Real Weather / Wind Problem

[Guest RSmith]

Just recently, I have had problems getting last minute ATC / Tower landing approach - r/w clearance / selection changes; ie: ATC Approach directs you to a r/w from the normal 50-60 miles out, vectors you around to the final. Just as I'm getting handed off to tower - I'm told to enter a left d/w pattern for the opposite r/w.This used to happen sporadically. Now, last 3 flights into this one airport - happening everytime.And, to check myself - after d/l'g Real Weather, I went into weather / advanced and checked the wind conditions at both departure & arrival airports. Both showed correctly - however, the ATC approcah control arrival still vectors me around to an opposing r/w based on the winds (?) - and - there was an ILS available on the proper r/w - the one I should have been vectored to - originally - by ATC.Seems that the 1st vector (r/w selection) is getting confused by something - or maybe I have a wrong setting in FSUIPC. I'm not using taxi wind control, and I am not using the "extend wind upwards" option. Have tried both - and doesn't seem to change the scenario.....Further confusion. I just went back to the destination airport - and sat the a/c on the end of the runway. I then used shift-z to see what the winds were saying..... the winds were just going all the way around - counterclockwise - not accurate at all. Then, going back to weather / advance - the proper winds show up ???????Really confused what could be causing this !Thanks for any tips or suggestions !Ron

[Guest Astrojet 112]

Hi Ron,It seems that a lot of us are experiencing this same problem using FS Meteo. I did a flight last night from KIAD to Raleigh-Durham and the same thing happened on short final. But it was funny because the tower was admonishing two AI flights landing ahead of me for landing on the wrong RWY as well! I am wondering if using Radar Contact would correct it?Astro

[Guest RSmith]

Experienced the opposing AI, too ! On one of the recent "re-directed" approach, I kept hearing this AI aircraft being directed by ATC / Tower - to land.... on the original - but now - opposing r/w !!???I was the one that got the "go-around" - and the "3rd" attempt to land was successful. Screwy approach control !!So, what causes this - it has to be a weather / winds / ATC code problem, I would assume..... Does anybody know if there is a resolution to this ?Ron

[Guest KenG]

If you are using FS2002's default weather program, then I don't think any settings in FSUIPC will help. FSUIPC is for outside weather programs and provides an interface for them to interact with FS2002. As for the problem, don't know what to tell you. I've seen it with the default program, but because that's not my usual weather service (I use FSMeteo), I chalked it up to an anomaly and didn't worry too much about it. Why this normally happens is that the winds at your current position are different from those at the destination and warrant a different RW. Also, all other AI aircraft will be experiencing YOUR weather regardless how far away they are or how close they are to the airport. When you switch weather stations as you approach the airport, the winds shift and you get your new assignment. Very annoying, indeed!With FSMeteo, you can almost always get around this by telling it to get the destination weather. However, I don't think the AI aircraft get that weather until you are in the vacinity of the airport as they sometimes get the wrong runway and cause quite a scare to this pilot as he tries to land on the same runway their departing, only in the reverse direction.

[gosta 0]

'Why this normally happens is that the winds at your current position are different from those at the destination and warrant a different RW.' True, and this can cause a problem at airports, where the boundaries of the weather areas are not entirely accurate. At Heathrow (EGLL), for example, you'll notice that at the end of RW9L, the nearest reporting station is EGLC, while at the rest of the airport it's EGLL. This is a MS mistake, the EGLC weather station is in the wrong place. Also, with downloaded MS weather, I always get asked to land at the oppiste end of the RW in Atlanta.Cheers,Gosta.

[Guest RSmith]

Thanks all.Follow-up question. Is "MS Real Weather" considered "default weather" for the explanation above regarding the FSUIPC interface ? I had understood (probably wrong) that FSUIPC settings would work with d/l'd weather using MS's "Real Weather" button on the weather page ?I was going to jump to FSMeteo, but if the same problem occurs - as described with departures - vs. - arrivals - guess I would not be making any progress ?Ron

[Guest KenG]

From what I understand, FSUIPC does not work with weather generated manually or downloaded by MSFS's weather program. FSUIPC is designed for outside addon programs to interface with MSFS.As far as FSMeteo, FSUIPC will work well with it (it's required in fact). You will also not see this problem as much with it versus FS2002's weather program. However, you may see aircraft occasionally landing/taking off in the opposite direction as you have been instructed to land. That is a problem inherent to FS2002. Unless FSMeteo can tell FS to use the weather it has already downloaded for your destination in guiding AI planes (I don't think it can), you will still occasionally see this phenomenon. What you won't see very often is approach telling you to land on one runway and then being told the opposite direction as you contact tower. It does happen rarely, but it is a bug with some airports or because FSMeteo just downloaded a new batch of weather and the data have changed (e.g., the METARs have just been updated from the previous hour). FSMeteo is far superior in its accuracy to MSFS's weather program. The weather servers seem to be more reliable as well, with respect to accurate weather info. Transitions are better, due in part to FSUIPC. It is all I ever use these days.

[Guest RSmith]

Thanks Ken.May give it a go....... Funny how these quirks go - this same flight - the one I previously had the annoying, last minute, r/w changes, just went "as scheduled". The arrival airport was busy as good be - 2 AI waiting to takeoff, one behind me on final, 8 AI at the gates / parking. All went well. Used MS d/l'd weather - as I always have done - and everything went as it should. Strange - one day Ok - the next - all screwed up !MS Weather accuracy in my flight areas has been 75% + accurate - from what I've checked. My flights are usually short - less than 90 minutes enroute - so the update of weather isn't so important to me. I do, on occasion - update weather - just before (I think) I am going to receive my initial approach instructions..... But usually - I load weather before departure..... and go with it.....Your FSUIPC comments are interesting. Think I need to go review the "read.me" again......I'll also check our FSMeteo - and see what happens.....Thanks,Ron