Weather for Planning

Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

I use FSBUILD, Topcat etc for pre flight planning, and fuel calculation. I have till now been using AS2012 as my weather engine. A lot of my flying is done in the PMDG NGX and I find having the Flighplan function in AS useful for gaining windspeeds aloft and Temps for entry into the FMS. But most importantly the fact that FSBUILD can read the weather in order to build my plan with required fuel. 
IS there plans, or a way now that I can get the data from OPUS LWE to feed these softwares, and give me the info I need for pre planning?

I do also do VFR flying and have Skydemon and look forward to using this with Opus to.

Author	Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic
jaycee75 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Intermediate Group Joined: September-26-2012 Location: UK Points: 57	Post Options Post Reply Quote jaycee75 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Weather for Planning Posted: September-26-2012 at 8:41am
	I use FSBUILD, Topcat etc for pre flight planning, and fuel calculation. I have till now been using AS2012 as my weather engine. A lot of my flying is done in the PMDG NGX and I find having the Flighplan function in AS useful for gaining windspeeds aloft and Temps for entry into the FMS. But most importantly the fact that FSBUILD can read the weather in order to build my plan with required fuel. IS there plans, or a way now that I can get the data from OPUS LWE to feed these softwares, and give me the info I need for pre planning? I do also do VFR flying and have Skydemon and look forward to using this with Opus to.
	Regards James Carr

Opus Software Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: April-12-2012 Location: Grantham, UK Points: 15442	Post Options Post Reply Quote Opus Software Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: September-26-2012 at 9:58am
	I have no idea how FSBUILD gets its weather or what data it needs. All our downloaded METARs are stored in the OpusWeather.txt file if that is what the package wants. As for temperatures and winds aloft. We will soon be adding temperature targets for FSX, at the moment FSX calculates both the ambient temperature and TAT at altitude. But if you can find out what info you need and in what form you need it we don't mind implementing the option. SkyDemon still planned as an upgrade, no idea of time scales but should be fairly soon. Regards Stephen

jaycee75 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Intermediate Group Joined: September-26-2012 Location: UK Points: 57	Post Options Post Reply Quote jaycee75 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: September-26-2012 at 10:14am
	It and also topcat uses the current_wx_snapshot.txt file that as2012 generates, this file is quite large and generates tafs metars all stations. It contains some other data I'm not sure what the relates to. However fsbuild and topcat use this to produce weather along route in fsbuild, and also the tafs for arrival and depin topcat. Looking at the opus file, it doesn't look like it contains enough tafs, only loading a few into that file. Maybe an option for the dedicated weather addon is to have like as2012 does now in that you can import a flight plan, and it will give weather along that route. Including winds temps etc. if opus then output this as a file then could be used for pre flight planning and for extracting winds Enroute from to put into fms.
	Regards James Carr

Opus Software Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: April-12-2012 Location: Grantham, UK Points: 15442	Post Options Post Reply Quote Opus Software Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: September-26-2012 at 10:43am
	That will be the planned Live Weather Assistant which will provide that functionality. Are you sure there is not an IFR flight planner that can download its own METAR and TAFs, seems like they are only doing half a job at the moment. They need to be more like SkyDemon but for IFR. Regards Stephen

jaycee75 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Intermediate Group Joined: September-26-2012 Location: UK Points: 57	Post Options Post Reply Quote jaycee75 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: September-26-2012 at 11:01am
	Topcat are releasing at some point a full IFR planner, unsure of how it will source weather. There is nothing really that touches fsbuild at the moment for functionality on the market, the benefit of fsbuild is it takes into account aircraft performance tables, so gives better fuel burn figures for specific aircraft types, but takes into account the weather, as in wind temp also. I'm loving the depiction that opus lwe is giving, much better than as2012. But need facility to be able to see what whether I'm likely to experience along my route, which Is where opus is presently lacking. But as you say looks like will be covered quite well in the upcoming weather assistant, any time frame on this? I'm presently in the cruise from egoh to EGBB, however one issue I noticed is its producing thunderstorms, because of CBS being reported, even though no ts in the Metar.
	Regards James Carr