since i take to big a frame hit with real world weather i'm going to start using either weather themes or the user defined weather. it seems to work well as far as smoothness goes. i'm just looking to see how others use the built in weather in FS9. i understand using the themes or user defined weather in a 50 mile area but how do some of you set things up for a 500 mile or more flight? do you use a theme or check the weather on TV or the net and set it up as user defined for stations along your route, that match the real outside weather? just looking for some ideas from some folks who use the built in weather system on a regular basis. thanks, william

Check http://www.weather-maker.com for their theme building utility. Might be just what you're looking for. Also, a real-weather program like FSMetar or ActiveSky2004 might work for you, as you can restrict the number of layers of clouds and such to improve performance.Good luck,sg

thanks alot scott, i'll check it out. william