In another topic RoboRay posted this:

 

Go back for spring... Snow on the mountains. Some ice on the water. But still plenty of green grass and trees visible. Go early in the morning or late in the afternoon, depending which direction you take, to have low-angle sunlight from behind you. With some low clouds, the tallest peaks will rise to meet them.

 

It made me wonder which season and what time of day everyone prefers. Maybe you like to use various conditions everytime? Or do you stick with one scenario?

 

I usually do what RoboRay suggested: I mostly fly in Spring, most of the time with Low and threatening weather. I also usually click on Dawn or Dusk (depending on the direction I am flying: I like the sunlight to come from behind) and then I set the time 2 hours forward or backwards (towards noon) so it looks like daytime but I get those awesome shadows all over the place. (Even though dawn and dusk are awesome, flying with colored skies all the time gets a bit tiresome.) I do this everytime, so after changing the date or specially the season, I click Dawn or Dusk and then +2 or -2 hours. Works like a charm.

 

I really LOVE the winter too (specially because you get those GREAT shadows) but somehow I forget to select winter and I mostly fly in spring...

 

What do you prefer? Any tips on some great combinations of seasons and time?

 

What do you prefer? Any tips on some great combinations of seasons and time?

 

I just typically use the season and time that it defaults to, and pick low and threatening weather. I really need to try out some of the new weather themes.

I just typically use the season and time that it defaults to, and pick low and threatening weather. I really need to try out some of the new weather themes.

 

If you pick where it defaults too, you are always flying in the same conditions, I guess, because your settings are saved from the last session. Yes, you really should try some new weather themes but also some other seasons! Unlike Hawaii Alaska really looks different in various seasons!

Fall, hour after sunrise, hour before sunset.

If you pick where it defaults too, you are always flying in the same conditions, I guess, because your settings are saved from the last session.

 

For the most part yes, however the time of day does advance - if I do it enough I eventually find myself flying at dusk and eventually at night, which I then go back and reselect at dawn and start over from there , as I typically prefer not to fly at night.

I usually take whatever I get, but happened to flip through the seasons while flying Merrill Pass, which that thread had referenced, to see the differences.

 

There, summer was all green, winter was all white, while spring was a nice contrasting mix. I finished the flight out in spring.

I like winter, but have been trying to vary the seasons. Haven't played with the time that much other than I took some night flights. Will have to experiment with sunsets and sunrises more.

Clandestines right before dawn, low and threatening or heavy weather. I did heavy for the first time this morning Lanai to Dillingham, got bounced about pretty good en route to Honolulu. The whole bay was fogged in to 1000', so until I got inland a bit it was soup all the way. Crossed over to the north shore, and Dillingham was fogged in as well, which made for a bit of a tense approach and landing.

 

Other than clandestines I run a few hours after/before sunrise/sunset facing the sun. I'm not too keen on how jagged and flickery the shadows in the cockpit are, especially the RV-6A. If those got smoothed out that'd be a big plus.

 

As far as seasons, I've not flown much in Alaska yet, but this mornings flight in summer was gorgeous, probably because I strayed into the Kenai Fjords National Park to check out the Harding Ice Field. AK01 Alaska Airpark to PAWD Seward made for a fun burger run.

 

Here is a Fall season shot of my flight into Kodiak this morning from Kenai. Just looking to post a couple of screen shots I guess. B)

 

Enroute to Kodiak, about 1/2 way there

 

 

 

Short Final on the ILS rwy 25.

 

Clandestines right before dawn, low and threatening or heavy weather. I did heavy for the first time this morning Lanai to Dillingham, got bounced about pretty good en route to Honolulu. The whole bay was fogged in to 1000', so until I got inland a bit it was soup all the way. Crossed over to the north shore, and Dillingham was fogged in as well, which made for a bit of a tense approach and landing.

 

Other than clandestines I run a few hours after/before sunrise/sunset facing the sun. I'm not too keen on how jagged and flickery the shadows in the cockpit are, especially the RV-6A. If those got smoothed out that'd be a big plus.

 

As far as seasons, I've not flown much in Alaska yet, but this mornings flight in summer was gorgeous, probably because I strayed into the Kenai Fjords National Park to check out the Harding Ice Field. AK01 Alaska Airpark to PAWD Seward made for a fun burger run.

 

 

 

 

 

If you get to Seward again, forget the burgers, get some seafood. Great seafood restaurants there. Ray's Waterfront has a great view.

well, in my Grand Tour of AK, I've been flying at real world time and season, so it's all been looking very friendly so far, but when i fired up Hooks route through the Merril pass, I've chosen winter (mid February) and BOY - is AK pretty! (this is about 1900Z)

 

 

 

 

I always like to fly in Real World time (even bump it forward a few minutes so it truly is exact while the page is loading). I really wish they would add Real World Weather like there was in FSX as I currently go online before my flights to check the weather then match the closest theme. Only bad part about this is I don't get much practice flying at night these days due to the midnight sun!

I always like to fly in Real World time (even bump it forward a few minutes so it truly is exact while the page is loading). I really wish they would add Real World Weather like there was in FSX as I currently go online before my flights to check the weather then match the closest theme. Only bad part about this is I don't get much practice flying at night these days due to the midnight sun!

 

I do like the idea of real time and real weather but my problem is that I live on the other side of the world... So I would always be flying at night and have night weather too. I had the same problem with FSX... For a while I used to set the time to day (or whatever I liked) and use ASE for real weather, but then again I would be flying with weather that didn't fit the time I was flying. So after a while I decided to forget about all that and simply pick the time of day and the weather I wanted. So I am pretty fine with what Flight offers right now!

I do like the idea of real time and real weather but my problem is that I live on the other side of the world... So I would always be flying at night and have night weather too. I had the same problem with FSX... For a while I used to set the time to day (or whatever I liked) and use ASE for real weather, but then again I would be flying with weather that didn't fit the time I was flying. So after a while I decided to forget about all that and simply pick the time of day and the weather I wanted. So I am pretty fine with what Flight offers right now!

 

That is a valid point I never really considered. the lack of real time weather is my biggest complaint, I never flew without it in FSX. the beauty of it is it is constantly changing. I have taken off in partly cloudy days only to have a front or storm move in. I remeber a VA flight in FSX tracking a hurricane in the caribbean and trying to fly around it only to have it change course, made for a rough flight.

 

It's probably why I get bored with Flight lately, it's to predictable. When I do fly i like dawn or dusk flights and like others, spring is good, but also like winter.

I prefer to pick my general weather theme, season and time, but the themes need to be variable. It's silly to choose a stormy theme and know the thunderstorms and heavy rain will be in the exact same spots they were the last dozen times you picked that theme.