# Flight path animation: how to animate your flights on a map - **URL**: https://routeflick.com/blog/flight-path-animation-guide --- [<- All articles](https://routeflick.com/blog) How-to - 4 min read **RouteFlick Editorial**Product guide from the team building RouteFlick Published May 16, 2026Updated October 5, 2026 Flight-path animations -- the arcing lines that sweep between airports -- are one of the most satisfying ways to show travel. Here's how to make one on a real 3D globe. About this guide and its evidence Published by RouteFlick, the maker of the product described here. This is first-party guidance, not an independent review. Route previews are actual exports. An example route illustrates a workflow; it does not prove every feature or a competitor's output. Export speed depends on your device. Creator workflow and comparison documentation reviewed October 5, 2026. Named vendor sources support the documented facts; this is not a purchased-plan test or an export-speed benchmark. Unknown specifications are marked as not verified. Confirm current terms before buying. [Report an error or request a correction](mailto:support@routeflick.com) [Media](https://routeflick.com/media/routes/hawaii.mp4) [Video poster](https://routeflick.com/media/routes/hawaii.jpg) Actual RouteFlick export Real RouteFlick example used in this guide ## Watch the result before you use it This is a finished RouteFlick video for **Hawaii Island Hopping**, not an illustration or simulated interface. Honolulu (Oahu) -> Kahului (Maui) -> Kona (Big Island) -> Lihue (Kauai) [Watch this route on its video page](https://routeflick.com/videos/dest-hawaii-v1) [Use "Hawaii Island Hopping" -- free](https://routeflick.com/t/dest-hawaii) **On this page** 1. [Add your airports or cities](https://routeflick.com/blog/flight-path-animation-guide#add-your-airports-or-cities) 2. [Why a globe beats a flat map for flights](https://routeflick.com/blog/flight-path-animation-guide#why-a-globe-beats-a-flat-map-for-flights) 3. [Export and share](https://routeflick.com/blog/flight-path-animation-guide#export-and-share) [RouteFlick studio showing a real island-hopping route following sea lanes on the 3D globe](https://routeflick.com/assets/routes-proof-SL63DbNY.png) **Real product, not a mockup.** This is the RouteFlick studio and export flow used to make the videos described in this guide. ## Add your airports or cities Add each city in flight order. You don't need exact airport coordinates -- the city is close enough, and the label reads better. Set every leg's transport mode to Flight so the path arcs through the air rather than hugging the ground. ## Why a globe beats a flat map for flights Long flights cross huge distances, and on a flat map the path distorts. On a 3D globe the great-circle arc looks natural and the camera banks between cities for a cinematic feel -- exactly the look airlines use in their route maps. - Use Flight mode for the arc and the plane marker. - Add a title card with the trip or the year. - Drop a photo at the cities that matter. - Show the total distance at the end for a satisfying payoff. 💡 Making a frequent-flyer or "every flight this year" map? Add the cities in order and let the animation draw the whole network leg by leg. ## Export and share Pick 16:9 for YouTube or 9:16 for a Reel, render up to 4K, and post. Your flights, animated across the globe -- a far better recap than a boarding-pass photo. **Your route. Your preview. Your video.** With free styles, cameras and sounds: as many Full HD (1080p) exports as you like, at 30 fps with a RouteFlick watermark, up to 10 stops per trip. No account or card required to create and export. Pro: up to 4K at 60 fps, watermark removal and GPX/KML/GeoJSON import. Available output depends on your plan, browser and device. [Try the free demo](https://routeflick.com/create) **Why trust this guide** It is written by the RouteFlick team against the product we build. Product claims refer to the current web app; comparison details should always be rechecked on the named product's site before buying. **Turn this guide into a route** Start free, keep the context from this article, and see the result before you export. [Use "Hawaii Island Hopping" -- free](https://routeflick.com/t/dest-hawaii) ## Keep learning [InspirationThe flight log video: animate every flight you've taken](https://routeflick.com/blog/flight-log-map-video)[How-toHow to make a cruise vacation video (with real sea routes)](https://routeflick.com/blog/cruise-vacation-video)[ComparisonBest Travel Animation Apps in 2026: Mobile & Browser](https://routeflick.com/blog/best-travel-map-animation-tools-in-2026)