As a private pilot and meteorologist specialising in cloud dynamics, I'd like to publicise my opinion of the up coming meteorological environment of the new Microsoft flight simulator. I am not an alpha tester nor have I had any kind of access to the software. My analysis is based solely on the pics and videos currently in the public domain.

First of all I can not contain or indeed emphasise my excitement enough over the apparent realism of the clouds. It seems most if not all cloud formations are faithfully and realistically produced. Never before have I witnessed cumulus clouds breaking through a layer of altocumulus in such a realistic and physically correct manner. The pics of both stratiform and cumuliform clouds look absolutely stunning. I can not wait to cloud surf in the sim when released.

My only concern (and again this is based on pics and videos in the public domain) is visibility.

From what I've observed, it seems visibility in many of the pics I've analysed seems to be too much. In other words, the atmosphere seems to be too clean and one can see too far in many of the example pics. Obviously, visibility is a complex phenomenon and depends on whether you are looking within the visibility layer or positioned ontop and looking down through it at an angle. Visibility I'd imagine will be governed by a meteorological model (NEMS) as accessed via the website 'Meteoblue'.

I'm just hoping there will be an option to override this model dictated visibility in order to set a maximum visibility very much like it's possible to do now in another well known sim using a well known weather engine software.

I would not like to be flying along all the time with almost limitless visibility where one can see almost everything to the horizon, which although can occur in a clean airmass, I think may be over done in the up coming Microsoft flight sim from what I've observed. Just my thought.

Edited May 12, 20206 yr by Falconjet112

The  unrealistic visibility has been something very popular among non RW pilots in all past MFSim's.

Even those one can easily observe drastic limitations of visibility if one fly commercial and look out of the window.

I think it has to do with people wanting the world to look like that completely unrealistic but yet "picture perfect" (?).

I don’t think you have to worry because the moment active sky starts fixing it , you will have full control.

 

Happy landings

 

mike

On 5/12/2020 at 10:16 PM, mike stryczek said:

I don’t think you have to worry because the moment active sky starts fixing it , you will have full control.

That is if Active Sky will ever be developed for this sim.

If the default weather implementation offers enough, then there is no point in wheather add-ons.

The sole reason why those exist is because back in FS9 days, and throughout all iterations of that that engine up until now the weather system is only rudimentary by default.

It seems this is about to change and therfore chances are that no one will ever develop an add-on.

Edited May 13, 20206 yr by Farlis

This is one example, but I think is a good representation of reality. Compared with the eternal haze of XP...

I was thinking the same, however it was these recent screenshots that tilted my view toward a great improvement in this sense. Not as clean anymore, and much more realistic. Maybe it depends on conditions + user settings?

https://msgpwebsites.azureedge.net/fsi/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Screen-Shot-04-22-20-at-10.54-PM-2048x1152.jpg

https://msgpwebsites.azureedge.net/fsi/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Desktop-Screenshot-2020.04.23-08.10.11.12-2048x1152.jpg

 

My biggest observation was the fact that clouds were too clean, but this recent screenshot shows hazy cloud-to-cloud which is VERY encouraging!

https://msgpwebsites.azureedge.net/fsi/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Flightsim_48-2048x1152.jpg

Regarding the clouds I totally agree, they are just beautiful.

From my point of view the visibilty/atmosphere is spot on from what I see. Especially in higher altitudes the visbilty is far better modeled compared to the current sims. Flying in high altitudes the visibilty should be much better, as the air is normally clearer.

Looks also OK to me...