Google Earth now has built-in flight simulator
by Kevin Kelly 
{ Sep 2nd 2007 at 2:30PM }
Marco Gallotta covers the details on his blog. It's fairly rudimentary (check out the list of controls here) but it lets you fly through all of that gorgeous Google Earth 3D imagery. Try turning on the 3D buildings and terrain and flying around a major metropolitan area.
We had trouble getting it going until we followed a commenter's note that said to head to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and try activating the controls from there. Worked like a charm, and we were crashing into the ground in no time. Soon we'll all be playing Google Earth, The MMO. Video of the Google Flight Sim after the break
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
quickshade @ Sep 2nd 2007 3:06PM
um....cool.....I guess. But it needs a real cockpit.
Baineblade @ Sep 2nd 2007 3:08PM
Wow...this is like 3 days old now..
Joshua Marketis @ Sep 2nd 2007 3:17PM
Good for you. Do we care?
Captain Jody Anthony XVIII @ Sep 2nd 2007 3:26PM
way to hang out on the internet 24 hours a day. not everyone does.
muppetmeth @ Sep 2nd 2007 3:52PM
Baine -
I'm going to kill you.
Fernando Rocker @ Sep 2nd 2007 3:51PM
Baineblade
Your fifth comment on Joystiq and you already are a dork... its a new record.
Mal F4cti0n @ Sep 2nd 2007 4:20PM
YOUR 3 days old now!
Do you think you impress us with your knowing things before they are posted here? I can tell you it doesn't. The only thing it does is tell us you crave acceptance or approval on these intertubes because you lack it from real life.
Vegnagun @ Sep 2nd 2007 4:53PM
He popped out of the womb and registered with joystiq.
I know what you really meant, but I just had a funny image.
Squirrel3D @ Sep 2nd 2007 5:26PM
Thanks google...give something new for the terriosts to use to plan out attacks on the U.S. -_-
Joshua Marketis @ Sep 2nd 2007 5:52PM
Becuase they would never use it to attack another country clearly...
mike @ Sep 2nd 2007 6:22PM
oh yes thanks google for such great tools. Without software like this, terrorist attacks are not possible. But because they can have google earth now, prepare for terror.
Its like school shootings. video games are to blame 100% in all those cases. I mean, there was no such thing as school shootings before video games exsisted right.
Poisoned Al @ Sep 3rd 2007 3:25AM
There was no terrorism before 9/11 ether. No, the IRA were just a social club you dumb American f**ks were all too happy to fund! The Taliban were a bunch of "freedom fighters" you gave missiles (any of you yanks seen Rambo 3 lately? No? Didn't think so), and you still give Israel support even tho they continue to antagonise everyone around them.
God, I try my best not to make anti-American posts (or anti anything post for that matter), but you are such a bunch of f**king hypocrites sometimes.
9/11 came about due to sloppy intelligence services and America's "I'm all right Jack" foreign policy that gave nasty people lots of power just because, at the time, they were fighting the USSR.
Mark @ Sep 2nd 2007 3:37PM
So how do you get the xbox360 controller to work on this?
waynski1457 @ Sep 2nd 2007 5:05PM
joytokey works. takes some work tho.
Slaziman @ Sep 2nd 2007 3:39PM
Google is training terrorists!!!
ssuk @ Sep 2nd 2007 4:37PM
Google Jihad
Derka, derka.
Slaziman @ Sep 2nd 2007 7:14PM
I knew this debate was coming, I called it first! har har!
LordJezo @ Sep 2nd 2007 4:02PM
Ugh, yet another thing to be added onto the already growing list of things that makes Google Earth a perfect terrorist simulator. Now not only will they be able to plot their missiles with the software but they will be able to do practice runs of hijacked flights as well.
Fernando Rocker @ Sep 2nd 2007 4:12PM
Nex game from Maxis - SimCity: Terrorist Warfare
Abuzar @ Sep 2nd 2007 10:17PM
You people need to quit with the Terrorist stuff. To the people in the countries our country is taking over WE ARE the terrorists.
Patrick @ Sep 2nd 2007 11:29PM
no, if someone wants to hurt someone they will do it regardless, they could map out what they want to do, google earth just makes it much easier. The program helps exponentially more people then helps terrorists. It is such an amazing tool which inspires many to take an interest in the planet and its sciences
ThornedVenom @ Sep 3rd 2007 1:01AM
Who cares about the terrorists? Communist mexicans on giant crabs are out there to "finish the fight"!
As long as you're paranoid, add this to your black list.
Patrick @ Sep 3rd 2007 1:11AM
no, if someone wants to hurt someone they will do it regardless, they could map out what they want to do, google earth just makes it much easier. The program helps exponentially more people then helps terrorists. It is such an amazing tool which inspires many to take an interest in the planet and its sciences
Poisoned Al @ Sep 3rd 2007 3:05AM
God, you American's just LOVE terrorists don't you? It's just as scary to you as communism, but you can slap it on ANYTHING you don't like to get it banned.
Lemmiwinks @ Sep 4th 2007 1:10PM
u r a tule
Word of the street. @ Sep 2nd 2007 4:11PM
Where is the obligatory Ronald MCdonalds image saying "Lol,Google"?.
ssuk @ Sep 2nd 2007 4:38PM
go back to YTMND, do us a favour and stay there.
Neebs @ Sep 2nd 2007 5:21PM
ssuk - Go back to your hole, do us a favor and stay there.
jovin6 @ Sep 2nd 2007 5:27PM
Joystiq readers think they're too classy for YTMND. How sad.
Ignatius @ Sep 2nd 2007 5:32PM
PTKFGS. >:O
Vegnagun @ Sep 2nd 2007 5:51PM
the unfunny truth about joystiq readers
quickshade @ Sep 2nd 2007 4:11PM
it's alot different to fly a plane in real life. Not to mention navagate it. Come on guys.
flyy @ Sep 2nd 2007 4:24PM
it's alot different to play a guitar in real life than in guitar hero. Not to mention learning to play it.
But no one gives a damn cause games are fun.
come on guys.
Vegnagun @ Sep 2nd 2007 4:30PM
I play a real guitar, but I find that I suck at guitar hero. I don't think we have to worry about terrorists learning to fly planes from google, because a real cockpit is different than a keyboard and mouse.
so began the debate
Controller vs. Keyboard? no
Cockpit vs. Keyboard
Kazi @ Sep 2nd 2007 5:29PM
Quick was responding to the people talking about terrorist hijack runs, duh.
Vegnagun @ Sep 2nd 2007 4:30PM
If I was a pilot I would name my ship the S.S. cruisesailor X, and I would become a top gun and retire to fly a commercial airliner. That's when it happened... four guys on the S.S. cruisesailor X with guns. It just so happens that this pilot is packing. Coincidentally, I also brought a sword. Suddenly the S.S.C.S.X comes into line of enemy gun fire. Theres enemies outside my ship, and inside my ship. I have to pilot it while taking on all the gunmen.
Good thing I had google earth flight simulator, because I honed my skills and now I'm ready for the fight of my life. This time, it's personal.
Staggs @ Sep 2nd 2007 4:47PM
Best. Post. Evar.
Gold @ Sep 2nd 2007 6:07PM
"I also brought a sword."
Priceless.
Captain Jody Anthony XVIII @ Sep 2nd 2007 6:25PM
haha, bravo
Brian @ Sep 2nd 2007 6:46PM
After playing around with this, I decided it's better for the world if I DON'T become a pilot.
fffunfarm06---xbl @ Sep 2nd 2007 7:09PM
it doesnt look that fun. so is google trying to make a video game or just way to get from the 10 to the 405? if so lets get google to have ctrl alt C and drive a car down roads. :) you can see all the stores and restaurants. "oh look hunny, we just passed target".
that would be more useful
Guybrush Threepwood @ Sep 2nd 2007 8:01PM
"Your fifth comment on Joystiq and you already are a dork... its a new record."
Pot. Kettle. Black.
Squirrel3D @ Sep 3rd 2007 5:50PM
"Its like school shootings. video games are to blame 100% in all those cases. I mean, there was no such thing as school shootings before video games exsisted right."
Nice try pal...you got your apples mixed up with your oranges.
Autopsy15 @ Sep 4th 2007 1:02AM
Did you not see the /sarcasm in his post?...because it was.
rowd149 @ Sep 2nd 2007 9:32PM
Is it at all geeky that I hummed "Godspeed" while this was playing?
Xeno Mezphy @ Sep 3rd 2007 1:05AM
Do I lose my geek rights for not knowing what that song is offhand?
rowd149 @ Sep 3rd 2007 10:50AM
lol Depends on how old you are :P "Godspeed" was the theme to the first level of the original starfox, I believe.
ThornedVenom @ Sep 3rd 2007 1:20AM
Simulators are for pussies. Long live real flying over Antarctica!
/sarcasm
PS: I was about to insert a Jack Thompson joke about flight simulators being some kind of mass murder simulator, until the fucking terrorist paranoids came marching in like the Saints. I'm not saying we should ignore them terrorists, I'm just saying that they're overreacting.
Terrorism doesn't happen everyday in the US, and even when they happen, they're more tragedies than casualties. They're made to shock. If you really don't want the terrorists to win, stop giving them as much attention and credit as you give them. Stop being fucking pussies and cowering in their worldwide presence. Live your life like you should and let the government deal with them mofos who think killing innocent people justifies spreading propaganda messages, because if you don't, you're doing exactly what you want them to do.
Peace out. Can't believe a gaming article is becoming some sort of political stand off on terrorism.
Oh, and I REALLY shouldn't be bothering to copypasta "Oh right! Terrorism didn't exist before Google Earth! Thanks to Google Earth, I know exactly how to fly a Boeing!"
Whirlo @ Sep 3rd 2007 1:56AM
Heh. The video reminds me of my first flight simulator freakin' ages ago. Good times...
mr mobius @ Sep 3rd 2007 11:38AM
really tricky to use until get used to taking things very gently. Things work better when using the mouse than using the keyboard because can be more subtle.