Awesome!!!!

This is awesome indeed. If only it could load terrain a little quicker (perhaps cache more of it) and also if it could tell me where I'm flying over.

I have waited for this moment for a long time, it's great :-)

Check out this YouTube video on the Google Earth Flight Sim:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7z6Yxs69rQ

very cool.

>...if it could tell me where I'm flying over.

try ctrl+m, displays a subwindow in upper left corner, but on my pc ends with error which I ascribe to my burned chipset

anybody succeeds a safe landing?

Is this a Windows-only feature? I have Google Earth 4.2.0180.1134 (beta) for Linux, but following the instructions for activating the simulator has no effect.

I can't get it to work

The flight simulator is very good :-)

One small flaw, when taking off from London Heathrow, it has you facing East on the north runway, which, due to an old agreement to not take off over Cranford, NEVER happens ! You can take off on the north runway facing West, or the south runway in either direction.

This hardly an "Easter Egg". It's on the menu. Easter Eggs are little things that are hidden and only available by s series of keystrokes. Being on the menu disqualifies this one as an Easter Egg.

Yes it does work with Linux, but it is slow to launch, Keep trying and be patient.

Sorry, Mike, but you're wrong. The flight simulator appears in the menu only after you find it (that is, after you press Ctrl+Alt+A). The documentation is not linked from any Google page and there's no reference to this feature in the changelog. So it's a hidden feature, an Easter Egg, or whatever you like to call it.

You can also use common sense: if this feature was in the menu, why nobody found it until yesterday (Google Earth 4.2 was launched last week)?

I think Google should try to partner with some simulator masters like:

http://www.x-plane.com/

and http://www.shatters.net/celestia/

If they don't want ending like this:

http://www.ioxenford.com/iOXENFORD/iOXENFORD/Entries/2007/8/31_Russia_Moon_Base_by_2025.html

I haven't installed Google Earth since I reformatted!
*goes to http://earth.google.com/*

A Google search turned out the right way of starting the simulator from Linux. In the suggested keystroke sequence "Ctrl + Alt + A", the "Alt" key is not the one labeled "Alt [Mac apple symbol] [Mac Command symbol]", but the one with "[Windows Start symbol] alt option".

James: The keyboard layout must be set to English. Try it!

I have the latest Google Earth but Ctrl+Alt+A dies nothing. Can anyone help?

genial!!! :D

if it's not working, make sure you have to right version of Google Earth and try Ctrl + Windows Key + A

On the latest Google Earth for Windows, you just need to press Ctrl-A as opposed to Ctrl-Alt-A

Interesting. Ctrl+A opens the flight simulator from the current position and doesn't show the initial dialog. So Ctrl+A has a different effect.

Do you need to click on the Earth before the keystrokes?

I think it looks cool

I cant get the plain to move lol.

I spelt plane wrong lol

well, for better navigation i used google earth to get me a direction from my current view to some target.

now, i started the flight simulator and google earth still shows my last waypoints.
now i can follow the streets and don't get lost somewhere ;-)
to slow down after landig, the breaks might help ;-)


and my third landig with the F16 worked fine :-)

i just slowed down, increased height to ~100, pulled the flaps to 100% and lowered the gears...
that's it ;)

Thanks, Ctrl-A works well.

Controls are too sensitive.

I'm running Ubuntu 7.04 and the latest version of Google Earth from the google website and it works fine. Just make sure you click on the globe once before using the hotkey to bring up the simulator.

I can't get this to work, latest version, Vista. Tried ctrl-A, ctrl-win-A, ctrl-alt-A, nothing seems to work. Changed keyboard layour to US (from UK), did nothing. Any ideas? Is it essential that it's the first thing you do when you open it?

for the mac: command-A.

This is excellent, but... How about an "easy flight" mode for those of us who just want to fly around and enjoy the experience without worrying about ailerons and about crashing?

You've got a review from someone who knows a bit about a plane. I'd bet he'd offer a suggestion or two if you emailed him...

This is extremely cool. Now, how long until we get the chance to fly a space shuttle or an X-Wing around in Sky? ;)

This is ginormous cool!

Jon said:
"This is excellent, but... How about an "easy flight" mode for those of us who just want to fly around and enjoy the experience without worrying about ailerons and about crashing?"


Hey, you already had that. Just use google earth as usual :D

I just tried to download the Linux client today and when you go to Help>About Google Earth it shows version 4.0.2735, a build from January 2007. Maybe they offered version 4.2 for Linux and pulled it because it had bugs?

Yo he sido de unos años para aca, un entusiasta del FS, tanto que he desarrolllado mi negocio en base al flight publicando un portal para publicidad de industria turistica. Hasta ahora no puedo entregar resultados en virtud de razones economicas, ya que he tenido que emprender esta empresa absolutamente solo, de manera que llevo tres años trabajando en ello pero me encuentro cerca de ver la luz,la idea de google es genial Sabia que algun dia lo harian,cuantas negocios y empresas querran aparecer en los escenarios de GE (por pago) estos tipos de google estan en todo.
Felicidadez google si necesitan algunos tips,estoy para servirles (Ja).

Google is unbelievable! WOW! Finally competition is on the way for the buggy Microsoft Flight Simulator X! Google well done for taking it one step further...i thought Google earth could only ever be used as a flight sim aid, but this is fantastic :) Cant wait for a full blown flight sim from Google with better graphics and more reliable than anything Microsoft have made!

One question: Did any of you got audio from the FSimulator?
I don't get any audio, buy maybe it is because it doesn't have any...

David:
I just downloaded version 4.2.0180.1134 (beta) for linux and it is the one I am using.

(Pings away a tear) YES Finally. A proper flight simulation in Google Earth. I hope this is the start of something awesome. But...

I would prefer it if Google would leave Flight simulation to those who know how to do that best (XPlane, JSBSim, FLightGear)

Instead Google please give us a decent COM API so we can write applications that make use of Google Earth. I mean your current API doesn't even allow me to set the bank angle for the camera. How about image overlays to the display? (To build aircraft instruments on).

Not to mention other world wide online trading game ideas I have that involve real-time ship simulation and Sponsored Freight.

Gimme a good API and I give you applications.

Very cool! Good start,but both planes were a bit hard to control.I used my joystick that I use for FS9. Win XP Pro w/all updates,P4,2.27 GHz,1GB RAM,NVIDIA GForce 4 MX 4000.

Good idea though!

Why it dosen't work on linux? :(

Interesting. I have years of experience from Microsofts flightsim, both flying and creating both aircraft and scenery. Google FS is a great idea, but a lot to be developed like panels, aircraft, views etc. Controls too sensitive, but I managed to land safely on Meigs though. Great fun.

don't work, on mac osx(10.4.10) when I do control +alt+ A

Interesting Tool ! Makes a lot of fun to fly with the Google Sim. It would be good to know if there is some more things planned from Google Side for the Flightsim (like other Planes, more View Options etc). I fly more than 10 Years on the Microsoft Simulator but this is always a nice possibility for a quick round trip or sightseeing flight beside the normal flight simualtor Fs2004 or fsx.
Great Idea !

When CTRL+ALT+A doesn't work, you may try CTRL + win logo + A. It worked for me.

um...how do you switch to outside veiw?

or is there none?

can you download new planes?

I'm 11, but know more than anyone aboat fs2004, and X

Try to work with Microsoft Flight Simulator so they could use your map for simulator.

Also please add helicopter.

My Joystick wont work, I have a Saitek ST290Pro

haha linux and "work."

ha ha "Mac" and "Compatible"

works ok here with ctrl/window key/A.
controls bit too sensitive. landed ok at heathrow. throttle seems to have a mind of its own though!

I think there's something available at http://www.fsplanet.com/

Control + Alt + A ?
No, just start the flight simulator from the Menu :
Extra + Flight simulator
It's as simple as that

Maybe you have a special version of Google Earth: there's no Extra menu and the Flight Simulator shows up in the menu only after you press the magical keyboard shortcut the first time.

Boom!

Everytime I start it, either ctrl-a or through the menu, G-earth crashes to desktop, sometime saying it's sorry but most often saying nothing.

This is in XP.

for mac

load google earth

click on the earth

command + A

works a dream..... unlike my flying skills

FYI: Did y'all see this page?
http://earth.google.com/intl/en/userguide/v4/flightsim/index.html
This was pointed out via another forum (Airliners.net) posting...

Doesn't work for me =[

You can improve the control sensitivity problem. Go to c:Program Files/Google/Google Earth/res/flightsim.

For mouse control, open flightsim.ini in Notepad, and alter the mouse sensitivities from 0.7 to a lower figure. Save, and restart the flightsim.

For joystick,open the controller folder, open your joystick file in Notepad, and edit the axes paragraph to reduce the 1.0 value against DA and DE to lower values. Save, exit Google Earth, restart it and try the result. You should find the stick will no longer move the HUD pointer for that axis to full scale - problem solved! If the app doesn't have your joystick on file, try it with the generic file - may work?

Tried CTRL+ALT+A for ages and it didn't work!
Then tried CTRL+Windows Key+A. Then it kicked in!
Using GE V4.2.0181.2634

I agree, this isn't quite like Microsoft Flight Sim - it's MUCH BETTER!! Fly over Switzerland - the whole country is in high resolution and the scenery is awesome!!

lots of people have been saying they cant get it to work but i found that if you do ctrl + A it worked for me :-P

i think this is great and good for people with not so good computers because it doesnt really jump of freeze like my new flight sim X!!!

With mouse is manouvering too easy. After click poiter will be change to cross...
I have many success flights & landings with F-16 :-)

great flight sim ive flown on fs9(usually online via www.vatsim.net) and find it great fun but i think ill stick to fs9 :)

For those having trouble bringing up the Flight Simulator on Google Earth,
select "Tools", "Options", "Navigation", place check mark in "Flight Control(Ctl-G) box then try again.

SUPERB!! But, why no sound??

A Milestone to remember in computing.

URBAN MYTH,KINGS NEW CLOTHES CALL IT WHAT YOU LIKE IT DOES NOT WORK CTRL+ALT+A DOES NOTHING AT ALL DOWN LOADED LATEST VERSION ON 3 MACHINES ALL XP PRO SP2 IT DOES NOT DO ANYTHING

Now if they would make the flight sim as a user-controlled fly-over of actual terrain data gathered from the satellites...

I mean, like, fly really low over, say, SanFran... and as you're coming in, you can see the cars and such parked on the top floor of the parking garage, and those are the cars that are actually there that day.

NOW THAT would be cool.

how do i get it in 3d because the buildings aint 3d for me

Here's a free Mobile Flight Simulator game for Nokia and Sony Ericsson Java J2ME mobile devices.

As a military pilot, this is just what I need. No, not hone my skills, but sit around the office flying Earth Sim instead of doing work... Pretty easy compared to the real thing, but fun to pass the time anyway.

Cheers to Google once again!

amazing after weeks of failed attempts the ctrl + command ..once I had clicked on the globe?? I think!

took off from LHR but crashed in chertsey so the controls are freaky ..now I know what BIG tookers are :)

Took off from LHR in F16 and climbed to 45000 ft and then set the plane on a westward trajectory, got it nice and level and straight and left it flying.

I'm currently just off the coast of the US will make landfall somewhere in north carolina I think, I've been checking my latitude and longitude by hovering mouse over a spot and using mapquest to find where I am.

I like to think of myself as the first virtual Charles Lindbergh (I know he went the other way).

Great fun!

I'm going to go up and over the pole next, no fuel restrictions here.

im 11 and dont know if u can put up a arrow that shows u the nearest airport so u could land there.

what does ctrl+m do

im using a macbook and my page up and down keys are on the arrow keys. i cannot get the plane to start moving. got any tips?

it's awesome but i stink at landing

Google earth should have ADS, take them off the tv allready! ugh!.

I'd like a space simulator to work with the Google Sky feature!

this is pretty cool.

can somebody please help me cos i got a pc and it isnt working. help me please!?!

oNCE AND FOR ALL GUYS. tHIS WILL ONLY WORK after YOU HAVE CLICKED THE GLOBE ON STARTUP, THEN HOLD CTRL + WINDOWS KEY + A.

tHERE... hAVE FUN!

it's rubbish and near uncontrollable. There is no info on how to activate the joystick, mine is a Logitech force feedback wingman, how do I activate it.Maybe if I can get it loaded the flight may have some chance of being OK.

Meanwhile i'm going back to my Microsoft flight sim.

Rossi

When you are in mid - air how do u make it go faster?

Using the Microsoft mouse

I cant get mine to work...:(

I do Ctrl+Alt+A but nothing happens:(

on google earth sim only 2 planes come on put more like space shuttle ,airbus or other plane please thanks. from.john

Whenever i press ctrl-alt-A nothing comes up and i have version 4.2. Is it maybe because i am using windows vista when all the pictures are taken in windows 98?

The option is now available in the Tools menu, but the shortcut is still Ctrl+Alt+A. The screenshots are from Windows XP, not Windows 98.

hey! not bad.

it dont work

I just bought a Logitech Force 3D joystick. Thanks to this page I learnt about the joystick configuration file in order to reduce sensitivity (I could have found it myself). The earth starts to spin like crazy when I start Google Earth in non Flight simulator mode. Even just tilting the joystick has enormous influence.

Another problem is that throttle an z axis control are swapped: In order to control throttle I have to twist the joystick about the z axis and for using the rudder I have to use the throttle slider. The same happens with the free shooting game GL-117, so I wonder who doesn't stick to conventions. In this program you can configure the controls in the GUI. I'm going to try to change the definitions in the axes part.

On Mac you can find these files by opening the Google Earth program with "show package contents" (or however it is in English) in the context menu. Contents/Resources/flightsim/controller/

Hmm, the joystick config file logitech_force_3d.ini is there, and with the instructions in generic.ini I found out how to swap the axes of throttle and rudder, but editing doesn't seem to change anything on GE 4.2.198.2451 on Mac OS X 10.4.11

I have a Logitech Force 3D Pro, whose name should match the mentioned file. In the instructions they say that matching is based on regexp, but they use only "*" instead of ".*". But even editing generic.ini doesn't change anything.

Anybody any idea?

Jens

i tried ctrl+alt+A...didnt work...then tried ctrl+A...worked!! DONT need to press alt! try it!

I tried this on the school computer and it jsut says Error, Bad Flight Simulation when i press Start Flying.

I updated Google Earth and now the program will finish starting up. The tip window appears and loads to about 45% then the computer bogs down and program is non-responsive.
Reverting back to an older version did not help.
Any suggestions?

I had to do CTRL+A also, but now it works fine. I use the mouse to steer, and that works great also. Just click on the screen to toggle. I would like sound, but it looks cool.

Was going fine until I crashed into Kensington Gardens, oddly enough right next to where peter pan landed... ctrl + windows key + a is what worked for me

how do i download dis thing?

after ages ive perfected landing

IVE LANDED
IVE LANDED
WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Es muy buenisimo, mi casa no creo que se ve en el FSX, pero este FS si, pero no tiene sonido, solo 2 aviones, ni helicoptero, ni panel y lo mas importante COMO SE PONE PARA VER EL AVION DESDE AFURA?

Love the flight sim, oh sure I can't land and often crash into my home but at least I get another life!

Flying with GE-FS F-16 looks nice but that HUD looks like something out of a comic book. So I went and changed a little here and there. Looks a lot more like an F16 now! I cant get the compass to show heading every 10 degrees. Can anyone help??

Copy this into generic.ini (C:\Program Files\Google\Google Earth\res\flightsim\hud):

% Generic Head Up Display Config
AirSpeedX = -0.4
AirSpeedFactor = 0.194384 % 1/kt
AirSpeedY0 = -0.2
AirSpeedY1 = 0.1
AirSpeedRange = 16
AirSpeedDV = 1
AirSpeedSmallInLarge = 5
AirSpeedLargeX0 = -0.05
AirSpeedLargeX1 = 0
AirSpeedSmallX0 = -0.03
AirSpeedSmallX1 = 0
AirSpeedValueX = -0.06
AirSpeedValueTextFlags = [left middle]
AirSpeedPointerX = 0.005
AirSpeedPointerAngle = 3.14159265
AirSpeedPointerLength = 0.015

AltitudeX = 0.4
AltitudeFactor = 0.0328084 % 1/ft
AltitudeY0 = -0.2
AltitudeY1 = 0.1
AltitudeRange = 16
AltitudeDV = 1
AltitudeSmallInLarge = 5
AltitudeLargeX0 = 0
AltitudeLargeX1 = 0.05
AltitudeSmallX0 = 0
AltitudeSmallX1 = 0.03
AltitudeValueX = 0.06
AltitudeValueTextFlags = [right middle]
AltitudePointerX = -0.005
AltitudePointerAngle = 0
AltitudePointerLength = 0.015

VerticalSpeedFactor = 196.85 % min/ft
VerticalSpeedRound = 10.0
VerticalSpeedX = 0.4
VerticalSpeedY = -0.25
VerticalSpeedTextParams = [center middle]


VelocityMark =
[
-.01 .00 .00 .01
.01 .00 .00 .01
-.01 .00 .00 -.01
.01 .00 .00 -.01
-.03 .00 -.01 .00
.01 .00 .03 .00
.00 .02 .00 .01
]
VelocityMinSpeed = 0

CompassSmallInLarge = 2
CompassLargeInHuge = 3
CompassTextParams = [center bottom]
CompassSmallY0 = -0.310
CompassSmallY1 = -0.295
CompassLargeY0 = -0.325
CompassLargeY1 = -0.295
CompassHugeY0 = -0.330
CompassHugeY1 = -0.295
CompassTextY = -0.331
CompassRange = 20
CompassX0 = -0.15
CompassX1 = 0.15

RollScaleHalfAngle = 60
RollScaleR = 0.2
RollScaleCenterX = 0
RollScaleCenterY = 0
RollScaleLarge = [30 60]
RollScaleSmall = [10 20 45]
RollScaleLargeR0 = 0
RollScaleLargeR1 = 0.025
RollScaleSmallR0 = 0
RollScaleSmallR1 = 0.0125
RollScaleTextR = 0.07
RollScaleTextParams = [center bottom]
RollScaleSegments = 10
RollScalePointerR = 0.005
RollScalePointerL = 0.02

SkidIndicatorMark =
[
-.01 .005 .01 .005
.01 .005 .01 -.005
.01 -.005 -.01 -.005
-.01 -.005 -.01 .005
]
SkidIndicatorY = 0.17
SkidIndicatorX0 = -0.1
SkidIndicatorX1 = 0.1
SkidIndicatorMin = -2.5
SkidIndicatorMax = 2.5

PlaneMark =
[
-.01 .04 .01 .04
.00 .05 -.00 .03
]

PitchLadderDV = 5
PitchLadderSmallInLarge = 2
PitchLadderSmallMark =
[
-0.08 0.0 -0.04 0.0
0.08 0.0 0.04 0.0
]
PitchLadderLargeMark =
[
-0.13 0.0 -0.04 0.0
0.13 0.0 0.04 0.0
]
PitchLadderY0 = -0.35
PitchLadderY1 = 0.35
PitchLadderXOffset = 0
PitchLadderLetterOffset = 7000

HUDColor = 65280
StallColor = 255
StallX = 0.7
StallY = -0.65
StallText = STALL
StallMinSpeed = 6
StallTextParams = [center bottom]
GearX = -0.85
GearY = -0.65
GearText = GEAR
GearTextParams = [center bottom]
FlapsX = -0.7
FlapsY = -0.65
FlapsText = FLAPS
FlapsTextParams = [center bottom]

HUDLineWidth = 1.3
HUDLineSmooth = true

ThrottleIndicatorX = -0.95
ThrottleIndicatorY0 = -0.8
ThrottleIndicatorY1 = -0.8
ThrottleIndicatorWidth = 0.00

ElevatorIndicatorX = -0.7
ElevatorIndicatorY0 = -0.5
ElevatorIndicatorY1 = -0.5
ElevatorIndicatorWidth = -0.0

AileronIndicatorY = -0.5
AileronIndicatorX0 = -0.8
AileronIndicatorX1 = -0.8
AileronIndicatorWidth = 0.0

RudderIndicatorY = -0.6
RudderIndicatorX0 = -0.8
RudderIndicatorX1 = -0.8
RudderIndicatorWidth = 0.0

hi, i did every thing you said but it didn't work

downloaded the latest Google earth 4.2.0205

click on the glob and pressed Ctrl+Alt+A

and then nothing

what should i do??

Very cool Easter Egg :) Click on the globe and just press Ctrl-A (Windows). Esc to exit the sim.

Awesome I agree. I hope in the future the game will include a combat feature.

I dont have nine lives! Where is the auto pilot!

Brilliant - runs much faster than Microsoft Flight Simulator X and has more detail. Like James said - if only it could load terrain quicker and tell me where i am (perhaps with a small birds-eye map) then it would be faultless!

I tryed to change the air plane setings so there were more like a space shuttle but it wont let me save it any ideas?

This is a great find and look I found this Easter Egg a day early! Just wish I could hear the engines! Nice job Marco Gallotta!

I find the controls good. It's just people try to control it like an FPS. Just be gentle with the controls. How do you get it so the plane can fly like a space shuttle.

I also think combat features would be good. Maybe a new aircraft which is extremely fast and can fly a lot higher.

it works how fantastic thanks for this u guys and yes it is an easter egg cos its hidden

Now it's no longer an easter egg since there's an option in Google Earth's menu, but in August 2007 the option didn't appear until you pressed Ctrl+Alt+A, an undocumented shortcut.

You can go in and change the plane files to create different types of craft.

try it with a joystik! its class! i play it at school! can u get more planes?

try it with a joystik! its class! i play it at school! can u get more planes?

how do u play this game and download it? plz plz tell. thank you!

just download it from my butthole! =]

hey guys anyone managed a safe alnding at half a mac? i have lol...

ive landed safely loads of times....
try it it fun....

wat i wana really ask is, can you add more planes or "items" suchs as a rocket taking off like a plane ;)/ jet :D

I hope they include combat features or new aircraft in the next version of google earth.

I did what Joost said to see what it did but how do u change it back cos i dont like it. Also if you go to C:\Program Files\Google\Google Earth\res\flightsim\aircraft and click on f16 then change the 'power plant' bit from 120e7 or whatever it is to 500e7

by the by 'it' i mean the HUD for the f16

has any 1 thort of changing the plane files to make a craft like that looks like Iron Man?

Has anyone found the afterburner (if there really is one) for the F16 yet to reach the 'advertised' speed of "more than Mach 2"?

It seems to me the only way of getting anywhere near that speed is to put the F16 into a nose-dive at full thrust from 60,000 ft.