Google opens Earth flight simulator to web users

Google has opened Google Earth’s flight simulator to users worldwide through the web, bringing a feature that spent almost two decades largely confined to its desktop application directly into the browser. The experimental tool allows people to fly across Google Earth’s satellite imagery and three-dimensional terrain without installing separate software.

The simulator is available from the Tools menu after users launch the web version of Google Earth and select “Explore Earth”. Google has classified the feature as experimental, indicating that its capabilities and interface could still change as development continues. The company says the simulator is intended primarily for casual exploration rather than realistic aviation training.

The wider availability marks a significant change for a feature introduced in the desktop version of Google Earth in 2007. What began as a relatively obscure addition can now be accessed without downloading Google Earth Pro or another dedicated application, substantially lowering the barrier for users interested in exploring the planet from a virtual cockpit.

Users control the aircraft with a keyboard or mouse. Page Up increases thrust and Page Down reduces it, while the arrow keys control pitch and banking. Clicking inside the simulator switches to mouse-guided controls. A crash pauses the simulation and offers an immediate restart at a safe altitude, keeping the experience focused on exploration rather than the consequences associated with more sophisticated flight simulators.

Google Earth initially displays the simulator using its abstract map basemap. Users seeking a more immersive view can switch to satellite mode, which combines aerial and satellite imagery with available three-dimensional buildings and terrain. Those assets are streamed dynamically as the aircraft moves, meaning visual detail can vary depending on location, flight speed and internet bandwidth.

The system differs sharply from products such as Microsoft Flight Simulator and X-Plane, which model aircraft behaviour, cockpit systems, weather and other aviation variables with far greater complexity. Google describes its flight physics as simplified and says the feature is not intended for high-fidelity aerodynamic training. Its principal attraction instead lies in allowing users to move freely above familiar cities, landscapes and landmarks using the geographic imagery already available within Google Earth.

The browser simulator forms part of a broader expansion of Google Earth beyond its traditional role as a virtual globe. Google has been shifting capabilities associated with desktop geographic software towards the web, including tools for analysing and importing geospatial information. Its expanding professional offering includes cloud-based data import and storage, historical imagery, measurement functions and access to geographic data layers.

Google Earth’s commercial plans now extend further into geographic information system workflows. Professional tiers support larger data imports, advanced measurements and specialised datasets covering subjects including elevation, slope, flooding and administrative boundaries. Google is also integrating artificial intelligence into the platform, offering tools designed to help users analyse geographic information and work with data through natural-language requests.

That professional expansion makes the arrival of a recreational flight mode notable. While much of Google Earth’s development is aimed at planners, researchers, businesses and organisations working with spatial information, the simulator revives an entertainment-oriented feature that helped build enthusiasm around the original desktop application.

The web edition nevertheless carries technical limitations. Google says the flight simulator is supported on computers through Google Earth on the web and is not available on mobile devices or through the Google Earth mobile application. High-resolution imagery and three-dimensional buildings are loaded during flight, so extremely fast movement or constrained connections can result in temporary delays while terrain is rendered.

Google also lists terrain anomalies among known issues. Flying close to the ground in areas below sea level, including locations such as Badwater Basin in California, can produce occasional visual flashing or clipping. Standard Google Earth keyboard commands that could interfere with aircraft controls are disabled while a flight is under way.