I find GE a fantastic tool when used prior to flying an unfamiliar route, or to an unfamiliar aerodrome.
Obviously, for all 'legal' reasons in aviation, it should NEVER be a sole source of reference (had to say it!), but there are some really good benefits.
Just beware - depending on whether the photos that form the landscape were taken in Summer or Winter (or somewhere in between), if you take yourself to a theoretical 3D point, say, the point at which on your real flight you will be looking to find the aerodrome of arrival (obviously so you can accustom yourself with 'what the picture will look like'), 'the picture' can and does look very, very different!
I find the best use for GE is to have the aerodrome I'm going to be landing at on the computer screen in front of me, and the bog standard ground chart on the desk next to me.
If you're new to it, check out
MapOfStrange.com - Strange things in Google Maps to see some cool and weird things in the world!
