Google Earth has many built-in layers and features that many people never use or even know about. (I’m working on a list of some of the built-in layers that can easily be used in a classroom). Today on Tekzilla they show you how to enable the built-in flight simulator for fly-over tours. If you’re viewing this in RSS you may need to click through to view the video.

Applications for Education
The flight simulator could be a good, fun way to get students to explore the geography and topography of the earth. Using the flight simulator on an interactive whiteboard could be a great alternative to pulling down a wall map and pointing to places on the map.

Here are some related resources that may be of interest to you:
Exploring Africa in Google Earth
KML Factbook – 2D and 3D Mapped Data Displays
Nearly 400 Google Earth Files for History Teachers