Flying the R4D from Meigs to o'Hare and the airspeed indicator returns to 0 and freezes regularly. Reset flight and it works fine. Fly sometimes in snow. Is the freezing gauge related to something in the realism such as the pitot tube freezing in the snow or is a patch or fix needed. I use a Dell 2.8 and Windows XP FS 2004

<<>>Patch or fix? PATCH OR FIX? Turn on your pitot heat!But if this doesn't do it, particularly being such a short flight, maybe something else is up. Please report!Mark "Dark Moment" Beaumonthttp://www.swiremariners.com/newlogo.jpg

Thanks. Can you save me some time. Where is the pitot heat control?

Just open the overhead panel, dwsshluker. You'll see PITOT HEAT there in the row of switches together with ANTI-ICER and DEFROST. Wear thermal undies as well and you'll be well set. Mark "Dark Moment" Beaumonthttp://www.swiremariners.com/newlogo.jpg

Thanks. I found it right away after I got your message. Guess what? It worked. Took off with it on and airspeed indicator worked. As I banked from 360 to 270 heading into OHare it conked out for two seconds and came back on. I figure the airflow due to the change in direction messed it up a bit, but once I completed the turn it kicked back in. I guess that is real realism. Again, thanks for your help.

If you get random severe icing, it'll zero your indicated airspeed despite having pitot heat turned on. The apparent fix is to disable random icing/severe icing in FSUIPC (the full version). With ActiveSky 2004.5 build 142 and FSUIPC 3.317 and later I haven't seen any more of these.RegardsBob ScottATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-V L-300Washington, DC

With the MAAM_SIM ladies, Bob? I think not. They simulate de-icing controls, and I've never come across the problem you describe. That said, if it were the case in random/severe icing, would you really want to disable what is after all a realistic consequence, by fiddling with FSUIPC etc.? Mark "Dark Moment" Beaumonthttp://www.swiremariners.com/newlogo.jpg

Yes, with the MAAM birds, and with several others that also properly handle aircraft icing control systems by sending the proper FS9 control calls (like the PMDG 737). In FS9, if you enter level 5 (severe) icing, it will freeze up your pitot systems regardless of whether pitot heat is on or not. And if you allow random icing in clouds, FS9 will give you occasional bouts of severe icing far more often than exists in real life.So, bottom line, losing your pitot system indications with pitot heat on, even in severe icing, is not a realistic consequence except in Redmond Washington. So yes, I "fiddle" with FS9 via FSUIPC options that were placed there to deal with just these sorts of Microsoftisms.RegardsBob ScottATP IMEL GUlfstream II-III-IV-V L-300Washington, DC