RADFORD -- Radford University's Geoserver gives computer users an opportunity to take a bird's-eye view of the Commonwealth without having to soar into the clouds.

Recently, nearly 24,000 aerial photographs of Virginia were added to the project website. The photos were taken by aircraft by the Virginia Geographic Network in 2002. The detailed images are at scales of 1:100, 1:200 and 1:400. Jay Flynn, a system administrator at RU who operates and updates the Geoserver, says the project is a popular online attraction and is used by numerous professionals, including engineering firms, federal government and researchers. Flynn says the 10-year-old Geoserver project is also a hit on campus among a variety of academic disciplines, such as geology, criminal justice and biology.

Last year, the Commonwealth removed copyright restrictions from the photos, allowing RU to make the images free for public use. The Geoserver project is available online.