Hi all...like a lot of people here, I am plagued with massive wind shears at high altitude while using AS2004. I am using the latest release version, VATSIM weather, online updates every 10 minutes, and on a cross-country flight at FL350 last night (KATL-KVCV), around the DFW area, I was getting hammered by near-constant 90-120 degree wind shifts at 70 knots, every 5-10 seconds. Tonight, though, I'm seeing a different problem.As I type this, I'm flying a Baron 58 along the Alaskan coastline near Sitka. The active METAR is showing this:PASI 100153Z 00000KT 10SM FEW007 OVC026 07/06 A3038 RMK AO2 SLP288 And the winds aloft are showing this:FL030: 265/02 (1.6) FL060: 219/08 (-2.7) FL090: 212/12 (-4.8)FL120: 206/26 (-15.6) FL180: 209/53 (-27.0) FL240: 212/76 (-38.0)FL300: 214/87 (-44.1) FL340: 219/93 (-53.7) FL390: 215/50 (-52.6) What I'm seeing are weird wind behaviors at about 10,500 feet. The wind direction and speed should be from the southish at ~15-20 knots. What I'm seeing instead is an average of about 135 @ 21 kt. But, every couple of seconds, for a split-second, the wind will shift 100-180 degrees while remaining constant in velocity. So, I might be at a nice steady 125/21, then for a half-second or less the wind will spike to 280/21, and then shift back for about 2-5 seconds before spiking again. The degree of shift is not constant. It's almost like the two wind numbers are trying to average out to what's on the winds aloft section of the weather display; as the southeast wind shifts around toward south, the little spikes shift around toward the south too.Needless to say, these little micro-shears make it basically impossible to hand-fly the airplane.Has anybody seen behavior like this before? This is a first for me.Lewis "Moose" GregoryColumbia, South CarolinaDVA 1427/Solent 644

Hi Moose,Yes on a flight yesterday from KLGA to KDEN with the PMDG 737, I had rapid wind shifts throughout the entire flight and when the wind did settle down, it was from the wrong direction, 090/80 over Ohio. The average wind as reported by AS2004 was 272/62. Checking the aloft winds data at this site: http://adds.aviationweather.gov/ the winds were not out of the east anywhere in this part of the country.I hope that Damian can get to to the bottom of this wind shift problem ASAP.Bob

Hi guys,This is the FS9 wind bug issue. The wind layers at your current aircraft altitude are being controlled by FS9 regardless of the actual set values (which are correct as set by AS or any other manual/automatic method). The symptoms are as you describe, the velocity remaining constant but direction erratically changing. Unfortunately even though we are managing to eliminate a significant amount of these FS9 bug events through the many wind control features, they can still occur. Some users have reported that NOT using route-based wind smoothing will actually improve the situation when these types of wind shifts are encountered (it really depends on the area - some areas seem problematic due to FS9 station positioning). We are always actively working on more "work-arounds" to the FS9 wind problems, and in the next update things should be more improved. Hopefully the above tips help, please let us know...-Damian

Hi Damian,I have dis-abled route-based wind smoothing, when I got the rapid wind shifts. What does confuse me, is that FS9 real weather function does have the correct direction of the wind with its constant shifts also. I am aware that you have made great leaps with the last update, but the winds being 180 degrees out of phase is perplexing. As you stated in must related to stations. When I fly over the east coast of the US I receive far more wind shifts than anywhere else. When I flew to Sydney from Jarkarta, I don't think I got a single winds shift. Flying back to Darwin from Sydney I got very few. Flying over the ocean I don't get any either.CheersBob

Bob and Moose,Just to rule out the mistake I did. Have you checked so the Squawkbox option Ignore real weather is checked while running AS2004? I made a couple of flights online with this option unchecked, i.e getting weather from VATSIM and running ActiveSky 2004 and got all sorts of weirdnesses. ;-)Hope it helps,

Hi Mats,Just checked that option and it is in reference if to use VATSIM weather. It is unchecked in my option page. The instructions state if checked use VATSIM weather when online. Now I do have use online updates. I was thinking about raising the altitude that I get updates. Right now I have mine set to 25000 feet. So as I am climbing out I don't get any wind shifts. Thanks for the suggestionBob

Bob,Mats was referring to the squawkbox options not the ASky option page. If you're on SB you should make sure the 'Ignore real weather' box is checked.

Hi Dean,I don't use SB, as my signture says I am a Radar Contact guy (LOL)Bob

Well Bob,Im was under the impression the original poster was flying online on VATSIM. But taking a closer look he only states he uses VATSIM weather. Not that he's flying on VATSIM.Sorry my mistake Bob.BTW. Why shouldn't a "Radar Contact Guy" be able to fly online with SB? ;-)Regards,

Hi Matts,BTW. Why shouldn't a "Radar Contact Guy" be able to fly online with SB? ;-)I don't think so (ha ha ha ha), hard enough to keep up with all the new stuff we are working now (grin). Just wait until you see the new version4 of Radar Contact just great.CheersBobKDEN

I just checked my settings, and yep, I've got Squawkbox disabling its weather.BTW, when I started this thread, I wasn't flying online. However, right now I'm flying a flight from KDCA to KATL, and about 175 miles NE of Atlanta I'm getting those same wind shifts, 090-270 at 60 knots every second. It makes for an interesting ride. :)Lewis "Moose" GregoryColumbia, South CarolinaDVA 1427/Solent 644

For what it's worth, I've found that AS2k4's route based wind smoothing works best (even though I think there may be some details I don't understand - like how far off TAS you can be before causing ill effects). I've tried using FSUIPC's wind smoothing (which used to work well in FS2k2), and it can't seem to stop the 180 deg. wind shift stuff either (yes i have the latest version).