Thanks "mstram" for the very enlightening (and relieving) mention of how badly the winds/weather is programmed in the AI in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004!
I was going absolutely bananas when trying to land this week in a [badly] simulated "major thunderstorm". Using a 737-700, the plane was literally moving sideways (at approximately 10 degree angle to the runway) despite my attempts at correcting the "skid" by adjusting the rudder trim, the rudder - to no avail. I finally had to break the rules (as far as I know anyways) by applying the ailerons and banking the airplane in a final angry - in fact furious - attempt to correct the B.S. handling I was stuck with thanks to the negligence of Microsoft in doing their homework.
I have heard of other third-party weather programs. Have you ever used them and are they realistic in terms of how they simulate the winds compared to the nonsense one sees in MSFS?
By the way, I forgot to answer your last post regarding where I'm from - I'm in Montreal, eh?!
John