Jun 18, 2026 12:40:00

Google Earth now allows for airplane flight simulation.

Google Earth , Google's globe simulator, has added a flight simulator feature that lets you experience flying around the globe as if you were in an airplane. No app download is required; you can experience it directly in your browser.

[Exciting news]
The flight simulator feature in the web version of Google Earth has been globally rolled out to all users without the need for an app download. Anyone can become a pilot soaring through the skies.

Link and instructions are in the reply below ↓ https://t.co/xwOq7mWF1Y pic.twitter.com/z4VJcJ2JUa

— Google Japan (@googlejapan) June 17, 2026

Travel the world (experimental version) | Google Earth | Google for Developers
https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/earth/flight-simulator?hl=ja

You can get a good sense of what it's like to actually fly around in a flight simulator by watching the following video.

I tried flying from Tokyo Dome to Tokyo Skytree using Google Earth's flight simulator - YouTube


To use the flight simulator, first access the web version of Google Earth .

Open 'Tools' from the menu bar and select 'Flight Simulator'.

The 'HUD symbolology,' which represents the altitude and angle of the flight simulator, appeared in the center of the screen.

You can control the aircraft's descent with the up arrow key, ascent with the down arrow key, and tilt and turn left and right with the left and right arrow keys. You can change the speed using the PgUp/PgDn keys on the keyboard or by clicking the indicator on the right. You can also control ascent/descent and left/right turns with the mouse, but it's quite difficult, so the keyboard allows for finer adjustments.

By searching for any location on Google Earth and then launching the flight simulator, you can fly around to any place you like.

Here's what it looked like when I flew around Mount Fuji.

Controlling the aircraft skillfully is difficult, and maintaining a low altitude where buildings and other scenery are clearly visible requires considerable technique. However, with skillful operation, you can fly around familiar landscapes in an airplane.

If you crash into the ground or a mountain, a message will appear saying, 'You have crashed. Do you want to resume?' Clicking on this message will allow you to resume flying above the crash site.