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Use keyboard shortcuts to explore the world in Flight Simulator.
flight simulator requirements
While the flight simulator is designed to provide an immersive flight experience, the following limitations apply:
- Web only: Flight Simulator is only available on Google Earth on the web.
- Simplified flight physics: The flight simulator is designed for casual exploration rather than high-fidelity aerodynamics training.
- Dynamic Loading: 3D buildings and high-resolution imagery flow dynamically as you fly. Flying at excessive speeds or on a low-bandwidth connection may cause temporary loading delays.
start a flight
To launch Flight Simulator, do the following:
- Open Google Earth on your computer.
- At the top of the home screen, click
explore the earth. - open tool Menu in the top menu bar.
- choose flight Simulator From the menu.
Use the following keyboard shortcuts to control your plane.
| action | keyboard control | Description |
|---|---|---|
| increase the pressure | Page up or click the on-screen indicator | accelerates aircraft engine speed |
| turn down the pressure | Scroll down the page or click the on-screen indicator | Aircraft engine speed slows down |
| pitch down | up arrow | Directs the nose of the aircraft downward to reduce altitude |
| pitch up | up arrow | Directs the nose of the aircraft upward to gain altitude |
| left roll (bank) | on the left | turn the plane left |
| turn right (bank) | right arrow | turn the plane to the right |
| toggle mouse control | Click inside the simulation | Choice between mouse-guided flight controls and keyboard controls |
crash recovery
If your aircraft makes direct impact with ground terrain, the simulation will stop. Click You crashed! restart To immediately restore your aircraft to a safe, playable altitude and coordinates.
exit the simulator
Click Back arrow in the upper-left corner of the flight simulator to safely exit the simulation and return to the standard Google Earth map view.
known issues
- Terrain anomalies: When flying close to ground level in areas below sea level (for example, Badwater Basin in California), you may occasionally experience flashing or clipping.
- Overlapping Control: Standard map shortcut keys (such as the historical imagery toggle) are disabled during flight to avoid conflict with flight controls.
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Last updated 2026-06-12 UTC.
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