Videos
Flight videos recorded in Skydex
Short flights over real cities, recorded inside the game: Hamburg, Manhattan, London, Paris, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney. Each clip is twelve seconds long and has its own page, where you can watch it full size and take off from the spot it was filmed.
The videos
Flying along the Elbe in Hamburg
Flying over Central Park in Manhattan
Flying over the Thames at Westminster
Flying down the Champ de Mars to the Eiffel Tower
Flying up to Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro
Flying low over Sydney Harbour
Google Maps · For promotional purposes only
Questions
Is this real gameplay?
Yes. Every clip is a recording of the game running in a browser against the live site. Nothing is added except the short crossfade at the end that makes it loop.
Are the aircraft in the sky real?
Yes. The labelled aircraft in some of the clips were real flights in the air while we recorded, heard by the Skydex receiver network over ADS-B. In the game you can fly up to them and catch them for your collection.
Where does the 3D city come from?
The buildings, terrain and water are Google's photorealistic 3D tiles, streamed while you fly. The map data credits for each clip are printed under the video and in the corner of the picture.
Do I need to install anything to fly like this?
No. Skydex runs in the browser on a computer, phone or tablet, and it is free. You can take off as a guest; signing in keeps your catches and progress.
Why is there no sound?
The clips were made for the game's start screen, where they play next to the menu on their own. A loop that suddenly starts making noise there would get in the way, so they are silent.
Will there be more videos?
Yes, as we record new places. Every new clip gets its own page here and a slot in the game's start screen.