Flying on Larry's Land.... (Mountains look higher in the Winter...)

[jcomm 5,890]

This one is just a suggestion...

 

With FLIGHT we have Weather Themes as the "only" way to set weather, and we have recently reached the conclusion that no matter what Weather Theme / Season / Time of Day we choose, it is allways ISA Temp and Pressure.

 

Well, for me the idea of setting weather this way is perfectly acceptable, but I would like to see varying parameters, specially pressure and temperature. MSFS had dew point, although I don't believe it was really used internally... Now, since users are not allowed to change the parameters their way, FLIGHT might BE THE FIRST TO GO A STEP FURTHER and implement what L.Adamson, a Mountain Flyer, surely knows very well from his RL experience :-)

 

There is that well known Aviation saying: "FROM HIGH TO LOW, WATCH OUT BELLOW, FROM LOW TO HIGH, DON'T WORRY, FLY..."

 

No PC-based sim has ever modelled the temperature side of this phrase. Most sims correctly model the pressure side, but RW pilots know that denser/colder air, even if surface pressure is the same, will bring altitudes down...

 

When Larry takes off in Summer from his preferred airfield between mountains, and the QNH is, say 30.01, he knows that the indicated altitudes will allow him to transpose some hills that he isn't able to cross at the same altitude in Winter time, even if taking off with exactly those 30.01 QNH... Why? Because the colder / denser air will push the pressure surfaces (isohypses) down, thus making the say 11,000' altitude on his altimeter look lower than it was in Summer....

 

Modelling this wouldn't be that difficult, specially because FLIGHT could use a simplified algorythm to find those pressure surfaces and users wouldn't be playing around with it, and it would be rather didactic and innivative too.

 

To my knowledge, orny Hardy Heinlin (the programmer of Aerowinx PS1 and the upcoming PSX) will model such a feature, so common and basic in aviation sylabus...

 

FLIGHT Team... what do you think :-)

[LHookins 3,102]

FSX most definitely modelled the effects of density altitude. And on a hot day you don't get as much lift, as the aircraft thinks it's higher than the altimeter reading. This means you can fly higher on a cold day than a hot one.

 

Density altitude is also why it's harder for some people to breathe when it's hot and humid. Your body thinks it's 3000+ feet higher than it is.

 

Have a look at this, and check the other links on that page:

 

http://wahiduddin.net/calc/calc_da.htm

 

This is a density altitude calculator. It's easier to get the DA in FSX because there's a single variable you use that has the mass of the air, and a standard calculation to perform on it.

 

Hook

[jcomm 5,890]

FSX most definitely modelled the effects of density altitude

 

Yep, you're right, but the stuff I'm talking here is different ;-) not density altitude but the fact that pressure surfaces are 3D and are lower / higher depending on airmass temperature :-)... Tis is well known, apart from density altitude in RL, but never (that I know...) modelled on a flightsim (pc-based...). PSX will model it as an option ;-)

[LHookins 3,102]

Temperature has a considerable effect on density altitude. I don't understand the difference. Perhaps you have a link?

 

Hook

[jcomm 5,890]

Hook,

 

I'll try to find one and paste it here, but basically density altitude affects the performance of your aircraft engine, lifting surfaces, etc... and relates to temperature and humidity.

 

Yet, imagine air as a sandwich compressed where it is cooler and extended wher it is hotter, even if at surface (supose a more or less homogeneous surface in terms of altitude, like the ocean) the pressure is the same.

 

This way when you're flying from higher temperatures into lower ones the pressure surface will deep towards the earth, and so will the aircraft if following the reading of it's altimeter (aneroid).

 

 

A few links:

 

http://www.aviationweather.ws/013_Altimetry.php (the best, see first sketch)

 

http://www.studentpilot.com/interact/forum/archive/index.php/t-37860.html (read towards the end, on their interpretation of an FAA exam...)

[LHookins 3,102]

Corrected or True Altitude. Gotcha. Thanks.

 

Hook

[jandjfrench 3]

Hi,

 

These posts show a great deal of erudition but who the heck is Larry? And as far as that goes, I'll bellow when I want to.

 

Jim F.

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

Larry Adamson is some strange guy who does ritualistic burials of dead flight simulators in his backyard. Don't ask, you really don't want to know. :LMAO:

 

Oh, yeah, he's a nice guy, otherwise. Just don't show up at his door with a dead flight sim in your hand!

 

Best regards.

Luis

[LAdamson 240]

Larry Adamson is some strange guy who does ritualistic burials of dead flight simulators in his backyard. Don't ask, you really don't want to know. :LMAO:

 

Oh, yeah, he's a nice guy, otherwise. Just don't show up at his door with a dead flight sim in your hand!

 

Best regards.

Luis

 

I heard the same thing. A tombstone was even erected at the sight. And then the clan of participants drank heavily afterwards....

[RamonB 449]

Hi,

These posts show a great deal of erudition but who the heck is Larry?

Jim F.

 

Larry Adamson is some strange guy who does ritualistic burials of dead flight simulators in his backyard. Don't ask, you really don't want to know. :LMAO:

 

Oh, yeah, he's a nice guy, otherwise. Just don't show up at his door with a dead flight sim in your hand!

 

Best regards.

Luis

 

I heard the same thing. A tombstone was even erected at the sight. And then the clan of participants drank heavily afterwards....

 

^^^^^^^ Priceless

 

(Ok the post is/was too short =)

[jcomm 5,890]

See, FLIGHT is still my only way to start a sunday morning waking up my neighbours while laughing :LMAO:

 

Thank you guys, MS FLIGHT Team may well not end up finding the time to implement such features, but just for the thread it was more than worth the write!!!

 

Ah! And Larry, I hope you don't get mad at me for these posts :-)... BTW: Do your mountains look higher in Winter :-)

[CrewF16 26]

In my opinion all of you are missing the best part of the FSX weather experience. "REAL WORLD WEATHER". Very often when I fly (especially when I fly the NGX) I will check the national radar and isobars. Although being a little behind it is very close to what is out there. It is pretty Kool landing into a Cat lll situation with a 25 knot crosswind and knowing that everyone else at that airport is dealing with the same right now and you made it flying by hand top down.

Thanks,

Ron

[LHookins 3,102]

"REAL WORLD WEATHER"

 

I know, right? I can't wait to experience instantaneous barometer changes of several hundred to 1000 feet, instantaneous wind speed and direction changes up to 180 degrees, instantaneous temperature changes of a dozen degrees, and these changes coming a couple times a minute or more in a GA aircraft, more often if you're flying faster. And it's even worse if you're flying at the boundary of two weather layers. Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll report winds aloft.

 

The best smoothing algorithm in the world can't deal with incorrectly reported and out of date data. You'd think it would be so simple, but somehow no one seems to be able to do it.

 

It wouldn't be too bad in Hawaii, but before you go asking for real world weather, fly Alaska at GA altitudes with GA aircraft with real world weather in FSX for a while to see what it's like. I recommend flying to Dutch Harbor, PADU.

 

Hook

[LAdamson 240]

BTW: Do your mountains look higher in Winter :-)

 

Yes they do! They get 15' or so, of snow added to the top...

[RoboRay 126]

Ba-boom, TAP!