I suppose I should have posted my qualifications to answer the question as I did. I fly a aerial survey plane that takes these kinds of photos. Google Earth uses a composite of both satellite and aircraft photos. You can tell the difference by the detail available as you zoom in. We take photos for the usgs and in fact, they certify our equipment. We take photos for everyone from the us government, states, counties, cities, and contractors and developers. Even the composites can be put together from multiple flights. That can be seen via cloud shadows and building/structure shadows changing within a line of pics. As you zoom out, you will see a patch work of different shades that look a lot like a quilt. The air photos are usually a little darker since they have much more detail than the satellite. Most often, except when they are on the ground or just taking off over the runway, aircraft are removed from the photos since they obstruct the photo of the ground. I would have to say that this aircraft somehow escaped the eraser tool. You can sometimes find a shadow of an aircraft that has just taken off and has left the airport environment, but there is no airplane. I think I saw that just east of atlanta, ga. Shadow of plane on building roof, but no plane to be seen.
