25 Google Maps secrets in Microsoft Flight Simulator

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There are many secret hidden locations on Google Maps. Here’s what they look like in the new Microsoft Flight Simulator on Xbox Series X, Series S and PC.

If there is one thing many of us love, it is a good mystery. The secrets of the world, unknown places, strange happenings, unexplained events – man, I remember loving a show called Strange But True back in the day.

Sadly, Michael Aspel does not narrate your adventures in Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC, Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X. But there are some super-secret locations, many of which are suspiciously absent from Google Maps.

So I thought I would fly to them and see whether they exist or not and explain what makes them so mysterious in the first place. Feel free to let me know more strange places in the video comments.

I will provide coordinates for each place in the description which work on PC and Xbox Series X. Enter them exactly as they are written. You can change the format to one Microsoft Flight Simulator recognises using this.

1) North Korea

Not so long ago North Korea was blank for all but the capital of Pyongyang. However, in recent years Google Maps has added more landmarks to this secretive and terrifying place, including a 212 square mile Gulag where tens of thousands of political prisoners are said to have died of starvation.

Suffice to say, North Korea is not too high on my list of places to go before I die. Because it could actually speed up the process. So what does it look like in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

Coordinates: 39°2’24″N, 125°45’38″E (Google Maps)

2) Amchitka Island (Alaska)

Next up is Amchitka Island in Alaska. It was here in the 1950s, 1960 and 1970s that the US performed underground nuclear weapons tests. One of which, known as Cannikin, involved a 5-megaton blast. The Hiroshima bomb was around 57 megatons.

Is there much to see of this tectonically unstable island? Let’s take a look. What I can tell you is that supposedly, assuming the radiation is contained, it will become a wildlife reserve. Or, as I would like to think, the new home for Thunderbirds.

51°30’04”, 179°02’25.0″E (Google Maps)

3) Areva La Hague nuclear facility (France)

Moving to the home of baguettes and wine, we have the Areva La Hague nuclear facility. Built in 1976, this usually blurred out area is said to treat spent nuclear fuel from various countries in Europe.

Given the sensitive nature of nuclear and the fact various entities have wanted to close it down and we can see why it has to be blurred out on Google Maps. Is that the case in Microsoft Flight Simulator though?

49°40′49″N, 1°52′48″W (Google Maps)

4) Dowództwo Wojsk Specjalnych Special Forces base (Poland)

Continuing the military theme, we have the, errr, Special Forces base in Poland. Good luck pronouncing that. This was the place where the country’s premier special operations force were trained to fight terrorists and other secret missions.

As much as I would love to pop in for a tea and get some answers, I doubt they will let some random British idiot wander in. I get the feeling that, like most military installations, we will see little if anything in Microsoft Flight Simulator. But it is worth a try, right?

50°02′13″N, 19°54′14″E (Google Maps)

5) Sandy Island (French Caledonia)

In history we learn about various people discovering islands and then settling in while totally respecting the pre-existing inhabitants. Cough. But what about undiscovering places? Not so common and Sandy Island is one example.

The French Caledonia territory not too far from Australia was a regular fixture on maps, but in recent years its existence has been questioned. It didn’t help that an expedition sailed there to put this mystery to seabed once and for all.

All it found was a 1,300-metre drop to the ocean floor. Another theory suggests it was used as a way to catch map copyright thieves. Whatever the case, here it is in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

19.22°S, 159.93°E (Google Maps)

6) Ayioi Anargyroi military base (Greece)

Definitely in existence but hidden on Google Maps is Ayioi Anargyroi military base in Athens, Greece. Likely hidden for national security reasons, this military installation gets the blur treatment and so I absolutely just have to fly a plane over it. What will we find?

38°01′31″N, 23°42′57″E (Google Maps)

7) Jeanette Island (Russia)

Off the northern coast of Russia in the East Siberian Sea lies Jeanette Island. Named so because of the USS Jeanette that discovered it in 1882. Measuring 1.2 miles wide and 1,152ft tall at peak, I doubt the US naval expedition had many plans to move in.

Probably just as well because Russia later claimed it as its own. The US did not contest, but perhaps Google is getting the last laugh by hiding it. Or this is where the Thunderbirds actually live.

76°47′24″N, 157°58′00″E (Google Maps)

8) Mururoa (French Polynesia)

Another island, another place for nuclear testing. This time we have the island of Mururoa in the French Polynesia, which was home to around 175 nuclear tests – a third of which were atmospheric. One test in 1974 over the atoll did not go quite to plan.

And so the 110,000 inhabitants of Tahiti at the time and others from the surrounding islands were exposed to dangerously high levels of radiation around 42 hours later. Suffice to say, this flight is not the cheeriest.

21°50’14″S, 138°54’06″W (Google Maps)

9) 2207 Seymour Avenue (US)

Moving to a more urban setting, we have 2207 Seymour Avenue in Ohio of the US. Home to Ariel Castro – nothing to do with Little Mermaid, sadly. No, this blurred location was where three kidnapped women were kept captive for more than a decade.

As a sign of respect or perhaps just to help local property prices, the house and the one next door were later torn down. So I am not expecting to find much in Microsoft Flight Simulator, nor do I really want to. Castro is serving a life sentence plus 1,000 years.

41°28’21″N, 81°41’52″W (Google Maps)

10) Princeport Road (UK)

Up next is another blurred house on Princeport Road, Stockton-on-Tees in the UK. Except unlike the house before, the owner has absolutely no idea why it has been hidden for more than a decade. I checked and you can still not properly view it.

Feel free to tell me about your theories in the comments. The more imaginative the better. In the meantime, allow me to try and land as close to it as possible.

54°34’145″N, 1°18’129″W (Google Maps)

11) City of Babylon (Iraq)

As a bit of a travel nerd, I would love to visit the city of Babylon in Iraq. Especially because it used to be blurred on Google Maps although I was able to poke around Ishtar Gate and the city walls.

Another mystery is the existence of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which were mentioned in the seven wonders of the world around 225BC, but never located. One theory suggests it was never in Babylon, but what will we see in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

32°20’12.48″N, 44°20’36.96″E (Google Maps)

12) Area 51 (US)

I think Area 51 in Nevada needs little introduction. It’s a military base and highly secretive, which means if you go you’ll probably get to hang out with aliens. Possibly. Just don’t try to sneak in like those influencers.

Now this is either going to show very little or a lot and some alien jokes. Or are they jokes? Sounds like something someone hiding the truth would say. Or maybe I have watched the X-Files too many times.

37°14’36.33″N, 115°48’42.858″W (Google Maps)

13) Faroe Islands (Kingdom of Denmark)

The Faroe Islands are part of the Kingdom of Denmark but, as of 1948, it became self-governing. Why does it make my list of super-secret places? Because it was not on Google Maps.

Until, that is, inhabitants and researchers stuck 360-degree cameras on sheep in 2017. Known as Sheep View, Google joked that the idea was “sheer brilliance”. Sigh. And so these 18 volcanic islands between Iceland and Norway can now be enjoyed remotely.

62°7’39.7524″N, 6°58’25.0104″W (Google Maps)

14) Hexagonal warehouses (Russia)

Let’s up the level of mystery again with a collection of hexagonal warehouses in Russia. So far I have not found why this place exists, why it lives in a forest down a very long road, why it is so precisely spaced and why there is security and a double fence.

One theory is that it is for storing explosive things – the gap reduces the chance of a chain reaction. Maybe it is some secret military research facility. All I know is the scary shark video you get on Google is not helping.

54°21’34.812″N, 41°19’42.708″E (Google Maps)

15) UFO crash site (South Africa)

This is a strange one, on Google Maps you can see what appears to be an unidentified flying object or UFO for short. Because aliens will almost certainly always use disc-based craft – X-Files taught us that much. Or it could just be a hut with a circular metal roof

Does it exist in the new Microsoft Flight Simulator though? Place your bets.

25°53’41.748″S, 27°48’4.932″E (Google Maps)

16) Mysterious symbols (China)

Out in the Gobi Desert in China, Google Maps shows a mysterious pattern. It is said to be for satellite calibration and not some poor attempt at art. Others have claimed it is for weapon testing. Maybe that’s what China wants you to believe.

40°27’10.2″N, 93°44’31.4″E (Google Maps)

17) Random pentagram (Kazakhstan)

Given that Kazakhstan is not a place many travel to for fun, I doubt you will have noticed a five-pointed star in a circle, also known as a pentagram. Is this where the devil himself, or herself perhaps, hangs out?

Maybe not. One theory is that stars were all the rage during the Soviet era and Kazakhstan was part of the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991. So it could just be a camp or park shaped in such a way.

Sadly, it appears not to exist in Microsoft Flight Simulator – but then the Devil’s greatest trick was to make us think he never existed.

52°28’52.1″N 62°11’10.4″E (Google Maps)

18) Christian Science Society of Dixon (US)

Look away now if you dislike childish humour. The seemingly innocent Christian Science Society of Dixon, big clue, looks like a normal place. However, it harbours a dark secret when viewed from above.

The long and short of it is that this would be a semi-perfect location in Microsoft Flight Simulator. An experience you could really grab by the balls. Unfortunately, it looks like it does not exist.

41°50’31.9″N, 89°29’09.3″W (Google Maps)

19) HAARP facility (Alaska)

I have a feeling there is a Reddit section for HAARP. Short for the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program, the HAARP research facility in Alaska is something of a black hole of mystery.

Mind control, weather control, making you think you need to buy a Tribe mug (buy a mug) – the conspiracy theory list is comprehensive. Turns out, it exists in Microsoft Flight Simulator and you can even land on those straight roads. Or spend time reading the amusing Google Maps reviews.

62°23’28.1″N, 145°07’54.2″W (Google Maps)

20) Volkel Air Base (Netherlands)

And now we come to Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands. A location partially hidden from view on Google Maps for good reason. The US is said to store 22 Cold War nuclear bombs here, according to WikiLeaks.

A group of people managed to break in once and posted photos. Photos I struggled to find very easy. Coincidence? I think not. There is meant to be an F16 fighter jet statue in this area, but it appears missing in Microsoft Flight Simulator. But looks like there are other things to explore.

51°39’22.9″N, 5°40’25.2″E (Google Maps)

21) Valencia City (Philippines)

Valencia City, not the one in Spain but the Philippines, is another area that has been obscured by Google Maps. Why? Well, I doubt it is to do with aliens or changing the weather. One theory is that it is the headquarters of the country’s missile defence program.

True or not, Valencia City appears to be rather pretty and it looks like you can take a look round in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

7°51’49.0″N, 125°09’48.1″E (Google Maps)

22) Severnaya Zemlya (Russian Arctic)

What is it with Russia and mystery? Anyway, the Severnaya Zemyla is a 14,000 square mile archipelago in the Russian high Arctic – totally not reading that from Wikipedia – that appears hidden from view.

Was something being hidden and if so, what? It is unclear. Some say it is a glitch as opposed to deliberate censorship. That only makes it more likely you will find aliens, buried treasure, giant spiders and other cool stuff on this uninhabited wasteland. Who is up for a trip?

79°42’13.8″N, 94°08’44.9″E (Google Maps)

23) Airplane Boneyard (US)

In the way that cats and dogs go to the big happy farm in the sky, airplanes go to the Airplane Boneyard in Arizona of the US. Seriously, this military aircraft storage area, in use since after World War II, is a plane nerd’s dream.

And, amazingly, it appears Microsoft Flight Simulator has the place and all of its wing porn on display. Sadly, what was once tens of thousands of planes now homes around 4,400. Sadly, you cannot hop in them and fly off. This is not Grand Theft Auto.

32°09’00.6″N, 110°50’09.0″W (Google Maps)

24) Buffalo Herd (Tanzania)

My penultimate choice is a buffalo herd, which is hardly mysterious. Animals roam around doing animal things all over the place. However, I just wanted to see if this famous Google Maps location in Tanzania is captured in the Microsoft Flight Simulator. And the answer is…

4°17’20.3″S, 31°23’46.6″E (Google Maps)

25) Shipwreck (Iraq)

And my last choice for a game based on planes is the location of a ship. One without buried treasure, sadly, but a sunken vessel no less. There are many shipwrecks on Google Maps, some of which may or may not appear in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The bad news, it appears, is that the one in Basrah of Iraq is absent. This stretch of water known as the Arvand Rud or Shatt al-Arab is said to be home to 36 sunken ships, meaning this giant vessel is definitely not alone.

30°32’34.5″N, 47°49’32.0″E (Google Maps)

And alone is the opposite of what you will be if you subscribe to the Tribe, hit like and comment interesting things you have seen in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Cool stuff, scary stuff, weird stuff, unexplainable stuff – I would love to hear.

I really hope you enjoyed this rather long and random video. The world is a fascinating place and so we should try and appreciate that from time to time. Until my next video! Take care, bye.