Try the Flight Simulator in Google Earth & Fly Around the World
Did you know Google Earth now has a flight simulator built-in to the web version of the app? The Google Earth Flight Simulator was recently launched, and it’s kind of an Easter Egg in that it’s slightly tucked away, but but also kind of not, because it’s just a menu option away from accessing at anytime. Nonetheless, as a Google Earth user myself, I didn’t know the Flight Simulator feature existed until recently stumbling upon it, so you might be like me and oblivious to a neat little fun gaming feature being right there, just a click away.
Here’s how you can use the Flight Simulator at any time using the Google Earth web app, all you need is a computer and a keyboard to get started.
How to Use Flight Simulator in Google Earth
Ready to fly around the planet in Google’s virtual version of our planet? Here’s all you need to do:
- Go to Google Earth in your browser
- click on the “Tools” menu at the top of the screen
- Choose “Flight Simulator” from the dropdown menu
You’ll instantly load the flight simulator in Google Earth at whatever your current location is.
You can also search for a location first and then fly around there, for example here’s me flying around the border of Portugal and Spain:
Google Earth Flight Simulator Controls are a combination if your mouse and your keyboard arrow keys, but they’re a little weird if you’re not used to them (and that would include me, perhaps because my Mac does not have Page Up and Page Down keys), so I have reposted those below from Google’s Flight Simulator page:
If you crash, you can try again and reload at any time.
Google says the flight simulator is experimental, but it works quite well in my limited testing. If you’re a flying enthusiast, amateur or professional pilot, or just want to cruise around the world for fun, this is a really neat little Easter Egg within Google Earth. Let’s hope that Google continues to develop and expand on this great feature, it’s simply too cool to ignore.
At the moment, the flight simulator is only located within the web version of Google Earth, but maybe if we’re all lucky we will get the flight simulator as part of the dedicated Google Earth apps for desktop, mobile, and tablet too. In the meantime, fire up your web browser, start flying, and have fun!
