Winds Aloft Data Application

[FrankG2625 9]

Hello all,

 

So here I am flying a long haul with the Queen, and all of a sudden, I got an idea. I know that the winds aloft data for the 747 as modelled isn't a true simulation of the real thing (at least, that's what the manual says), but nonetheless I usually enter the data for a long-haul leg, and the FMC's fuel prediction generally improves considerably. However, it's a time-consuming task to go down the list of waypoints inputting every change of wind direction or speed, so I was toying with the idea of writing an application or extension or some sort of program to take the data from a source (online, a flightplan, Activesky, etc.) and automatically input it into the FMC. This is the basis for my question.

 

After using CheatEngine to read memory addresses, I've discovered that (on my machine), the addresses for winds aloft are:

1R - 0BD3F53C

2R - 0BD3F60C

3R - 0BD3F6DC

4R - 0BD3F7AC

5R - 0BD3F87C

(in other words, address 0BD3F53C(base16) + (208(base10) * index#(base10)) for each index)

 

So, my question is, before I go attempting the impossible, would it be possible to create an external program to input winds aloft values from an external list into the FMC? Or is this just wishful thinking and a waste of time?

 

Kind regards,

 

Frank Grivel

[G-CIVA 62]

It's the million dollar question.

 

However - the majority of 744s stil in service today still do not have the more advanced dispatch led ACARS/FANS RTE & WPT WIND/DESCENT FORECAST uplink facilities now fitted as standard to the T7. Therefore the PNF still has to 'mandraulically' enter the wind/temp data using his fingers & the CDU. Granted some RL 744 operators have retrofitted advanced ACARs wind data uplink facilites but the majority have not - probably due to cost.

 

While the industry standard is to do this in line with company SOPs which may only require it where major shifts in wind speed/direction/SAT occur that could still be up to 4 altitude reference & 4 wind directions & speed entries per WPT (1 at each altitude reference), 1 OAT altitude reference entry per WPT & 1 OAT entry per waypoint (at OAT altitude reference) on the LEGS Pages that could contain up to 120 indivdual waypoint entries...then at the outside consider that RTE 1 is not sufficient & RTE 2 is also used on the very rare occasion that the total WPT count could exceed 120 in total. A lot of finger typing!!...IRL with accurrate fuel burn numbers derrived from over 2 decades of operation & also based on individual hull performance figures RL crews can do this after departure & early in the CRZ with the confidence that the numbers will be very accurate.

 

If a totally separate wind data source is used to uplink the wind data compared to the actual wind data you fly inside FS - then the margin for error widens. Then bear in mind that ALL FS flight planning software currently available (& planned for the future) individually use entirely separate wind data sources separate from AS2012 - so unlike RL (where the same source is used in flight planning & ACARs data uplink) & the margin for error continues to creep upwards.

 

The next issue is the wind data source & reliability issues...AS2012 is within 3-5% on most days & I am not sure where they get their numbers from...so it would be pertinent to perhaps consider this source.

 

Thinking ahead to the T7 & 748 (both of whom IRL have advanced ACARs data uplink facilites) there may be a future in your idea...there are already several ACARs simulations which 'bolt on' to FS ... Hoppies ACARs for one ... & of course none of this would ever be within the art of the possible unless PMDG create the coding behind the scenes to accomplish it.

 

Over to you!

[NGXfanatic 85]

Interesting idea, and one I have mulled over plenty of times when I was flying long hauls in the PMDG MD-11 and 747. I am a stickler for accurate fuel and time predictions, and would religiously update the winds entries, especially to keep busy during the boring cruise phase! But man is it tedious, I was always wishing someone would write an application to retrieve the aloft winds in Active Sky and populate the FMC for me, like the real pros do with ACARS or datalink.

 

I suspect that even if it is possible, it would be too complex for a freeware solution, and that the target audience would be too small for the developer to make money from. But one can still hope.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

Cool idea. Would be interesting if you could get it going.

 

'mandraulically'

 

That made my morning.

[G-CIVA 62]

That made my morning.

 

Well...you know what I meant...it sounded more apt on this occasion than plain old 'manually' :lol:

[Tabs 2,790]

I think this is gonna be against the EULA here - hacking memory addresses isn't something we authorize.