Is it just me, or does your local airport consistently under-report the level of cloud, with the result that these falsely-sunny reports end up on the weather servers and thence in our "Real-weather" for FS9?I've been suspicious of my local airport (Leeds / Bradford, EGNM) for a while now, but today is a prime case. They never report OVC. Ever.I'm sitting here today at my computer at midday. It's so dark that I've got the light on. It's completely overcast all round, including over the airport which is 15 minutes drive away. Yet they are reporting BKN at 3500 feet, in their METAR timestamped an hour ago. Yet there's not a glimmer of sun anywhere, nor has been all morning. And it's not just today, it happens all the time. Perhaps it's an attempt to lure tourists into the area.It's very annoying when the real weather on FS9 looks nothing like what's outside the window. Yet when I fly virtually in the USA I see the full range from clear to fully overcast. Is this just some wierd UK thing?

If it is that bad then I think it is your source. Compare your reports/forcasts to www.metoffice.com, which are usually up to date.

Yes the source is the problem, ie what the local airport is reporting. Here's the current METAR LEEDS BRADFORD EGNM 121420Z 02007KT 340V090 9999 FEW007 BKN035 10/08 Q1007 In actual fact, the layer at 3500 is total overcast, and judging by the general darkness here, it's several thousand feet thick. And it's been like that all day. Yet for some reason they report it as BKN, but with no cloud layer above it, that means you should be able to see some blue and shafts of sunlight.That METAR above did come from the UK Met Office site as per your URL, but they take their feed directly from the airport. So the Met office is wrong as well. Ditto with the weather servers that we use for FS9 real weather.As I look at a satellite image of the UK, most of it is covered by a great swathe of cloud. Yet when I look at METAR's for Birmingham, Manchester, Glagow, they're all reporting broken cloud as well, not overcast. So there seems to be something about UK airport weather forecasts that they do not seem to like to report overcast conditions for some reason. Hence my question - is this the impression that other flightsimmers in the UK have?

Paul, its a conspiracy of the UK Tourism Board. :)

>Paul, its a conspiracy of the UK Tourism Board. :)That's what I'm beginning to suspect, Tom.I wish they'd go back to Beefeaters and Thatched Cottages and Men in Kilts and friendly Bobbies pedalling along on bicycles whistling, and warm beer, and cricket matches......and then maybe we could do some real IFR flying again.:-fume

I just tried Stansted and my local, Southend, and both are clear yet it's been overcast most of the day and certainly is right now.http://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F...BANNER_PAUL.jpg

Remeber that METARs only report cloud below 12,000'. There has been 7/8 Altocumulus some parts of the country today, which could be above that height. Also, there have been three layers of cloud over much of the country, which can appear virtually overcast.

Please excuse me if i'm on the wrong track here but iv'e never really been able to get proper overcast with default real-weather anywhere. With AS and FE on the other hand...Bye the way Paul if you want all of that yocally stuff i'd seriously recommend moving to Somerset., its all that and more! (-: CheersDan

I agree about FS overcast issue, but when it really is overcast and you download "real weather" that gives not a cloud in sight, something's wrong.Somerset? Isn't that the place where they make beer from apples ;-)http://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F...BANNER_PAUL.jpg

I agree with the points raised, flew into LHR yesterday, and in real life the cloud cover was much denser than the real-world weather I downloaded via Active Sky. Has anyone looked at FSUIPC? As far as I remember there's a variable within it which can adjust the chances of overcast cloud when a weather station is reporting broken cloud layers. It may be worth a look at, although I have and haven't noticed much difference.Rob

Nah........Come to Devon and enjoy lovely real cream tea's and the beer is sooooo good too. To say nothing of property prices!Dave T. .........On the lovely warm Devon Riviera and active 'FlightSim User's Group' member at http://www.flightsimgrpuk.free-online.co.uk/

Rob6 miles west of EGLL 27R - that must put you in Datchet or Old Windsor. Am I right?I'm not far away.Ian(3,478 miles east of KJFK)

Ah, that's rather embarrassing, it should be EAST!! D'oh...no wonder I can never fly vectors properly ;-)Best change me signature...

So they never report IFR conditions???That's weird, and while irritating to us because that causes FS weather utilities to depict the wrong weather, how about the real world?If true, wouldn't this be a safety issue? VFR pilots coming in for landing on one of these airports, only to find that they (airport) are IFR, despite their weather reports?Best,Martijn

>>>So they never report IFR conditions???>That's weird, and while irritating to us because that causes>FS weather utilities to depict the wrong weather, how about>the real world?>If true, wouldn't this be a safety issue? VFR pilots coming in>for landing on one of these airports, only to find that they>(airport) are IFR, despite their weather reports?>>Best,>Martijn>***COUGH*** WOW good point Martijn!