Posted on 06/17/2026 6:12:44 PM PDT by Red Badger
A cruise over the Grand Canyon using Google Earth's Flight Simulator, screenshotted shortly before crashing.
Image credit: Google Earth (data: Google, Landsat/Copernicus / Airbus Data SIO, NOAA, U.S. Navy, NGA, GEBCO / LDEO-Columbia, NSF, NOAA)
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Google Earth has just made its "Flight Simulator" freely available in web browsers for everyone. Here's how you can use it in just a few clicks.
Launched on June 12, the tool allows anyone with access to Google to control a plane from a cockpit-view over the 3D landscapes and cityscapes of Google Earth.
The simulator was previously hidden inside the downloadable Google Earth desktop application as an "Easter egg", but it has now been made available in the standard browser version, which you can access here.
Simply open up the link, click the “Tools” menu on the top bar, then select “Flight Simulator.”
Don’t expect it to be as fancy or technical as paid-for video games like Microsoft Flight Simulator, but it's the best time-wasting tool you’ll be able to play for free from the comfort of your office chair.
Prepare for takeoff. ✈️ Flight simulator is now available globally on web to all users. https://t.co/jV5ZW7BZeW
We've recently added many our most powerful professional desktop features to web. Elevation profiles, new import types, but there's always been one other feature… pic.twitter.com/s11NDaCx60— Google Earth (@googleearth) June 12, 2026
ⓘ IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.
The controls – which are a little tricky to get a hang of at first – are as follows:
Action Keyboard control Increase thrust Page up or click on-screen indicator Decrease thrust Page down or click on-screen indicator Pitch down (dive) Down arrow Pitch up (climb) Up arrow Roll left (bank) Left arrow Roll right (bank) Right arrow
Even though Microsoft (and Google) surely still have the layout of Muegs Field on hand, they want to stay on the good side of former mayor Daly (junior).
They read your IP address.................
Requires a super fast internet connection no doubt.
Street view on mine is very jerky and slow, can imagine flying.
thanks RB, good find!
Perhaps, I think my IP is a dynamic address and not a static one, I’ll have to check into that, thanks. It’s pretty rural and can’t imagine the IP’s being locked up on fiber.
AAAAAAAAAHH! You evil b......why would you put such misery on display!
Great! More G**gle spyware for your computer!
F-35 pilots do.
That’s cool! Now I’ve got to figure out how to fly it.
If you crash you get to do it all over again!.............
How dare you be Islamophobic!
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