Simulators Training and Proficiency

Skyscapes for Simmers

Take the ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020' live weather feature to the next level with manual setup.

Peter James

Tuesday, July 30, 2024 at 03:39 PM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

A CB expanding and exploding is such a beautiful thing in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. [Courtesy: Peter James]

Key Takeaways:

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MSFS2020) has significantly improved its weather modeling, particularly for convective clouds, now delivering realistic turbulence, wind shear, and visual effects like rain shafts and rainbows.
The author advocates for creating custom "skyscapes" in MSFS2020, allowing users to manually tweak weather parameters such as clouds, wind, humidity, and precipitation.
These user-defined skyscapes offer an artistic and challenging way to experience diverse weather conditions, from tropical storms to high-altitude convection, surpassing standard live weather.
Creating and sharing these custom weather themes is an easy process that greatly enhances the simulation's visual appeal and flight dynamics for various aircraft types.

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During my first few flying lessons as a teenager, I discovered the joy of going near or into cumulus clouds. Dodging canyons, diving, turning and twisting around “puffies” was good enough to be a sport to me.

Thirty years later, as I have racked up thousands of hours flying business jets, fulfilling my cloud-popping dreams, I get to do the same on my home flight sim thanks to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MSFS2020).

Peter James

Peter is an experienced Part 135 business jet pilot with a passion for simulators and how they blend with the real world. Learning to fly at age 12, he supplemented his passion and career goals with the early versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator. With the growing realism of all PC simulators today, he frequently uses them for extra proficiency, and loves to show other pilots how great they are.