Cool Easter egg: Google Earth's flight simulator
Hang on, we're going in.
It's no Microsoft Flight Simulator in terms of controls, flyability, or features (no sound, no weather, no autopilot, only two aircraft choices... I could go on), but since the Google flight simulator has access to Google Earth's streaming database, the visuals are awesome. In most areas, it looks fantastic when your plane is more than about 2,000 feet above ground level. Get down low and it becomes a lot less believable, except in cities with good 3D building coverage.
I used to be a flight simulator junkie, and I still have a flight controller (err, joystick), plugged into my PC. Google's flight simulator has a "use joystick" option, but I caution readers that getting the application to actually read the joystick seems to be voodoo science--sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Also, on my controller, some controls were swapped, which made the joystick unusable. On my ThinkPad, though, using the TrackPoint under mouse-control mode works well, and definitely better than trying to fly with either the keyboard or a standard mouse.
While a big step up from the "flight controls" option in Google Earth (Ctrl-G on a PC), and a really fun way to explore the scenery, Google Earth's flight simulator Easter egg is no competitor for a real flight simulator--even if it does have the best scenery in the world.
Via TechCrunch and Marco's blog.
See also: Google looks to the heavens.
Rafe Needleman writes about start-ups, new technologies, and Web 2.0 products, as editor of CNET's Webware. E-mail Rafe.
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Google Earth
4.2.0180.1134 (beta)
Build Date
Aug 20 2007
Build Time
15:52:19
Renderer
OpenGL
Operating System
Microsoft Windows XP (Service Pack 2)
Video Driver
Intel (00006.00014.00010.04410)
Max Texture Size
2048x2048
Server
kh.google.com
User
License Key
Google Earth
4.2.0180.1134 (beta)
Build Date
Aug 20 2007
Build Time
15:52:19
Renderer
OpenGL
Operating System
Microsoft Windows XP (Service Pack 2)
Video Driver
Intel (00006.00014.00010.04410)
Max Texture Size
2048x2048
Server
kh.google.com
User
License Key
Now my dream has come true!!!! Wooo - hooo.
Now my dream has come true!!!! Wooo - hooo.
if you find a f16 crashed near bathurst nsw aust or another in nepal that was me,hoooot a real hoooot,love it..
still learning how to fly.. thanks.
if you find a f16 crashed near bathurst nsw aust or another in nepal that was me,hoooot a real hoooot,love it..
still learning how to fly.. thanks.
- Must Zoom into the area you want to fly
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by valkyrr
September 6, 2007 1:12 PM PDT
- Try zooming in before activating the Simulator. I double clicked the city to zoom in and then the simulator would come up using CTRL-ALT-A
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