Fun with METARS & Live Weather

[RandallR 446]

Using the GTN750 with the Turbo Bonanza I flew into KPDT in Oregon.  The following mix btwn the available METAR reports and the live weather engine occurred (in order) during this flight.  These are all reports on winds, as I was attempting to set up for a proper approach/runway choice.

• Preflight METAR: 130 degrees - 5 KTs
• I planned for the RNAV approach into RWY 11
• Midway point enroute METAR (through GTN750): 330 degrees - 12 KTs/gusting 19
• Changed approach to RNAV RWY 29

 

• Checked ATIS at KPDT: 244 degrees - 13 KTs
• All other METAR checks remain same: 330 degrees - 12 KTs/gusting 19
• I maintain RWY 29 approach
• Next ATIS check: 114 degrees - 39 KTs
• I leave everything set for RWY 29 for now, rather than reverse
• Next ATIS check: 314 degrees - 20 KTS
• Glad I kept everything set for the RWY 29 approach - looks like Live Weather and METAR are finally close
• Request change to RNAV RWY 29 approach - ATC approves (with a circle to RWY 11 - looks like they still assign improper runways)
• ATC clears me for RNAV 29 approach - I proceed and land
• ATC yells at me for "landing without permission" 🙄

Another fascinating day with FS2020

[Fiorentoni 4,229]

13 minutes ago, RandallR said:

Using the GTN750 with the Turbo Bonanza I flew into KPDT in Oregon.  The following mix btwn the available METAR reports and the live weather engine occurred (in order) during this flight.  These are all reports on winds, as I was attempting to set up for a proper approach/runway choice.

• Preflight METAR: 130 degrees - 5 KTs
• I planned for the RNAV approach into RWY 11
• Midway point enroute METAR (through GTN750): 330 degrees - 12 KTs/gusting 19
• Changed approach to RNAV RWY 29

 

• Checked ATIS at KPDT: 244 degrees - 13 KTs
• All other METAR checks remain same: 330 degrees - 12 KTs/gusting 19
• I maintain RWY 29 approach
• Next ATIS check: 114 degrees - 39 KTs
• I leave everything set for RWY 29 for now, rather than reverse
• Next ATIS check: 314 degrees - 20 KTS
• Glad I kept everything set for the RWY 29 approach - looks like Live Weather and METAR are finally close
• Request change to RNAV RWY 29 approach - ATC approves (with a circle to RWY 11 - looks like they still assign improper runways)
• ATC clears me for RNAV 29 approach - I proceed and land
• ATC yells at me for "landing without permission" 🙄

Another fascinating day with FS2020

Does the GTN750-mod get its METARs from the game or from an outside source? If the latter, that would explain a lot of the differences. The thing is: MSFS uses the regular predicted weather system enroute, but changes to METAR data (at least regarding winds and altimeter) as you approach (or depart for that matter) an airport. Since the predicted weather and the METARs from the real world often are different, that alone means you will might have one big change in winds on your route, which seemed to occur when GTN750-METAR and the ATIS finally got close.

[RandallR 446]

The METARs are from an outside source: AVWX (updates every hour)

[Mace 1,927]

I use P2ATC and I can change my runway on the fly.  Pun intended.  I think if you use default ATC you're...in for surprises.

Also I think right now in MSFS things are still in flux as to the weather.  There will always be disparities between the predictive weather vs. the real metars, and we all know that, but what I mean is eventually I think we'll have a more workable wx scenario (like eventually what rounded out in FSX and later P3D, and I'm talking ActiveSky or similar).

Some happy middle ground between the predictive weather model vs. real wx will be found.

[Mike S KPDX 597]

No metar or wx info extraction for distant points is available in the game.  Asobo has indicated that this will unlikely change. 

[fppilot 4,371]

3 hours ago, Mace said:

Also I think right now in MSFS things are still in flux as to the weather.

Its lacking a flux capacitor!  (Back to the Future)  Pun intended!

 

Edited June 12, 2021 by fppilot

[jelder 14]

I know they are going to fix this, but I just can't believe this is not a higher priority.  I love MSFS, but this is driving me back to xplane.  How can something so core to a simulator not work.  The ATIS needs to match the winds and sky cover otherwise you don't know if you can land and which runway to use.  I flew into PAPG today.  20 miles out it says winds 088 at 7, on approach switches to 220 at 14.  After I landed with rain and low visibility, the Atis is still reporting clear skies.  MSFS truly is a game until this gets fixed.

[quantumpion 39]

On 6/11/2021 at 9:23 PM, Mike S KPDX said:

No metar or wx info extraction for distant points is available in the game.  Asobo has indicated that this will unlikely change. 

Does that mean if you rely on external METAR or ATIS, it should match in-game once you get close enough?

[RandallR 446]

I'm leaning in that direction.  Be sure to get a METAR reading as you're getting close to the destination, as the latest data may have changed.  In my original example, the actual METAR I used in flight-planning and the end-of-flight METAR had winds flip almost 180 degrees, so it happens in the RW.  Even then, in most cases, it seems that FS is matching it or coming close at that point.

The great thing about the premium version of the GTN750 is that I get hourly in-sim METAR updates even for distant points, so it's easy (if using one of those aircraft) to get quick updates.  If available for an airport, I always set the ATIS freq into COM2 and check it as I get close, then verify with an external METAR while using other aircraft.

[Mike S KPDX 597]

10 hours ago, RandallR said:

I'm leaning in that direction.  Be sure to get a METAR reading as you're getting close to the destination, as the latest data may have changed.  In my original example, the actual METAR I used in flight-planning and the end-of-flight METAR had winds flip almost 180 degrees, so it happens in the RW.  Even then, in most cases, it seems that FS is matching it or coming close at that point.

The great thing about the premium version of the GTN750 is that I get hourly in-sim METAR updates even for distant points, so it's easy (if using one of those aircraft) to get quick updates.  If available for an airport, I always set the ATIS freq into COM2 and check it as I get close, then verify with an external METAR while using other aircraft.

One can get metar for distant points for almost all reporting stations worldwide.  However, the GTN750 is not reading in-game metars for distant points, that data in game simply does not exist.

[RandallR 446]

I'm not leaving the sim to get the METAR - I'm in the sim with this particular mod.  Yes, the add-on is accessing outside data.  I'm also not accessing the data via a web browser or an app in another device.  I am "in-game" and accessing the data.

Now, we need for the "live weather" system of the sim to match up with the real-world data.  Many times, it does.  Sometimes, it doesn't.

[Mike S KPDX 597]

12 hours ago, RandallR said:

I'm not leaving the sim to get the METAR - I'm in the sim with this particular mod.  Yes, the add-on is accessing outside data.  I'm also not accessing the data via a web browser or an app in another device.  I am "in-game" and accessing the data.

Now, we need for the "live weather" system of the sim to match up with the real-world data.  Many times, it does.  Sometimes, it doesn't.

Ah... thank you for your clarification, I misunderstood what you were originally saying.  We both (and many others) agree that in sim access to in sim wx is the key.

[Tomaz Drnovsek 440]

On 6/14/2021 at 6:35 AM, RandallR said:

Now, we need for the "live weather" system of the sim to match up with the real-world data.  Many times, it does.  Sometimes, it doesn't.

This is true. It's a small limitation of the weather system they're using (Meteoblue).

At first I was very doubtful about this and complained about the need for accurate METARS in MSFS. But after a while of using the sim I realized that the METARS and in-game weather match pretty good and if sometimes there are some discrepancies they don't overweight the benefits of using this system. The major one is the depiction of the weather. It's gorgeous and realistic far beyond anything seen in the previous sims like P3D and XPL. You can see fronts and weather systems coming from a far. No sudden changes. The weather is very dynamic. The weather, even though ActiveSky and REX are doing a great job, in P3D now feels very "flat" and in a way like using static presets with very limited options to put on those "layers". I don't know, it's hard to describe, the weather in MSFS just feels alive and real. Sadly, that isn't possible with the old system (P3D) where just the METAR data is injected into the sim and interpolated between stations.