On a computer, open Google Earth, click Explore Earth, choose Tools → Flight simulator, and switch the basemap from Map to Satellite for terrain and imagery. Press Page Up for thrust and use the arrow keys to pitch and bank. Google also documents a separate simulator in the installed desktop Google Earth/Earth Pro app.
Which Google Earth version has the flight simulator?
Google’s current developer documentation describes a web-only, experimental (pre-GA) simulator. The older Help Center documents a separate installed-app workflow for Google Earth on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Do not treat the desktop shortcut as the launch method for the current web experience.
| Version | How to open it | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Google Earth on the web | Explore Earth → Tools → Flight simulator | Experimental/pre-GA; simplified physics; terrain and imagery stream dynamically. |
| Desktop Google Earth/Earth Pro | Tools → Enter Flight Simulator, or the documented keyboard shortcut | Installed on Windows, Mac, or Linux; supports a joystick or mouse and keyboard; aircraft and starting-location choices are documented. |
| Google Earth mobile app | Not stated in the cited current documentation | There is no documented mobile launch path here, so use a computer for the supported instructions below. |
The web simulator is intended for casual exploration, not the realism of Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, or pilot-training software. Google says its flight physics are simplified. Read Google’s current web documentation.
How to start the web simulator
- Open Google Earth on a computer.
- From the home screen, click Explore Earth.
- Open Tools in the top menu bar.
- Select Flight simulator.
Switch from the abstract map to satellite terrain
The simulator initially uses the Map basemap, which can look flat or abstract. Open the basemap setting and choose Satellite. This enables the satellite imagery and 3D terrain that make recognizable locations easier to follow. Content is streamed as you move, so terrain or high-resolution imagery can take time to appear, especially at high speed or on a slower connection.
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What you need
- A computer and a browser that can run Google Earth on the web.
- A keyboard and mouse for the documented controls.
- A reasonably stable connection for streamed terrain, buildings, and imagery.
Google does not specify a universal browser version, graphics-card model, or operating-system minimum in the cited web documentation. On a compact laptop keyboard, you may need the Fn key to reach Page Up and Page Down.
How to take off
Basic web takeoff
- Press Page Up, or click the on-screen thrust indicator, to increase thrust.
- Let the aircraft accelerate. If you begin on a runway, keep the initial pitch change small.
- Use the Up Arrow gently to raise the nose and climb.
- Once airborne, return toward level flight before making a turn.
- Use short, small corrections rather than holding an arrow key for a long time.
If the aircraft starts in the air, there may be no runway sequence to perform. Avoid a large nose-up input immediately after launch; excessive pitch can make the aircraft climb steeply, lose speed, or become difficult to control.
Mouse-guided control
Click inside the simulation to toggle between mouse-guided and keyboard controls. With mouse control, make slight movements and return the pointer toward center after the aircraft stabilizes. If the aircraft keeps banking or pitching, click in the simulator and release the directional input before trying again.
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Web flight-simulator controls
| Action | Control | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Increase thrust | Page Up or the on-screen thrust indicator |
Accelerates the aircraft. |
| Decrease thrust | Page Down or the on-screen thrust indicator |
Decelerates the aircraft. |
| Pitch down | Down Arrow |
Lowers the nose and normally begins a descent. |
| Pitch up | Up Arrow |
Raises the nose and normally begins a climb. |
| Bank left | Left Arrow |
Tilts the aircraft left for a left turn. |
| Bank right | Right Arrow |
Tilts the aircraft right for a right turn. |
| Toggle mouse controls | Click inside the simulation | Switches between mouse-guided and keyboard control. |
Pitch versus bank
- Pitch is the nose moving up or down. It mainly changes climb and descent.
- Bank (roll) is the aircraft tilting left or right. It is how you begin a turn.
Standard Google Earth shortcuts may be disabled during flight to avoid conflicts with these controls.
A simple first-flight routine
- Increase thrust gradually with Page Up.
- Raise the nose slightly with Up Arrow.
- Release or center the input once the wings are level.
- Maintain altitude with tiny pitch changes.
- Make brief left or right inputs to turn toward a landmark.
- Reduce thrust with Page Down as you approach terrain or a destination.
- Stay well above the ground until the controls feel predictable.
Google does not publish target takeoff speeds, climb rates, approach speeds, or other realistic performance numbers for this casual simulator, so there is no official speed target to copy.
How to read the flight display
The desktop Help Center identifies a fuller heads-up display. The indicators most useful to a beginner are:
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- Heading: the direction of travel.
- Speed: whether the aircraft is accelerating or slowing.
- Altitude: height above sea level.
- Vertical speed: whether the aircraft is climbing or descending.
- Bank angle: how far the aircraft is tilted.
- Throttle: the engine-power setting.
- Pitch angle: how far the nose is above or below level.
The display also identifies rudder, aileron, elevator, flap, and landing-gear indicators in the desktop interface. These readouts should not be interpreted as proof of a fully realistic flight model.
How to use the desktop Google Earth/Earth Pro simulator
These instructions apply to the installed application documented by Google’s Help Center, not automatically to the web simulator.
- Install and open Google Earth on Windows, Mac, or Linux.
- Choose Tools → Enter Flight Simulator.
- Alternatively, press Ctrl + Alt + A on Windows/Linux or Command + Option + A on Mac.
- Select an aircraft and starting point if the dialog appears.
Desktop aircraft and starting points
Google’s desktop instructions list the SR22 as the beginner choice and the F-16 for more experienced users. You can choose Current View or select an Airport from a drop-down list. The desktop documentation says aircraft, starting location, and controller settings are changed after exiting the simulator rather than during a flight.
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Desktop controls
- Page Up: increase thrust.
- Page Down: reduce thrust.
- Arrow keys: make course corrections and bank.
- Alt + arrow keys: look around slowly.
- Ctrl + arrow keys: look around quickly.
- Spacebar: pause or resume.
- Ctrl + H on Windows/Linux: display flight help.
- Ctrl + Alt + A on Windows/Linux, or Command + Option + A on Mac: open or exit the simulator.
The desktop app supports a joystick or mouse and keyboard. For mouse-and-keyboard takeoff, press Page Up to taxi down the runway, then move the mouse slightly downward once moving to raise the nose. When you reach altitude and the wings are level, center the mouse.
See Google’s desktop flight-simulator instructions for the installed-app controls.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happens when you crash?
In the web simulator, striking terrain pauses the simulation and displays You crashed! Restart. Click that control to place the aircraft back at a safe, playable altitude and coordinates. You do not need to reload the page.
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How to exit
Web
Click the back arrow in the upper-left corner of the flight simulator to return to the normal Google Earth map view.
Desktop
Use the on-screen exit control, or press Ctrl + Alt + A on Windows/Linux or Command + Option + A on Mac.
Why Google Earth Flight Simulator may not work
The flight-simulator option is missing
- Confirm that you are using Google Earth on a computer and have entered through Explore Earth.
- Use Tools → Flight simulator for the web version; do not rely on the desktop shortcut in a browser.
- If you are using the installed app, use Tools → Enter Flight Simulator instead.
- The web feature is experimental/pre-GA, so its menu, availability, and controls can change.
The keys do nothing
- Click inside the simulation to give it focus and toggle the mouse/keyboard mode.
- Check that you are actually in the simulator rather than ordinary map view.
- Make sure a browser or operating-system shortcut is not intercepting the key.
- Do not mix desktop instructions with the web control set, or vice versa.
The map looks flat or buildings are missing
Change the basemap from Map to Satellite. Then allow time for terrain and imagery to stream. Google warns that extreme speeds and low-bandwidth connections can cause temporary loading delays.
Terrain flickers or clips near the ground
Google documents a terrain anomaly near ground level in some below-sea-level regions, including Badwater Basin, California. This is a known simulator issue rather than evidence that your keyboard or aircraft controls are faulty.
Is it a real flight simulator?
Only in a casual, game-like sense. Google labels the current web version experimental/pre-GA, uses simplified flight physics, and describes it as an exploration experience with dynamically streamed terrain and imagery. It is not suitable for pilot certification, instrument practice, aircraft-performance planning, real-world navigation instruction, or emergency-procedure training.
Web or desktop: which should you choose?
| Choose the web version if you want… | Choose desktop if you want… |
|---|---|
| No installation and the newest officially documented interface. | Google Earth/Earth Pro already installed. |
| The short modern control set and web crash-restart flow. | The documented SR22/F-16 and airport/current-view choices. |
| A casual experiment and you accept pre-GA changes. | Joystick support as described in the desktop instructions. |
For sightseeing without flight controls, ordinary Google Earth remains better for map navigation, Street View, landmarks, and deliberate exploration. Dedicated flight simulators provide deeper aircraft systems and procedures, but require more installation, hardware, and learning.
Quick Recap
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