On June 12, Google opened its “Flight Simulator” feature for the web version of Google Earth to users worldwide, with no installation required. Simply go to Google Earth in your browser, then click “Explore Earth” → “Tools” → “Flight Simulator” to take off. The web version currently offers two aircraft models — the F-16 fighter jet and the Cirrus SR22 propeller plane — with directional keys for heading control, Page Up/Page Down for speed adjustment, mouse control for the view, allowing free flight across a globally stitched satellite map. Google labels the feature as “experimental” and notes in its help documentation that it’s “intended for casual exploration, not for high-fidelity aerodynamic training.”
Originally hidden as an Easter egg in the desktop version of Google Earth back in 2007, the key shift with this web port is lowering the barrier to entry: previously requiring a desktop download, now any user with a browser and internet connection can access it. Thanks to the real-time 3D building models already introduced in the web version of Google Maps, this flying experience is significantly better than the original desktop version — which only had manually created 3D models for landmarks, with visuals resembling early-2000s flight games. The streaming terrain makes low-altitude flying approach the quality of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020/2024. Google has also added professional features such as elevation profiles and support for more file import formats to the web version.