Hello pilots...I'm looking for a replacment to the default 'load real-world weather (update every 15 minutes)' functionality in FS9. I find that sometimes it seems to set the weather to something I really don't believe could be realistic - although I'm no expert, and I suppose it could be accurate!Anyway - I know there are several programs out there, but I do not want anything too advanced, just something that will set my weather to real-world conditions properly. I don't mind buying something like ActiveSky, which looks really complicated, but I would still have to be able to use it just on a simple level (as a replacement for Fs9 functionality) first.I'd really appreciate some advice.ThanksGary:-sun1

Here's a free one.. http://personal.telefonica.terra.es/web/fsmetar/

Activesky really isn't complicated at all and well worth getting.

Thanks, I'll give FSMetar a try.I don't mind paying for something like ActiveSky, but when you look at their websites, it doesn't look like it's a simple app, which probably means it's more accurate to the real world!Gary

Hi Gary,It may look like alot, but once you read the manual and set things up there is little more to do. AS can be easily configured to what ever you wish. Also, there is a dedicated Forum here for any questions a user may have. In the future, if you are interested, please give us a shot.Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/as2004proudsupporter.jpg

"...like ActiveSky, but when you look at their websites, it doesn't look like it's a simple app..."Yep, Gary, I'll second what Jim wrote in his reply to you. Just bought AS and set it up without a problem (though I RTFM'd the manual before doing anything :-) ). AS + FSW Skyworld 2004 left me giggling to myself when I first flew with the combo.Cheers,Greg

Gary,there is a program available at simmarket called Wetter 2004. It is a standalone prog that sets the world weather at your needs without the need of FSUIPC nor you need to be online to get realistic weather in FS9. You can set the weather for the whole world or just for some continents. You can set the weather to different seasons and daytimes and decide how much cloud layers you want. It isn

>I'm looking for a replacment to the default 'load real-world>weather (update every 15 minutes)' functionality in FS9. I>find that sometimes it seems to set the weather to something I>really don't believe could be realistic - although I'm no>expert, and I suppose it could be accurate!You really don't believe it to be realistic, but you suppose it could be accurate. I don't fully understand that, but have you tried real world weather with FS Skyworld? http://fsw.simflight.com/fsw2004.html

Get ActiveSky 2004.5 - it is not a complicated program at all. Most of what you see on the main screen is just echos of the METAR data it's pulling down - you load the sim, run ActiveSky, let it update, and that's it. You don't have to use the other stuff like loading a flight plan into it, entering your own weather etc.

>Hello pilots...>>I'm looking for a replacment to the default 'load real-world>weather (update every 15 minutes)' functionality in FS9. I>find that sometimes it seems to set the weather to something I>really don't believe could be realistic - although I'm no>expert, and I suppose it could be accurate!>>Anyway - I know there are several programs out there, but I do>not want anything too advanced, just something that will set>my weather to real-world conditions properly. I don't mind>buying something like ActiveSky, which looks really>complicated, but I would still have to be able to use it just>on a simple level (as a replacement for Fs9 functionality)>first.>>I'd really appreciate some advice.>>Thanks>Gary>>:-sun1 >You can't go wrong with ActiveSky: "under the hood" there is a lot of stuff to fiddle about with, but it's easy to use and the support offered -as I'm sure you've gathered by now- is second to none.ricardo

Thanks Ryan - that's the sort of thing I really needed to hear - I'll invest in ActiveSky I think. When i wrote the original post, I had the PMDG 737 in mind - it's simple enough to just get up and running and do a basic flight, but later you can get more involved - which is the sort of thing I'm looking for in a weather program.I don't know how FS9's real world weather system works, and I guess I saw some weather that looks alittle odd. For example, from Heathrow to Ryiadh and i landed in what I thought was fog (in the desert). I'm not expert, but I thought that was strange. Guess it could have been a sand storm!I wonder what FS does in the cases where it does not have a weather report on a particular area?Gary

Active Sky is a little more complicated than turning on your computer. :) Other than that, it is the best weather I have ever seen on a Computer. I flew into Atlanta the other day from Brussels, and when I got home I took off from Atlanta Airport on my ATR-72 and it looked exactly the same as when I was in the RA B767. You can't get any better than that.

I am thinking of getting active sky myself. Does it come with its own cloud sets or do I still need to go get those FSW sets?ThanksBill

Hi Bill,Thanks for your interest! No cloud textures included. AS will use whatever you have installed.Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/as2004proudsupporter.jpg

Many thanks Jim.Bill