It probably won't fly with the Federal Aviation Administration, but lastest version of Google Earth (4.2) features an exceptionally fine little Easter Egg for desk-chair pilots: a flight simulator. Not likely to supplant X-Plane or Microsoft Flight Simulator X among true enthusiasts, the Google flight sim nonetheless allows you to buzz the landscape &mdash anywhere on earth &mdash from the seat of a prop-driven Cirrus SR22 or an supersonic F-16 Fighting Falcon, with flight data projected, heads-up-style, on the screen. The difference between the two aircraft amounts nothing more than air-speed.
On the PC version of Google Earth, activate the flight sim by hitting Ctrl + Alt + A; on the Mac, hit Command + Alt + A. Google does provide an exceptionally helpful guide to flight controls.
Our intrepid pilot in the air over San Francisco Bay, seconds before crashing into Alcatraz.
