July 26, 2006.

Aerial pictures taken of the Canal and surrounding areas of Panama City, Panama.

Description/caption of each picture is immediately below the picture.




This is the Hotel Intercontinental on Playa Bonita, just west of the Canal.


MPHO: Howard Air Force Base. Formerly a US military installation, it is now under control of the aviation authority of Panama.


Panama City from overhead Howard AFB.


Panama City from overhead Howard AFB, shot 2. MPMG: Marcos Gelabert/Albrook airport is located just above the container crane area at the bottom of the picture and extends to the left. The Canal Administration building is located about 0.5 inches above the big red "26" near the bottom right.


Picture of the Miraflores Locks on the Panama Canal.


The Centennial Bridge ("Puente Centenario"). Crosses the Canal just north of both the Pedro Miguel Locks and the Miraflores Locks).


Part of the narrowest section of the Canal, the "Gaillard Cut."


A container ship cruising northbound on the Canal in the Gaillard Cut.


Picture of the Panama Canal Dredging Division at Gamboa, Panama (left) and Rio Chagres (right), which drains out westbound from Madden Lake (drains towards you). The dredging ships are used to maintain the depth of the Canal to an acceptable level for large ship passage.


A zoomed-out picture of the Dredging Division at Gamboa, Panama and Rio Chagres.


Another picture of the Dredging Division at Gamboa, Panama and Rio Chagres.


Lake Gatun, south side. It is a reservoir and holds the water which allows Canal operation possible. Each ship that passes through the Canal allows 52 million gallons of water from this man-made lake to drain into the oceans.


Lake Gatun, approximately at the mid-section, with north section of lake visible in the distance.


A ship cruising northbound on Lake Gatun.


Lake Gatun, north side. Although not very visible, the Gatun Locks (northernmost locks on the Canal) are near the center of the picture in the distance (about where that black dot on the windshield is located).


Madden Lake and the Rio Chagres which runs westbound to help fill the Canal with water from the rainforest.


Rio Chagres, which drains from Madden Lake, looking southwest-bound. The Canal runs north-south along the right side of the picture.


Panama City, from the north, zoomed in, with Amador Islands in the distance.


Panama City, from the north.


MPTO: Tocumen Airport in the distance.


MPTO: Tocumen Airport, just below the nose of the airplane.


Taboga Island, the larger island on the left, about 20 miles south of Panama City.


TBG: Taboga VOR (radio navigation aid to aircraft).


North side of Taboga Island.


Ships at anchor in the Pacific Ocean, waiting for their clearance to transit the Canal northbound (or ships waiting for the company to prepay the Canal transit bill--about $200,000).


More ships waiting near the entrance to the Canal on the Pacific Ocean side. Amador Islands in the distance.


Ships cruising northbound and entering the Canal at the Pacific entrance. Puente de las Americas crosses the Canal at the first narrowest section of the Canal in this picture.


Amador Islands and Causeway. Manuel Noriega's fortress/bunker (former dictator of Panama) is the small island at the far right.


Amador Islands and Causeway. Manuel Noriega's fortress is closest to you.


Zoomed in on Noriega's fortress. By the way, Noriega is in a prison near Miami...(update: as of 2011, he is in prison in Panama)


Panama City, while on approach to Tocumen Airport.


On about a 3 mile final approach to Runway 03R at Tocumen Airport.


About a 1 mile final approach to Runway 03R at Tocumen Airport.

For more information about the Panama Canal, including webcam images of the Canal Locks while ships are raised/lowered, visit http://www.pancanal.com/eng/index.html

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