I am so blown away by Opus FSX that I had to climb to the mountain top and yell it for all to hear. Very seldom does a FS addon live up to all the hype and very seldom does an FS addon come around that is a must have so when it does it is a big event. Well as a skeptic I have to say that Opus must be seen to be believed!

 

I purchased Opus and figured at the very worse I'd simply get my money back if it is no better (or worse) than AS 2012. After installing it, I am met with a simple program, no bakers list of check boxes, nerd nobs, sliders, options, and weather modes. When OPUS launches its almost comical compared to other weather programs because its totally unassuming and I was almost upset that someone would change $45 for THIS?

 

First flight from KEWR to KSFO not expecting much from Opus and pretty p'eed off that I'm going to have to call Flight 1 for a refund after being ripped off from this tiny little program. I'm sure most iPhone apps have more lines of code!

 

Anyway...KEWR is socked in with IFR, 1 1/2 miles vis and fog...ceilings around 800 feet Opus depicted this weather just fine as does AS 2012, so far, nothing that I didn't expect but all the hype is certainly not deserved. Cleared for takeoff on RWY 22R I rotated at 150 kts and turned my attention to the gear handle to bring the gear up. By the time I looked by out the windshield we seamlessly disappeared into the clouds. No ground, no other clouds, no barely visible buildings if you look down. You want to fly IFR? Okay, now you're IFR! Flying the instruments I turned to the west towards COATE my first waypoint as I climbed to 11000 under ATC control in 100% cloud cover.

 

No sign of breaking out of the muck we continued climbing and at about 15000 we broke through the first layer of muck. When I say broke though, I don't mean that it disappeared, I mean we climbed through it, to be met with another layer at about 18000. In wing view it was stunning to see us actually break out of the clouds and start climbing away from it just like in real life, then approach the second layer of clouds and disappear into that too. The second layer was only broken so when I popped out through that there were multiple layers on top of the first overcast layer which was still there. Finally climbing above the clouds at about FL 220, it was obvious that the whole region is socked in....today was no day for sightseeing.

 

As I crossed the Delaware Water Gap into PA I could see the end of the clouds about 75 miles ahead. Finally getting into some broken clouds down below I looked back to see the IFR weather I left behind. There was no doubt that if I lost my instruments I'd be in BIG trouble because that weather would be still there if I had to return to KEWR or any of the surrounding airports. FINALLY overcast means overcast and fog acts like fog!

 

I'm at FL 320 now over western PA and looking down below at a SOLID overcast layer down below. No tweaking, no check boxes, no trial and error. The weather acts like weather, what you see out of your window is what you're going to have to fly through. It doesn't dissolve or thin out once you get into it. VFR only FS pilots better start practicing your instrument procedures or you will find yourself in the side of a mountain!

 

Sorry for rambling on. I have to conclude with this assessment. As a loyal Activesky customer for years, I have to say it is night and day Opus is not just an evolution in FS weather, it is a revolution. If you already have a weather program and are thinking what's the big deal? Think of Opus weather as the PMDG of weather. Add REX Overdrive high def 4096x4096 clouds to the mix and prepare to be blown away.

 

So yep, I was a big skeptic. Today I learned that OPUS is probably one of THE most important programs to be released for FSX. When it comes to Opus less is really more and the developer found the magic bullet when it comes to FSX weather. Bravo.

Exactly what I found out.. old FS habbits needs to be relearned, weather is deadly, and IFR skills need to be top notch, ATIS check mandatory.

How does it cope with turb. And variable gusting winds? Updrafts / downdrafts?

They are working on turbulence.. thank god. :wub: The winds are injected as normally in FS. Nothing special.

Up and downdrafts are not modelled as far as I know.. but I can be wrong, just got none.

Compared to REX & AS2012, the frequency of updates the Opus team puts out is off the charts. Requests for features are almost always granted, and quickly too.

I own all three and I use Opus on every flight now, which is even better since the latest update that injects real winds aloft and temps.

The ONLY reason why I haven't pruchased OPUS was because I haven't heard anything about VATSIM WX option, how well it simulates UpperWinds and the fact that its NOT compatible with FS Build then I cannot buy it. I need FS build UpperWinds data for my flight plan log and I take my fuel load very seriously.

Thanks for sharing your experience couldn't agree more...

Yes indeed great program I prefer less and more :-)

So yep, I was a big skeptic. Today I learned that OPUS is probably one of THE most important programs to be released for FSX. When it comes to Opus less is really more and the developer found the magic bullet when it comes to FSX weather. Bravo.

 

Couldn't have said it better. I used REX Overdrive Essentials for one week after it came out, intentionally not using Opus for weather, just for cameras. Then I went back to Opus for weather, and what a difference. REX makes you wait a long time for what Opus loads instantly. REX clears weather, freezes and flashes while reloading. Opus loads weather very smoothly and adds to the realism.

Opus also gives all upper wind data upon request from the Addon menu, along with ground metars. You don't really even have to check ATIS, except to confirm which runway is being used.

On top of that, the camera controls and effects are extremely well done.

Opus is one of the best programs that I have purchased for FSX.

Amen. And please let me add a little something for those folks who fly at the other end of the spectrum, so to speak. I work for a bush charter service and most of my activity is confined to the PNW, NRM, CRM, Tongass Fjord and Alaska territories. I use Orbx scenery including their payware airports, REX, TrackIR5 and Opus. If you haven't yet experienced threading your way through the valleys, staying under the closing wx and praying for a just a little more daylight you really should try it sometime. Opus is made for this type of flying in these territories and I promise you, you will not be disappointed! I own and have used ASE, Active Sky 2012 and REX Essential. OpusFSX reproduces the WX in my chosen area in such a manner I would not consider flying without it. Period.

I have made a youtube video to show people who didn't believe how amazing Opus is a while ago, it's the first time in FS that I entered an overcast condition and only saw the runway 100 feet above. No visual with it until then, no lights, nothing. That is real IMC condition, this is what real flying is about, you can't see the airport through a gap between clouds, you don't see the runway lights from above, it's no visual until you're clear of the clouds.

 

Now with Real GRIB Wind-Aloft there's no competition, it's all there.

Bump because Opus and the couple making it are fantastic.

 

I have all 3 and I would not even think about using the others now

Opus made me realize how bad I suck as a pilot.. I now find places with good IFR and fly GA planes to practice.

 

Sure I have no problem in the soup with magenta line planes, but I had a really hard time trying to fly a vor approach on a steam gauge plane.

 

I got quite a bit of practice in earlier with some serious IFR this morning at my home airport KSFZ

Wow this thing replaces EZDOK also?? Alec can you post the video link again? Cheers jja

Mike,

 

I strongly agree. I have been using it for 2 months and it keeps getting better with each update. The weather depiction is the best I've seen. I also use Rex Overdrive textures. I love the Live Camera and the custom views I have been able to create for my PMDG 737 NGX and other aircraft. I had my doubts when I first heard of this product. Now I will not fly without it. It is the real deal!

 

Ed Farley

Wow this thing replaces EZDOK also?? Alec can you post the video link again? Cheers jja

 

 

Here you go!