Someone Depart KLGB head for KAVX 210 degrees.The sky has clouds off in the distance, but I ALWAYS run into mysterious fog banks. I heard that this weather bug was reported during beta testing and not fixed for the RTM.Micorsoft: WHERE IS THE PATCH???Barry

I just got the duats forecast for klgb and kavx within 15 minutes of your post.Lgb (Long Beach) is reporting at 0156Z visibility 3 miles, haze, 1,600 feet overcastspecial observation (0232z) visibility 3miles, haze, 1400 feet overcastavx (avalon catalina) visibility 1/4 mile, fog, indefinite ceiling 100 ft.Looks to me like you should be reporting "mysterious fog banks" if you are using real weather and on your way to catalina....http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/Geofdog2.jpg

Hey Geoff,Let me claify. If I am close to KAVX then I concur with you.But as I am flying along, I can see the path between my current position and KAVX as being fairly good visibility.10 (random) miles from KAVX, with KAVX in view, no clouds in my path, the mysterious fog bank appears out of nowhere.The problem is that it is consistant with any kind of cloud coverage, overcast in areas, scattered clouds. The only time it has not happened to me is when I use the Clear Weather theme.Through a very reliable source, it apparently was reported as a problem to the beta team and Microsoft.Load the current weather... Try departing from KAVX, climb to 3,500 head 045 degrees (I open up a IFR flight plan). If I can see the Long Beach shoreline when I get about 5 miles from KAVX, then all of sudden, the fog bank hits for about short period of time miles, and then it dissapates instantly as well. Sometimes a descent causes the fog to dissapate.I will try to screen dump and / or record the actual flight this evening. It may be how FS renders weather, but regardless it is not realistic!Barry

I'm going flying now but will try it later when I get a chance.I am still not sure I am understanding what you are stating.However-think like a programer. You have the weather at long beach which is 3miles in haze, 1400 ft. bkn, and then you have the report at avx of 100 ft. and dense fog. Since there are no reporting stations in the ocean,you have conditions that range from 100 ft. in fog with indefinate ceiling to 3miles visiblity and 1400 bkn. Fs probably tries to make some type of transition between the two very different reports-hence why you will hit random fog banks followed by good visibility.If you have the dynamic slider turned up-fs will try to change the conditions in some type of transition.I am not sure however, how reality could be increased in this situtation. It is after all using two single reports at two single stations that are quite different-knowing the exact weather in between is a guess.I flew to catalina last year . While on the island it was similar situation-low ceiling and fog . We sat there and waited at the airport-then suddenly the fog lifted right around the airport. We took off in the clear-the part of the island by the airport being shrouded in fog(except the airport), -and the part of the island where avalon is in the clear. You could also see the Calif. coast from there-and random areas of fog in between. I guess my point is-the weather isn't perfect-neither were the ice cube clouds in fs98, and either is real world weather and forecasts and reporting. (I just had a rw flight two days ago where what was reported, forecast didn't match up at all to reality-a similar situation-the forecasts at the single reporting stations were accurate-but what was going on between them was another story!).Realism gets better with each version of fs-but total realism-still need a real aircraft for that-thank god!Picture-shortly after takeoff from avx.http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/Geofdog2.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/41786.jpg

Hey Geoff,I concur that hitting a fog bank is possible.. and sometimes probable.. My main reason for this thread is to see if other people have experienced it. I am an Applications Developer by profession, and to me this seems like a bug or misunderstanding of weather interpretation. It just seems too predictable that on most of my flights with different weather scenarios, I hit this fog bank at some point approximately 10 mile mark ( varies ) from KAVX heading 055 from and 190 degrees towards from KLGB. Maybe it is a result of the lack of interpreting and or setting weather between weather stations, etc. Null weather zones??Why do you think FSUIPC exists?? I could completely accept this argument if MS was going into this development blind. They have been through the development cycle a few times I would say. They can build on what gaps via third party add-ons like Pete Dowson's FSUIPC. They have a vast amount of knowledge available to draw upon, just in the Flight Simulator industry alone. And the goal is simulation, it is not referred to as Microsoft Flight Game, which they have done an excellent job enhancing, except FS 2000, since FS 98. If you think about it, the Flight Simulator series has the longest development cycle of ANY computer based product. Each time FS is released, FSUIPC continues to fill gaps. I am sure a lot of gaps go unfilled to insure future versions. Which we do all benefit from.In the picture that you provided, where you have a clearing for miles around you, imagine in an instant, you have zero visibility. Not possible. No transistion?? Now if you flew in the direction of a cloud, and flew into the cloud, I would expect zero visibility.Obviously you have flown more hours than I have. Clouds seem to gradually transistion upon you. There is just something strange here in my opinion. But I still have to figure out a way to prove it, I guess.Thanks for your insight Geoff. Barry

I am not sure I have any insight-just an observation. From the real world weather reports,in your scenerio Ms has a station report from Long Beach, and one from Avx (catalina)- distance of 28 nm. In the scenerio provided last night the weather at long beach was completely different from the weather at avx.What does a programer do? Some of the add on weather programs will transition smoothly between the two stations. However, in this case that probably would not match reality. My point was that even though the airport (and official reporting station) at avx could be completely fogged in-the other side of the island could be clear. Since the station at avx reported fog-is it correct for the sim to envelope the entire island in fog, or a geographic area around the island in fog, or to transition absolutely smoothly between avx and long beach where there is no fog? Actually, none of these would be matching reality.I don't think there is a correct answer. How about visibility?-since duats reports don't ever report visibility over 10 miles how is the sim to decide greater than 10 miles visiblity?I see these less as flaws in programming, and more as choices to give a reasonable rendition of live weather with what information is available. The fact is that it has gotten closer and closer to representing real weather in each version since the beginning-but it still has limits.By the way-just got the duats for both long beach and avalon. Both are clear now. I'm off to fly the sim-if I get fog-then I agree there is a problem! :-)These are choices-and there really isn't a "right" answer. http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/Geofdog2.jpg

Geoff,Update KAVX Weather:KAVX according to the FS real weather static is:Overcast - visibility 1/4miWeather Observation via KAVXWinds were 056 @ 3 1/4 mile visibilityAccording to METAR on http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/metar.shtmlKAVX 090151Z AUTO 28007KT 10SM CLR 23/06 A2981 RMK AO2 SLP075 T02330061 Can you explain this? Is the Jeppeson Weather Feed the problem??Barry

Yes-it looks like the Jeppeson Weather feed has yesterdays weather for the update-I got the same results!http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/Geofdog2.jpg

Hey Geoff,First, let me say I really appreciate all of your insight and help. AWESOME!I heard that weather issues were brought up to Microsoft at the AVSIM conference. Microsoft admitted that there was a problem with the Jeppesen feed (Reporting AGL as AMSL). This can cause inaccurate elevation of clouds. If you see this occur they asked that you take the encoded wx data file and send it to them on the FS9 site. It appears that that whole weather load routine needs attention from Microsoft.. :)I also heard about some other work around regarding loading weather, in that you have to clear your Internet Explorer cache or the weather load wouldn't update..Where is the Patch???Take care!Barry

Geoff,There is a definite bug in FS 2004. I just took off from KAVX with CLEAR SKIES and 50 Miles Visibility and hit the mysterious fog bank.WHERE'S THE FS 2004 PATCH?Try loading the current weather and let me know...Barry

I have no idea what time you posted this.But the duats weather at 10pm est 10/11/03 at avx is:5 miles in haze, sky clear below 12,000.The fs real weather download for avx matches 5 miles vis and also reports clear.The Fa synopsis is calling for occasional visibilities 3-5 miles in mist, 1000 ft scattered to broken from 00Z.There is an airmet for celings below 1000 and visibilities below 3 miles.I am curious about your "fog bank". Why don't you post a shot in slew mode with the coordinates visible so we can see exactly where and what you are getting? I will try taking off and fly toward the coast and see if I get something like you are describing.http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/Geofdog2.jpg

Started out with 5 miles visibilty and clear skies which matched my duats report:Takeoff avx:http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/42438.jpgStill can see Catalina in background-scattered layer and 3-5vis(in duats area forecast)Approaching Ca coast-visiblity and conditions improving closer to coast as per duats:http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/42439.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/42440.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/42441.jpgNow I agree-a couple days ago the weather feed was wrong on avx-but it seems spot on tonight! :-)

Posted 10:50 PM CSTI agree that the weather, for whatever reason, is just not working correctly. Maybe it is the failure of Jeppesen to provide the data correctly to MS, I dunno,But I have noticed one thing that I am going to further look into, and that is; I download real weather at a location that is, let's say, at 3000 feet elevation. Cloud base is properly set at a 5000.If I travel westward to where the elevation is say, 5280 feet, the clouds base is on the deck. I download the weather again (well within 15 minutes) the cloud base goes back up to 2000 feet AGL.Just a theory.DonaldS

Would that be normal flight or slewing?http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/Geofdog2.jpg

Normal.I flew from McCook, Nebraska to Denver, Colorado.