Its been a few months since I used AS 2004 but last night I started it up again. I have been studying to get my PPL and am I 38 hrs now. I have learned so much about weather compared to what I did when I bought AS months ago that I wanted to put my new knowledge to work. Its possible I am down an update or so, atleast in the FSUIPC side. I am pretty sure I am on the latest update of AS.My question regarding winds aloft. When I got to aviationweather.gov or login to my DUATS account it seems the winds aloft data does not match. It seemed like AS was using older winds aloft data. This is not a hugedeal but I was just wondering if the winds aloft were supposed to be current with real world or just on a delay from real world.I have some re-learning to do with the program and fsuipc. One of my practice flights from my home field had FEW and SCT clouds but ATIS would not let me run a closed pattern. Kept telling me condiotions were IFR only.Anyway, thanks for the support :)

Hi,Welcome back! You should be running at least MR1 which shows up as Build 115. If you would like there is a MR2 beta with a test FSUIPC to copy and paste into the main modules folder. If not then V3.30 is the latest FSUIPC.There is a slight delay for the private server to pull all the data and update AS. I believe it can be up to 20 minutes.FS and ATIS sometimes locks into the initial weather. To clear it go to the time and season screen, don't need to change a thing, but click on OK. This seems to clear out ATIS.Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/as2004proudsupporter.jpg

Thanks!Ill try it out tonight, maybe thumb through the manual as well. Make sure my settings and procedures are right. Might even have been updated since the last time I looked :)

Hi,A quick note about the winds... We use the WFS World Forecast Model data, the same as the data used by real forecasting agencies to produce charts (such as NOAA winds aloft charts for the international flight folder). We use the current forecast element updated every 4 hours, for the data expected 2 hours out.For example, at 00Z we will get the data for 02Z and apply that from 00Z through 04Z, at which time a new set is download (for 06Z).Compared with US FD winds, this is generally more up-to-date. But remember that the forecasts can be different. US FD forecasts are based on other information, not the WFS data, and this can vary. Which one is more accurate? Hard to say... FD Forecasts, if memory serves me correctly, are made every 4 hours with current forecast data for up to 6hrs out, 12 hours out, and 24 hours out. A real person does these forecasts.WFS Forecast runs are made every hour with current forecast data from 0 to 120 hours out. A computer does these forecasts.So to compare the end result of AS2004 client-received data with FD available data:AS2004: Computer forecasts world-wide updated every 4 hours, forecast time data used is for 2 hours after the actual udpate.FD: Human forecasts US only updated every 4 hours. Forecast time data is selectable from 0-6hrs, 6-12hrs, 12-24hrs.So basically they are different, and differences in forecast data are normal.... But they should not be THAT different. A good way to check the accuracy of the timing at any given moment is via temperatures. If the surface layer temps (3000ft level in forecast) are very close to the METAR surface temps, we are on target.Hope that helps!