• Table of Contents

• Introduction

• Finding Places and Directions

• Marking Places

• Using Layers

• Using Map Features

• Using Places

• About KML

• Sharing Places Information

• Touring Places

• Editing Places and Folders

• Managing Search Results

• Measuring Distances and Areas

• Viewing Sky

• Drawing Paths and Polygons

• Using Image Overlays and 3D Buildings

• Using Flight Simulator

  • Entering Flight Simulator
  • Viewing Flight Simulator Help
  • Exiting Flight Simulator
  • Flying Your Aircraft
    • Landing Your Aircraft
  • Flight Simulator Keyboard Controls

• Importing Your Data Into Google Earth

• Using Style Templates

• Using GPS Devices with Google Earth

• Making Movies with Google Earth

• Keyboard Controls

• 3D Viewer Options

Using Flight Simulator

You can fly around the globe in Google Earth using the flight simulator feature. This allows you to operate a simulated aircraft using either your mouse or another controller.

Entering Flight Simulator

To enter the flight simulator, do one of the following:

• Click Tools > Enter Flight Simulator
• Press Ctrl + Alt + A ( + Option + A on the Mac)

The Flight Simulator dialog box appears. You need to chose the following:

• Aircraft - Choose the airplane you would like to fly based on the descriptions shown. The SR22 is a slower plane and easier for beginners.
• Start Position - Choose where you would like to begin.
  
• Joystick support - Check Joystick enabled if there is a joystick device on your computer that you would like to use.
  

To change these settings, exit the flight simulator and press Ctrl + Alt + A ( + Option + A on the Mac)

Viewing Flight Simulator Help

To view this page at any time,  press Ctrl + H. (Windows and Linux only).

Exiting Flight Simulator

To exit the flight simulator, do one of the following:

• Click Exit Flight Simulator
• Press Ctrl + Alt + A or Escape (+ Option + A or Escape on the Mac).

Flying Your Aircraft

Once you have entered the flight simulator, a head-up display (HUD) appears:

1. Speed (knots)
   
2. Heading
   
3. Bank angle
   
4. Vertical speed (feet per minute)
   
5. Exit flight simulator feature
   
6. Throttle
7. Rudder
   
8. Aileron
9. Elevator
10. Flap and gear indicators
    
11. Pitch angle (degrees)
12. Altitude (feet above sea level)

To hide or display the HUD, press H.

You can use either a joystick or mouse with the flight simulator feature. To use a mouse, click the mouse in the center of the screen so the cursor becomes a + (cross). To pause or resume the flight simulator at any time, press the space bar.

To take off, first press the Page Up key to increase thrust and move the aircraft down the runway. Once your plane is moving, move the mouse or joystick back slightly down. With enough speed, you take off. To change direction or bank the aircraft, make small motions with the mouse or joystick. Be careful not to over-correct. Once the wings are level, center the mouse or joystick. To look around, press the arrow keys + Alt (slow) or Ctrl (fast).

To adjust thrust, aileron, elevator, rudder, elevator trim nose or flap, see the keyboard shortcuts below.

Landing Your Aircraft

Landing is a bit trickier and takes some practice. To land the aircraft:

1. Approach the appropriate airstrip or flat area.
2. Press Page Down to reduce thrust and slow down the aircraft.
   
3. Press G to extend the landing gear.
4. Press F to increase the flap setting. This slows the aircraft.
5. Once you have touched down, using wheel brakes to slow the aircraft. Press , (comma) to apply the left wheel brake; press . (period) to apply the right wheel brake.
   

Flight Simulator Keyboard Controls

This section describes the various keyboard combinations that you can use with the flight simulator. To enter the flight simulator mode, press Ctrl + Alt + A ( + Option + A on the Mac). Once you have entered flight simulator mode for the first time, you can re-enter the mode by choosing Tools > Enter Flight Simulator. To leave flight simulator mode, click Exit Flight Simulator in the top right corner or press Ctrl + Alt + A (+ Option + A on the Mac).

The following keystrokes control navigation and other aspects of the flight simulator. You can also control the aircraft with a mouse or joystick. To disable or enable mouse controls, left click (single click on a Mac). Once mouse controls are active, the pointer shape changes to a cross on your screen.

	Command	Windows/Linux Keystroke(s)	Mac Keystroke(s)	Result or Comment
	Exit flight simulator	Ctrl + Alt + A, Escape	+ Option + A, Escape	Exits flight simulator mode.
	Open flight simulator options	Ctrl + Alt + A	+ Option + A	Opens the flight simulator dialog box.
	Rotate pilot viewpoint	Arrow keys + Alt (slow) or Ctrl (fast)	Arrow keys + Alt (slow) or Ctrl (fast)	Moves the viewpoint in the direction of the arrow.
	Display flight simulator help	Ctrl + H	-	Opens this flight simulator keyboard commands page.
	Increase thrust	Page Up	Page Up	-
	Reduce thrust	Page Down	Page Down	-
	Aileron left	Left arrow	Left arrow	-
	Aileron right	Right arrow	Right arrow	-
	Elevator push	Up arrow	Up arrow	-
	Elevator pull	Down arrow	Down arrow down	-
	Rudder left	Insert	Shift + left arrow	-
	Rudder right	Enter (numeric keypad)	Enter (numeric keypad)	-
	Rudder left	Shift + left arrow	Shift + left arrow	-
	Rudder right	Shift + right arrow	Shift + right arrow	-
	Elevator trim nose down	Home	Home	-
	Elevator trim nose up	End	End	-
	Elevator trim nose down	Shift + up arrow	Shift + up arrow	-
	Elevator trim nose up	Shift + down arrow	Shift + down arrow	-
	Reduce flap setting	Left bracket	Left bracket	-
	Increase flap setting	Right bracket	Right bracket	-
	Reduce flap setting	Shift + F	Shift + F	-
	Increase flap setting	F	F	-
	Center aileron and rudder	5	5	-
	Center aileron and rudder	C	C	-
	Extend/retract landing gear	G	G	Only works if landing gear is retractable on current aircraft
	Left wheel brake	, (comma)	, (comma)	-
	Right wheel brake	. (period)	. (period)	-
	Pause simulation	Space	Space	-
	Toggle HUD	H	H	-

©2008 Google - Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions - About Google