Sometimes (or most always?) the arrival airport METAR is present in the METAR dropdown off the toolbar at the start of a flight plan.  Then it gets removed and local METARS along the way populate.  Right now I do what some do, tune the arrival ATIS, but I'd rather just have it be accessible thru the dropdown after all it would be a piece of cake to do.   

Thanks

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/can-we-please-display-the-arrival-airports-current-metar/504684

 

You can already see a basic version of the conditions at the destination airport in the default flight planer when you set the destination airport.  

Sure, but on very long flights it's not too helpful.

Noel, this has been a request since the initial release.  I have voted on your posting, but do not expect much.  As I understand it, MSFS only resolves all the parameters for the actual in sim wx in a 'bubble' around the aircraft.  This bubble extends about 50 miles or so.  Airline pilots receive their arrival metar often at around 130 miles out (usually about 20 miles from top of descent).  This will allow them to verify their planning for arrival.  In MSFS, this is simply not possible because that wx does not yet exist in the sim, and I fear we may never have access to to that data.

21 hours ago, Mike S KPDX said:

As I understand it, MSFS only resolves all the parameters for the actual in sim wx in a 'bubble' around the aircraft.  This bubble extends about 50 miles or so.

I think this is the theory to explain the fact indeed all you see are METAR from airports reporting within the bubble.   BUT...I've seen the destination airport present in the dropdown at the departure airport.  Not always I don't think but I've seen it several times, and I don't often look at when just starting a flight so not sure how often this happens, but it absolutely does.  The fact is since the sim is being flown everywhere all the time the METAR is absolutely available everywhere it would just be a case of linking to it and displaying in the dropdown, no?

Edited March 15, 20224 yr by Noel

I believe there are only two wx parameters shown for the destination airport as I recall.  The wx is fully 'made' within the bubble, with a complete METAR developed at that time (within the bubble).  I will check it again when I start a new flight.

55 minutes ago, Mike S KPDX said:

I believe there are only two wx parameters shown for the destination airport as I recall.  The wx is fully 'made' within the bubble, with a complete METAR developed at that time (within the bubble).  I will check it again when I start a new flight.

But Mike--METARS ARE available everywhere, all the time.  Your theory seems to be based on the idea of one bubble, one flight plan, despite a million users.   IOW--you can't look at what displays NOW from your local airport in the METAR dropdown as evidence of anything beyond simply describing the way it's coded to behave.  Think about it:  let's say you and I both agree to take off from our respective home airports, and head to the other guy's:  KPDX<>KDEN.  We BOTH can look at our own METARS, right?  If you can look at KPDX, there is NO REASON I can't--it just needs to be coded to be able to do.

Edited March 15, 20224 yr by Noel

We BOTH can look at our own METARS, right?  If you can look at KPDX, there is NO REASON I can't--it just needs to be coded to be able to do.

The way I understand it is that the METAR is only a component of the wx you see in the sim in your bubble.  It is part of an overall calculation done to present the wx.  Also, as you know, the sim METAR is the realworld METAR, but I don't think that enters our discussion here.  But I posit this, bear with me here, what if the final calculated wx informed the in game METAR?  For example, real world METAR  baro setting for an airport is say 28.30.  However, the final in game wx calculation, all said and done, develops 28.45 and presents that number to the user in the dropdown list part of the METAR.  I don't know if this is the case, but it could be.

You and I are very much both on the same side here, and I too would love to have this.  I have posted promoting this both here and the MSFS forums since the first month of release.  And I also see that we also very much agree on this statement;

It just needs to be coded to be able to do.   ...yes, yes it does.

I never imagined the METAR being 'part of an overall calculation done', but I really have not heard any explanation for what the actual architecture is. I assumed it was a case of querying real world METAR data which is readily available of course, then sending that real world data into a render process to create local weather; the rendering also including integration with MeteoBlue's global weather in MSFS.  This type of architecture makes it a given any METAR published can be queried from anywhere by anyone in-sim.  You seem to be suggesting a METAR is being reverse engineered which sounds vastly more complex than queried and rendered accordingly.  My explanation for why METAR can be out of sync in-sim versus real world had to do with how often they are updated.  Interesting idea if you know where you got that idea please share!  Yes, we are on the same basic page AND, once again, I have seen arrival METAR information at the departure gate, and that arrival was 800m away.

I may have stated my thoughts in a weird way, what I tried to imply was the the realworld metar that the sim uses (outdated or not) is only part of the calc that the sim uses to display the wx in the game.

I have seen arrival METAR information at the departure gate, and that arrival was 800m away.

Curious, what are you accessing in the sim to see a full metar report for your destination while sitting at the gate (or even before that)? 

It's happened a couple of time where I am at the departure gate, launched from a plan out of the World Map, only to notice the arrival airport was in the MSFS toolbar METAR display, as well as the departure airport.  I rarely look at the METAR at departure so it could be happening most of the time I have no idea, but will look next few times up.