If you're seeing enough distortion (after the first moments during loading) that Flyover isn't useful, then your experience is far different from mine. It's incredibly useful to me, seeing the shape of a building and it's surrounding approaches. Great for planning parking and being able to know in advance what you're looking for.
I always liked Google Street View for occasional uses like that, getting a feel for the surroundings of a new distination (what parking might be easiest, how tall the building is, etc.). I always assumed Flyover would be a mediocre second-best for that kind of thing, cool though it may be.
In reality, I find I launch Google Steet View about twice a year now (and am often disappointed by massive blurriness and lens flares when I try it). Whereas I use Flyover more than I ever used to use Street View.
They both show the "real" shape of the roads and buildings in a way a flat aerial photo can't. Street View in theory can show smaller signs than Flyover—but in reality is usually too blurry or distorted for that. Street View is eye-level while Flyover is up above the street—but I have zero problem recognizing something just because of that angle difference. In fact, an elevated view lets me see further—I find myself wishing that Street View would let me pop 40 feet in the air too.
And Flyover--IF your city has it--is SO MUCH EASIER TO USE. In Street View imaging roaming around all sides of a 1-block building to see what the different entrances are. Tap... pan awakwardly... load... tap... jump another 20 feet... it takes FOREVER and has no smooth motion. It's a sluggish, messy slideshow.
Flyover is fast, smooth, and truly 3D. It shows depth and scale in a way Streetview can't, and you can roam the block in seconds, spinning around the building using the SAME map controls you use for normal 2D viewing. It's not really a separate mode. Awesome.
I'm sure Street View will keep improving to the point where I use it again: it will show me small signs like parking rules. But I'm much happier with Flyover than I expected. It needs to reach more places. (And of course it will.)
