Hi,just a curiosity: what is the source of winds aloft data in ASV?And how do they measure winds in real world? Pilot reports? Ballons?Marco

Hi Marco,That's classified information, but it is very accurate and based on the World Forecast Model which is used in real life for winds planning. There are thousands of wind points covering every part of the globe that we match to appropriate FS9 weather stations for in-sim wind injection. There are also 500 pseudo stations that DWC (direct wind control) uses to bridge the gap between FS9 stations. For realism's sake, there is usually a small (ocassionally large) deviation in real winds compared to forecasts and this is handled in ASV by aloft predictability and wind drift features.Radiosonde balloon measurements are too sparse in coverage and usually too old to be useful, but it is what our older AS products (and all other weather add-ons that we are aware of) use.Best,

Hi Damian, :)so, if I understood correctly, actually Winds Aloft (in real world too) are not reports, but forecast, based on some kind of weather modeling (World Forecast Model)?Marco

Hi,Well actual winds aloft are of course "actual", there is no facility for world-wide reporting of such other than the radiosondes and pilot reports, so we rely on forecasts (usually in the form of FD forecasts for USA, or upper-level charts, both based on the world forecast model) for planning purposes. The actual "observations" as mentioned don't work because of the delay and lack in coverage. Of course the forecast models do reference observations, but that is just the starting point...Best,

Keep in mind that Winds Aloft (FD) Forcasts come out 3 times a day as they send the baloons up at the stations. I believe there's an old system still in use that uses radar, but I think it's limited only to clous layers.----------------------------------------------------------------John MorganReal World: KGEG, UND Aerospace Spokane Satillite, Private ASEL 141.2 hrs, 314 landings, 46 inst. apprs.Virtual: MSFS 2004"There is a feeling about an airport that no other piece of ground can have. No matter what the name of the country on whose land it lies, an airport is a place you can see and touch that leads to a reality that can only be thought and felt." - The Bridge Across Forever: A Love Story by Richard Bach