Google Earth’s built-in Flight Simulator might be its coolest feature

Google Earth has been around for years, but it just released one of its most entertaining features. It’s a built-in flight simulator that lets you pilot an aircraft anywhere on Earth.

The simulator turns Google Earth’s detailed satellite imagery into a giant virtual playground. Instead of looking at cities, mountains, and coastlines from above, you can climb into the cockpit of a virtual plane and fly through them yourself. Skim over the Grand Canyon, circle Mount Fuji, or cruise over the endless dunes of the Sahara. You can do all of it from your browser.

It’s really easy to get started. Just launch Google Earth in your browser, click on the Tools menu, open the Flight Simulator, and you’re off. You’ll immediately be transported right above your current location on the map. You can read all about the simulator in the Google documentation—the controls take a few minutes to learn, but you can get the hang of it pretty quickly.

It might not be as realistic or detailed as Microsoft Flight Simulator, and you can’t take off or land, but it’s free and you still get the same freedom to explore. Since the entire world is available as your map, you can start your flight virtually anywhere on Earth.

The graphics won’t compete with modern flight simulators, but that’s not really the point. Google Earth’s flight simulator feels more like a digital road trip in the sky. It’s a relaxing way to see familiar places from a different perspective or discover parts of the world you’ve never visited before.

If you have a few spare minutes and feel like exploring, Google’s Flight Simulator is worth checking out.

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