Not everyone has the cash to drop US$60 on Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 or the hardware to run it. But what if I told you that you could buzz the Eiffel Tower or touch down in Bhutan right now, without spending a dime—or installing a thing? Enter GeoFS, the free, web-based flight simulator that runs straight from your browser and, yes, features everything from real-world weather and air traffic to—you guessed it—a hot air balloon and ermmm, a driveable car?
Billed as “the accessible flight simulator,” GeoFS gives you satellite-based global visuals, 40,000 real-world runways, and a full suite of radio navigation tools (VOR, ADF, GPS, all the goodies). It even pulls real-time commercial aircraft data from ADS-B so you can stalk—I mean fly with—actual planes cruising above your house.
There are 30+ aircraft to choose from, including gliders, airliners, military jets, and community-contributed oddballs. Oh, and if you’ve got a joystick? Plug it in. GeoFS supports it. Want ultra-crisp visuals for VFR practice? There’s a paid HD upgrade (US$16.29 per year) with high-res Bing Maps overlays, but the standard version is already pretty snazzy for zero bucks.
So yes, it’s free. Yes, it’s real. And yes, you can go do loops over your neighbor’s house right now.
Images: GeoFS.