Don't you just love FS Real weather?... ..NOT!

[Guest]

>Now the appropriate question (especially for us who don't >live in for instance europe) is-are there really so few >reporting stations available? If so-then MS is doing the >best job it can. If not.... No, there are certainly more reporting stations available, perhaps the Jeppeson db is a little bit too selective. Can't speak for France, but it wouldn't surprise me if their equivalent of the Met Office restricts the use of data in some way. It would certainly be typical!A sample of today's METARs for S. England. The unavailable ones probably cause the problems:BIGGIN HILL EGKB 041950Z 31008KT 280V340 9999 FEW035 05/02 Q1014 BOSCOMBE DOWN EGDM 041950Z 30010KT CAVOK 04/02 Q1016 BLU BOURNEMOUTH/HURN EGHH 041950Z 31009KT CAVOK 05/03 Q1016 BRISTOL EGGD 041920Z 29009KT CAVOK 05/03 Q1016 BRIZE NORTON EGVN 041950Z 30007KT 9999 FEW030 SCT150 06/02 Q1015 NOSIG CARDIFF EGFF 041950Z 31009KT 9999 FEW030 06/04 Q1018 CRANFIELD No METAR Available CULDROSE EGDR 042020Z 32014G25KT 9999 SCT020 08/06 Q1021 WHT NOSIG EXETER EGTE 041950Z 32006KT 9999 FEW020 05/03 Q1019 FARNBOROUGH EGLF 041950Z 30005KT 9999 FEW025 05/03 Q1015 FILTON No METAR Available GLOUCESTERSHIRE EGBJ 041850Z 28004KT 9999 FEW045 04/02 Q1016 LONDON/CITY EGLC 041950Z 30007KT CAVOK 07/03 Q1014 LONDON/GATWICK EGKK 041950Z 30005KT CAVOK 05/03 Q1014 LONDON/HEATHROW EGLL 041950Z 30009KT CAVOK 06/03 Q1014 NOSIG LONDON/STANSTED EGSS 041950Z 32009KT CAVOK 05/03 Q1013 LONDON LUTON EGGW 041950Z 31013KT CAVOK 05/03 Q1013 LYDD No METAR Available LYNEHAM EGDL 041950Z 29008KT CAVOK 04/02 Q1016 NOSIG MANSTON EGMH 041950Z 32015KT 9999 FEW020 07/04 Q1012 PLYMOUTH CITY EGHD 041950Z 31004KT 9999 FEW015 05/03 Q1019 SCILLY ISLES/ST MARY'S No METAR Available SHOREHAM No METAR Available SOUTHAMPTON/EASTLEIGH EGHI 041950Z 30005KT 260V320 CAVOK 06/03 Q1016 SOUTHEND EGMC 041950Z 30007KT CAVOK 06/03 Q1013 ST MAWGAN No METAR Available SWANSEA No METAR Available YEOVILTON EGDY 042020Z 30008KT CAVOK 05/03 Q1018 BLU NOSIG ALDERNEY No METAR Available GUERNSEY EGJB 041950Z 31018KT 9999 TS FEW022 SCT028CB BKN056 08/05 Q1017 JERSEY EGJJ 041950Z 34019G30KT 9999 FEW020CB 09/03 Q1017 TEMPO 5000 TSRA BKN014CB I don't know about procedures outside the UK, but Met briefings tend to be based more on the general situation - forms 214 & 215. Obviously, you would get your METARs for departure airfield and another nearby airfield, then TAFs for your destination and any other places you might be passing en-route, but these are supplementary to the general regional forecasts. You also get wind etc. from ATC just before departure, and a briefing via radio when arriving at your destination. FS2002 just doesn't simulate this.

[cat 2]

FSMeteo will fix that once & for all.Petetr Sydney Australia

[Guest artl]

>No, there are certainly more reporting stations available, >perhaps the Jeppeson db is a little bit too selective. >Can't speak for France, but it wouldn't surprise me if their >equivalent of the Met Office restricts the use of data in >some way. It would certainly be typical! >I assume that the Jeppeson server is in North America, and that it probably obtains the METARS from some single North American source, such as NOAA.Now think about it a bit. Why would French or UK airports send their METARS to North America, unless they have runways that accommodate long-range aircraft? Your typical 4000 x 100 field will not be sending its METARS to North America, and I wouldn't think that Jeppeson would have them.Art.

[edetroit 933]

Hi Geofa, Re;'The first 2 are of the Paris area-the first shows a high concentration of reporting stations in Paris'.This is exactly what I`m saying no real weather at Paris Charles de Gaulle (LFPG) or Paris Orly (LFPO). Both fairly major airports I think you`ll agree?.Ednow where`s this Active Sky?.. :-lol

[Guest Ron Freimuth]

>What ####### me off is the 'no weather areas'. I don't mind >if the weather's not 100% the same as outside, but I hate it >when I'm flying along, battling with the elements when >suddenly the world goes perfect. This seems to happen a lot >over France. ...............>Gavin After getting the FS 'real wx', reset the 'global wx' to conditions more appropriate for the general weather condtions. Otherwise, standard, clear weather will come up in areas that don't have reports. Ron

[edetroit 933]

Well I opted for ActiveSky 1.5 and I am very happy with the results!..Infact I would say a must have!.....real weather throughout!..easy install etc...highly recommended.regardsEd

[Geofa 108]

You seem to be missing the point. Often some of the reporting stations don't report, or have old reports-hence no weather.If a reporting station doesn't report, (or doesn't exist for the area you are flying in) it doesn't matter if you have fsmeteo, active sky , or fs weather-you won't get current weather.See the Rat's metar for the England area-lots of missing reports.http://ftp.avsim.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboa...ewmode=threadedAs Ron quoted further down:"After getting the FS 'real wx', reset the 'global wx' to conditions more appropriate for the general weather condtions. Otherwise, standard, clear weather will come up in areas that don't have reports. "http://members.telocity.com/~geof43/Geofdog2.gif

[edetroit 933]

Thanks Geof......whatever was the problem active sky fixed it!regardsEd

[Geofa 108]

I don't know if you saw this post from the creater of active sky-but I think it explains the limitations of "real weather" perhaps better than I did:I also use active sky and look forward to the future update.http://ftp.avsim.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboa...ewmode=threaded http://members.telocity.com/~geof43/Geofdog2.gif

[Guest Wichita]

Yep,everytime that I think Real Weather has got it together you get slapped with reality. Decided to check it out again today seeing how we had 7 inches of snow yesterday and then mostly cloudy this morning with no precip.Gave it a shot at 7:30am this morning and it came up with beautiful clear skies--LOL. Tried it again at about 10:00 am and it was showing cloudy and raining--BTW,can't FS switch to snow instead of rain if the weather data it gets indicates snow?? So...what its showing at 10:00 am--including the temp, is from yesterday--yep,a full 24 hrs behind. I've never tried the add-ons like FS Meteo or active sky but I'm ready for something that's actually real.David

[Guest]

This thread convinced me. I downloaded Active Sky yesterday. Haven't had much time to put it through its paces, but so far I'm impressed. Thankyou Damian!When you look at some of the essential add-ons for FS that add must-have innovations or blow away some of the default features, you have to wonder why Microsoft don't just sit down and say, "That's a fantastic add-on, Mr Freeware Developer. Tell you what, why not give us the code, let us integrate it with the next release? Here's $50,000."