Hi guys,I need an advice if you could give it to me!I never used a weather program. My really goal is (if possible):- have the weather information for my route, specially on arrival to "guess" wich runway is be using;- getting a better weather "view", this is, when I'm climbing and if I pass a clouds layer, being above of it, I should see clouds beneath me, and not the land!! Or being between two clouds layersm and so on. Getting the correct sight of it!- since I use Flight Enviroment, I think I don't need a tremendous supply of textures, so that's an option.My question is: is there any freeware program for this (despite I'm guessing not!!)? If payware only, wich one? I know ActiveSky and WeatherMaker Pro, but don't know the main differences, and why so different in price!!And finally what is the impact on performance of the sim?Thanks in advance team!RegardsMiguel

MiguelI am not 100% sure what you mean. If you mean that when you take off in bad weather in thick fog or with the weather being given as say overcast 2000 feet and that not what you see then you are right.A drawback with FS9 and I hope this will not be the case with FSX is that you can takeoff in terrible weather.As you climb higher all of a sudden the clouds vanish and you are flying in quite good VFR conditions with broken clouds and good in good sight of the ground.What you want to see coming between layers is a solid cloud deck as far as the eye can see and further cloud above you.Climbing on top of all the cloud again you want to see solid cloud with no sign of the ground.I am afraid you will have to wait for FSX I hope????Peter

>- since I use Flight Enviroment, I think I don't need a>tremendous supply of textures, so that's an option.>>>My question is: is there any freeware program for this>(despite I'm guessing not!!)? If payware only, wich one? I>know ActiveSky and WeatherMaker Pro, but don't know the main>differences, and why so different in price!!>>And finally what is the impact on performance of the sim?>>Thanks in advance team!>Regards>MiguelTry to search for FSMetar in file library. It's freeware online weather program and it does work very well. I don't remeber if it can show you forecast for your route though.As for payware I only used Active Sky 6 and it does everything what you need, I do not use AS6 groahics textures though.. I own FE like you and find them much better, but those two programs work together w/o any problems. Weather Maker Pro has a demo, so I believe you can try for yourself.

OK, thanks guys.I'll give a try on FSMetar. However if I'm not happy, I'll have to look a payware solution!! Another one!!! :DCheers guys,Miguel

>specially on arrival to "guess" wich runway is be using;This is hard to do as the winds may have shifted by the time you get there. The best way, and the real world way is to check TAFs for the forcast and then listen to the ATIS/AWOS/ASOS on approach.>- getting a better weather "view", this is, when I'm climbing>and if I pass a clouds layer, being above of it, I should see>clouds beneath me, and not the land!! Or being between two>clouds layersm and so on. Getting the correct sight of it!>- since I use Flight Enviroment, I think I don't need a>tremendous supply of textures, so that's an option.Active Sky does a pretty good job of fixing this phenomenon, though it doesn't completely fix it as it's an FS engine issue.----------------------------------------------------------------John MorganReal World: KGEG, UND Aerospace Spokane Satillite, Private ASEL 141.2 hrs, 314 landings, 46 inst. apprs.Virtual: MSFS 2004"There is a feeling about an airport that no other piece of ground can have. No matter what the name of the country on whose land it lies, an airport is a place you can see and touch that leads to a reality that can only be thought and felt." - The Bridge Across Forever: A Love Story by Richard Bach

Hi Miguel -Send me an email and I will see if I can help you out.My email is [email protected]