Microsoft Flight Sim X
Maybe not the right forum but...
The Medallion Foundation in Alaska uses PCATDs to enable training in CFIT and instrument flying. They are nice bits of kit and can simulate a lot of airplanes and scenarios. They use Elite, Microsoft Flight Sim X and Xplane.
One of the scenarios requires MSFSX and I am having trouble setting up the weather for a CFIT problem.
I want to set weather for several airports and have an overall weather for the area as well. My aim is to have a real-world situation so that the pilot will experience different conditions as she flies on a LOFT, and will experience logical changes in the weather depending on the choices made. When I do this, it does not appear correct, in that even though I set cloud as stratus below 20,000, when I release the airplane it shows a horizon, even when the airplane is flying at 7000 feet. Mostly, it is the cloud settings that do not follow my selections.
I also remember, but cannot find, a selection for telling the individual airport weather to extend out to, say, 10 miles.
MSFSX does not have a way to change weather on the fly, so it has to be pre-programmed and this is what is giving me headaches. I am sure there are knowledgeable people out there who can help??
The Medallion Foundation just got a nice PA18 motion simulator, which is a great tool. It uses X Plane, and that program does have an ability to change weather without stopping the display, but it will not drive a three-panel display without having three computers, while MSFSX will. One of my tasks is to convert all the PCATDs to the three panel display (actually four panel since it is set up to have the instrument panel on a small display and three bigger monitors to give the outside view). Very nice indeed for CFIT training.