FS2004 winds

[sotiris]

Good evening Peter,

I have got FSUIPC 3.3.0.0 (registered) and I 'd like to know what you think on this one matter:

I read carefully FSUIPC manual concerning the winds settings. Therein you say that FS2004 has a bug which results to even an 180 degrees wind change on the ground, especially at neighbouring airports with conflicting metars. That's the problem I 've been trying to deal with for many months now. Athens Hellinikon LGAT was closed in 2001 but still its Met station provides metars which in most cases conflict with Athens new airport LGAV. When I place my aircraft at LGAV 8 times out of 10 FS2004 shift+Z keys show me wind elements varying 90 to180 degrees more than those quoted by either AS2004 or FSMeteo. AS a result, ATC instructs me to take the opposite runway to take off, which is apparently not real at all. And this happens despite checking or unchecking options either on external weather programs or on FSUIPC wind options. What I 'd like to ask you is : Can this bug be dealt with or we must forget FS2004 once for all and wait for the new FS ? Excuse my interrupting your fine work and waisting of your time.

Sotiris Stavrakis

Athens, Greece.

[Pete Dowson]

Therein you say that FS2004 has a bug which results to even an 180 degrees wind change on the ground, especially at neighbouring airports with conflicting metars.

Do I? Where? I don't think I do. I thought the problems with the 180 degree sudden wind shifts were mostly with upper winds, and experienced mainly en route, in cruise.

8 times out of 10 FS2004 shift+Z keys show me wind elements varying 90 to180 degrees more than those quoted by either AS2004 or FSMeteo.

Varyinghow fast? The 180 degree wind shifts reported are sudden -- like first one way then the opposite, cause stalls, overspeeds, and jet engine problems -- i.e. extreme windshear. Are you saying you can reproduce those on the ground!?

AS a result, ATC instructs me to take the opposite runway to take off

Opposite to what?

The ATC and AI system does not cater for wind changes unless and until you restart it, or move far away and move back again. If the wind is changed whilst you are at an airport, neither AI or ATC will change if its operations are already underway. This was the same in FS2002.

This won't help with sudden windshear problems (use FSUIPC's wind smoothing for those), but to get AI and ATC attuned to the actual wind, after it has been set differently, you either need to select a far away airport, let that AI/ATC start, then go back, OR you could try programming a Key or Button (in FSUIPC's Keys or Buttons pages) to toggle AI traffic off and back on again. I know this sorts out the AI traffic, but I'm not sure about ATC's own directions to you. Try it.

Can this bug be dealt with or we must forget FS2004 once for all and wait for the new FS ?

If you are not referring to the upper windshear problem, but simply the lack of ATC/AI responsiveness to weather changes, I don't think this is a bug, it seems to be designed that way. I have no idea when there'll be another FS nor what they'll change if there is one, sorry.

Regards,

Pete

[JSkorna]

Sotiris,

You do know you can add the new airport to get the correct METAR right? Send me an e-mail. I know you have my address.