Real Weather works this way... You download weather files from the internet. These weather files can contain thousands of weather "reporting stations" and are usually updated hourly. You load the weather file into Real Weather and as you fly in Flight Simulator, Real Weather will automatically change your weather as you approach a new weather reporting station. So if you have a long flight, you will see many different weather combinations based on the actual weather conditions reported in the data file you downloaded from the Internet.
Real Weather is also integrated with FSClouds 3.0 from Flight One Software. FSClouds is a commercial add-on that offers many new cloud textures. The two programs can interface together and Real Weather will control the new cloud textures automatically while you fly based on the closest match and estimations possible. You will need FS98 if you want to use FSClouds with Real Weather. But remember, FSClouds is not required to use Real Weather.
The interface is quite simple and there is also a simple GPS display and the facilities to design a flight plan that will automatically be sent to your autopilot. You can fly clear accross the country on your desktop and never have to look at Flight Simulator (but that would be no fun).
Real Weather 5.0 is available here courtesy of Avsim Online. Download the following files below. One is the main program, and a small update that you may or may not need.
This latest version of Real Weather was designed by Jeff Wheeler and Steve Halpern
After you download RWX5_1.EXE below just execute it in any directory and you will be automatically brought to the Setup screen. Documentation will be installed in the application directory. You will also need a free DLL file designed by Adam Szofran that allows for 3rd party programs to interface with Flight Simulator. Download FS6IPC.6.1.0.53.zip from this link and then install it according to the instructions enclosed with the DLL.
Click here todownload RWX5_1.EXE
(4.8 MB).
This update includes some fixes and a feature improvement. Now included is a nice little GPS (FS98 Only) that you can use while you are flying. There are a few other fixes and improvements also. One of the full earlier versions of Real Weather 5.xx is required as this is only a replacement executable.
Version 5.21 includes: All previous version fixes, a fix to the GPS, the ability to use the GPS without using a weather text file, and finally the small adventure text module that allows you to run adventures while using Real Weather.