data.

[picard1109]

That's totally awesome, Nitrus! (And I don't use the word 'awesome' lightly)

You really should apply to be a real spook, you know - MI-6 are recruiting by the look of it.

[A Cousin]

This interesting:

http://www.newsherald.com/articles/retur...tball.html

Seems there are a convergence of military for a softball tournament at about that time: August 14-ish. Might be worth looking into.

Working from the other direction, I checked military events in Atlanta for late July 2009 on the chance that this guy was returning to Panama City, FL in early August. Dead end so far.

[picard1109]

Interestingly, there's a West Point, Georgia which is fairly close to Atlanta.

Worth pursuing?

---

There are also several military bases in Georgia:
Fort Benning
Fort Gillem
Fort Gordon
\hunter Army Airfield
For McPherson
Fort Stewart

Of course, that doesn't mean too much because Atlanta is an international hub airport.

[A Cousin]

Picard1109, thanks for this. I am trying to track down the military teams that played in the tournament and Fort Benning (Army) was there. They beat Pope AFB (Air Force) somewhere within Aug. 14-16. Connection? Worth looking into.

http://www.pope.af.mil/news/story_print....=123164480

Although I do have to say that I find it a bit off that any of the teams would show up a full ten days early. USSSA and team officials I could understand. Of course, it is a good vacation destination.

I'll keep going as time and children allow.

---

In May 2009, Fort Benning, Fort Stewart, Fort Gordon, Shaw AFB, and Fort Jackson played in the Varsity B Division in the Southeast Conference. Scroll down to "2009 Southeast Regional Qualifier." Fort Benning won thus sending them on Panama City in August.

http://www.usssamilitary.com/news.htm

But look at the picture of the guy tagging the player sliding into the base. You usually don't slide into first base and at home plate, he'd be the catcher. So this guy is playing first or second base.

There is a link to more pictures in the article.

[Sensayshun]

I'm giving up with the challenge.

I got different solutions to you, same gate etc. different flight. I got:
Route: From (ATL) Atlanta, GA, US to (VLD) Valdosta, GA, US
Duration: 1h 11m
Equipment: Canadair Regional Jet (Scheduled)
Equipment: Canadair Regional Jet (Actual)

Departure Status Details

Airport: (ATL) Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
City: Atlanta, GA, US
Scheduled: 3:15 PM - Mon Aug 03, 2009
Actual: 3:20 PM - Mon Aug 03, 2009
Departed gate 5 min later than scheduled
Gate: D1A
Local Time: 8:02 AM - Mon Jun 21, 2010

Arrival Status Details

Airport: (VLD) Valdosta Regional Airport
City: Valdosta, GA, US
Scheduled: 4:17 PM - Mon Aug 03, 2009
Actual: 4:31 PM - Mon Aug 03, 2009
Arrived at gate 14 min later than scheduled
Local Time: 8:02 AM - Mon Jun 21, 2010

Arrived late due to storms.

Nothing happens in Valdosta, but it is close to a place called.....wait for it......West Point!

Don't know who he is, or why's he's flying there, unless he's just going home to Valdosta.

Good luck.

[Nitrus]

Only trouble is Seb...errr.. I mean.. "Sensayshun", that flight left the airport at 15:20, the photo was taken at 15:22 and is quite clearly still on the ground.

Removed that wild accusation from your post too. haha.

[picard1109]

Aw, Nitrus, you spoilsport ...we wanna see the wild accusation, dude!!!

---

BTW, did you get any feedback from your tutor re. A Cousin's suggestion?