Fly around the world online: Google launches browser-based flight simulator

Those who are bored of exploring Earth on the ground — whether in real life or via Google's interactive Street View — can now take to the skies via Google Earth's Flight Simulator. No downloading or app installation is needed: users can simply fly all over the Earth via their web browser of choice.

Launched on June 12, the new tool lets you view the world from a bird's-eye perspective. Designed with everyday users in mind, it offers 3D building renders and appealing visuals as you navigate between locations. But be warned: flying is much harder than it looks, whether virtually or in real life.
 

While Google Earth's flight simulator was previously exclusive to its professional desktop application, it has now made its way to the browser for the first time. This is part of a broader effort by Google to bring advanced features to its web interface, eliminating the need to download the desktop app. Among these additions are elevation profiles, new import formats, additional data layers and the flight simulator itself.

Interested readers can visit earth.google.com, click Explore Earth, open the Tools menu and select Flight Simulator. A full list of keyboard shortcuts — covering everything from adjusting speed to banking left and right — is available on the Developers' page.