SurClaro Flight Simulator Resources

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 11:46 pm Post subject: Determining Winds Aloft

Are there any good programs for determining / displaying winds aloft in FS9?

As it stands now, if I want to figure out what the winds are like between 6,000 and 16,000 feet for a VFR flight with a Cessna 152, I have to fly up to 16,000 and make note of the windspeed along the way. It would be nice if I could see the winds aloft ahead of time to help in flight planning.

I considered purchasing FS METEO w/ Wx Display and modifying the panels to display the "winds aloft" gauge, but I'd like to ask around before shelling out US $65.

Thanks in advance!

FS9 weather setup allows wind speeds all that stuff to be set by you in boundary layers. use weather > advanced, fix it up they way you like it.

Don't waste money on something there now.

Also when REAL weather is used, to check the winds aloft, go to noaa.gov, find aircraft winds aloft data.
luck,
s.

Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 2:14 am Post subject:

while in the aircraft on the ground, or in the air, press SHIFT + Z (3 times) and look for .. WINDS xxx / xx MAG (ex. WINDS 358 / 12 Mag ) Meaning the wind is coming FROM heading 358, and a MAGnitude / strength of 12 knots

Thanks Chris, DUH on me. Sorry about that gang, THAT was the ??, and Chris had the shortcut. For long range terms yes, my idea will work but to just get the info, Chris is right on target! YEAH Chris! ... really!

Steve
Tomcatdriver

Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 10:29 am Post subject: One thing.

Forgot to tell you Chris,

MAG is = Magnetic Compass.

Not Magnitude or TRUE NORTH. "True" is used by getting MAG Variance in degrees from the USGS Flight Charts. You can read on it by a simple search.

All headings are compass driven MAGNETIC readouts. NOT TRUE NORTH headings. These are calculated so that on long flights you get to where you REALLY want to go.

Without this method, you could end up like Earhart, lost at sea, 15 miles from land.

So they say about her mistake in navigation calculations to Howland Island on that last leg over 1,000 miles long.

Thanks,
TomcatDriver

Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 12:14 am Post subject:

Check out this page. I oftained this information from the February 2007 issue of COMPUTER PILOT MAGAZINE. Cool

http://selair.selkirk.bc.ca/AERODYNAMICS1/PERFORMANCE/PAGE5.HTML