Soaring over Los Angeles via Google Earth’s in-browser flight simulator.
Credit: Google
We’ve all heard of Microsoft’s Flight Simulator, but not everyone has a strong enough machine to run it smoothly. Google Earth’s new browser‑based flight simulator fills that gap by offering web users a lighter way to fly virtually around the globe using any computer. It runs directly inside the web version of Google Earth and uses the same 3D imagery and terrain.
To start the flight sim, navigate to Google Earth, click “Explore Earth” at the top of the screen, and input your desired starting location. Then, under Tools, click “Flight Simulator.” You can soar over Los Angeles, do a barrel roll over Niagara Falls, and explore a 3D model of the Grand Canyon from your virtual cockpit.
One major difference between Google Earth’s free flight sim and Microsoft’s Flight Simulator is that you can’t take off or attempt landings; the former sim is essentially just a new way to view Google Earth’s existing satellite imagery 3D maps. But it’s suitable for casual exploration or virtual fly-throughs for content, provided one can fly it. (I found my “plane” quite difficult to control.) For niche users who already enjoy Google Earth, it offers a new way to experience places new and old.
