Hi,What is this nonsense with ActiveSky 1.7 Australia?Is it a late April Fool's day joke or is it somebody trying to make money with Damian's work and brand name? It seems to be a pretty useless program adding nothing at all to wxRE that isn't there already.Cheers,Henrihttp://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/images/wxrebeta.jpg

Hi Henri,This is a valid add-on to ActiveSky wxRE. It permits full Australian winds aloft from the Australian winds sources using the offline mode of wxRE. wxRE is required for it to run. The benifit is instead of only 5-10 winds stations you'll get dozens. Hope that helps!-Damian[table border=0" cellspacing="30" cellpadding="0][tr][td align = "left"]Damian ClarkHiFi Simulation SoftwareDeveloper of ActiveSkyThe next-generation weather environment simulation for FS2002!http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky[/td][td]http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/images/wxrebeta.jpg][/td][/tr][/table://http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/ima...][/tr][/table

Hey Damian! So This Austrailia add-on works only if you use ActiveSky in Off-line mode?? So I don't need this add-on if i use Activesky only on On-line mode?? Just wanted to clarify this add-on!? Thank's for the Info MIKE

Hi Mike,That is correct, it requires use of OFFLINE mode. AA downloads from the Australian local sources and then creates cycle sets that wxRE can read (in offline mode). The end result is more-up-to-date and complete data when flying in Australia (AA may even auto-update the info, I am not sure - worth looking into if you are flying in Australia!). This does not work for other areas of the world. I'm sure Stephen Melis, the author, can comment more on this!-Damian[table border=0" cellspacing="30" cellpadding="0][tr][td align = "left"]Damian ClarkHiFi Simulation SoftwareDeveloper of ActiveSkyThe next-generation weather environment simulation for FS2002!http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky[/td][td]http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/images/wxrebeta.jpg][/td][/tr][/table://http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/ima...][/tr][/table

Hi Mike,And thanks to Damian for creating ActiveSky wxRE.Yes, if you would like detailed Australian weather using the Australian weather sources as which Australian real world pilots, like myself, would use each time they go flying, then you need ActiveSky Australia.With ActiveSky Australia installed there are over 30 different weather area each usually has one or two, and sometimes three different sub-divisions for cloud or winds aloft rather than the few radiosonde stations. Additionally there are most Airport Landing Areas and fully approved airports TAF and METAR, i.e. a approx. a hundred or more. ActiveSky Australia should be used by basicaly those who want to fly in Australia and see the differing weather conditions as you fly, and for those who want the real weather in Australia. You might ask why did I create it, So as to help me with my IFR instrument scan technique, and to provide that realism in FS2K2 that tries to get close to the real thing for the instrument approaches.You don't have to install ActiveSky Australia if you don't want or need it. ActiveSky wxRE provides several well spaced METAR, TAFs and winds aloft stations for Australia, but you won't experience the real conditions, after all Australia is big with very diverse weather.Further information on ActiveSky Australia can be found on my web pagehttp://www.users.bigpond.com/melissun/asa.htmStephen.

Makes sense if you think about it.....Their winds would be upside down if they used our data!...or whatnot...gwillmot

Damian, Stephen,Thanks for the clarification. I am flying online all of the time, so I did not see the added value. I appologize to Stephen for the fact that my first mail sounded a bit rude.Best regards,Henrihttp://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/images/wxrebeta.jpg

Hi Gwillmot,Yes indeed our winds are backward, our cold winds come from the south and hot winds from the north, a cold or warm from pass from the west to the east. Low pressure systems rotate clockwise and high pressure systems anti-clockwise. Severe thunderstorms need only be 10km away over a mountain range from a place where it hardly ever rains. Our hotest locations are a few thousand feet above sea level. Our driest lakes are a few feet below sea level. Even the water down the plug hole of the bath rotates backward. Australia is a land of contrasts, non more so than the weather, which is different from the USA. All these factors make for a wide variety of weather down under. A few METARS, TAF and winds aloft are not representative of the diverse Australian weather.Regards,Stephen

Hi Henri,If you never fly in Australia or, if you only intend on flying a 747 from Sydney to Perth, or similar, at flight level 360, or similar, then you won't need ActiveSky Australia, because it will only change the weather below you on your trans Australian flight. If on the other hand, you are a real world pilot or want to be a real world pilot and you fly a GA aircraft or a turbo prop or perhaps even a hang glider, and intend on landing at the domestic airports or even the aircraft landing areas (ALA), then ActiveSky Australia can increase the realism by supplying real weather METARs, TAFs and winds aloft to ActiveSky wxRE so as to increase your enjoyment of FS2K2.Again please see the web site, stated in my previous post, for more information.Enjoy,Stephen

Sounds like Texas!Seriously, your country is probably one of the most admired by us "yanks". I know it would be at the top of my list for international travel destinations.g'daygwilmot