wind shear – Photography, aviation and flight simulation

On the train heading for the Jungfraujoch, Switzerland 2013.

Ten years ago this year, we took the train to the Jungfraujoch Top of Europe station.

Sphinx astronomical observatory on the Jungfraujoch in Switzerland.

The latter is located in the Jungfraujoch pass in Switzerland, at an altitude of 3571 meters (11,716 feet MSL).

The construction of this station was a feat of engineering at the time, but cost the lives of many workers. One does not make one’s way through a mountain range with sticks of dynamite without the occasional unforeseen agenda imposed by nitroglycerine.

The train can therefore only reach this station by traveling inside the mountains on a steep slope requiring a hydraulic mechanism to pull the train forward. The tourist must trust the engineers and the technical support…

To remind myself of our trip to this region, I thought of taking a virtual helicopter flight from Lauterbrunnen to land directly on the platform of the Sphinx astronomical observatory, this world famous tourist attraction of the Jungfraujoch. Fortunately for me, the company Red Wing Simulations recently created a virtual scene including these two magnificent sites.

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland and the Microsoft Flight Simulator Bell 407.

Flight simulation enthusiasts will be well advised to use the Bell 407, as the operating limit of the Guimbal Cabri G2 provided by the Microsoft flight simulator is capped at 13,000 feet. It is best to fly with a slightly more powerful aircraft when maneuvering at this altitude.

Airborne from Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.

From a green landscape in the summer one gradually flies towards the eternal snow of the highest peaks in the Valais.

Getting closer to the Jungfraujoch, Switzerland.

The scenery was spectacular on the train and it is just as spectacular in virtual flight. A mechanical problem with the helicopter in this environment of grandiose cliffs would leave little chance for the pilot.

Approaching the Sphinx Observatory on the Jungfraujoch, Switzerland.

Here we are on approach: it is possible to land on the platform of the Sphinx observatory, but the pilot needs to be prepared for wind shear and unforeseen clouds at this altitude while taking care during the approach to avoid touching the flagpole and the protective fences surrounding the platform.

The Sphinx observatory on the Jungfraujoch with the Bell 407 helicopter on the platform using Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The Red Wing Simulations company has done an outstanding job designing this virtual scenery. In the photo below, you can even see skiers at the bottom of the cliff warming up before their first run.

Red Wing Simulations skiers at the base of the Jungfraujoch observatory on Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Even if the virtual scene includes something other than Lauterbrunnen and the Jungfraujoch, the pleasure of making a successful approach on the Sphinx platform alone is worth the cost of acquiring the software.

The Sphinx observatory on the Jungfraujoch and the helicopter on the platform using Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator and Red Wing Simulations representation of the Jungfraujoch Observatory platform.

Click on the links for more challenging virtual flights or flight simulation information on my blog.

Active Sky Next (ASN)

The weather engine ASN (Active Sky Next), like FSGRW, OpusFSI or REX updates the weather by downloading the latest information from the internet. There is also a possibility to use historical data (up to two years back).

ASN, FSGRW and OpusFSI use the default FSX cloud texture sets. So those weather engines can benefit from additional cloud texture sets (from REX for example) for a better visual depiction.

The cloud locations and coverage are accurate as well as realist. Thick overcast layers can be displayed. The cloud transitions are smooth, as well as the vertical variations in temperature, wind speed and wind direction.

Cloud-based effects include in-cloud reduced visibility, related turbulence (in cloud or when entering or exiting a cloud formation), accurate position of precipitation according to the type of clouds and to your position relative to the cloud formation.

Microbursts, wind shears, hail, turbulence as well as updrafts and downdrafts effects are modelled for thunderstorms. There are aural wind shear alerts when flying through a thunderstorm cell: That will nonetheless not be of great help if you attempt to cross a strong thunderstorm as, like in real life, you might not succeed…

You can use the radar to navigate through bad weather since radar and cloud positions are synchronized. The radar shows the intensity of precipitations as well as the echo tops.

Voiced warnings will be triggered when new Airmets and Sigmets are issued. They cover the world and can be viewed on a map. Associated icing and turbulence are added according to the warnings.

In flight, you can receive voiced weather updates through ATIS, FlightWatch or FSS.

ASN corrects the problems sometimes associated with low-level clouds, like inaccurate coverage and wrong position of the clouds, or layers that are really too thin.

Like with other weather engines, there is a flight planning mode. You can enter, import, or build a flight plan, as well as change the flight plan and waypoints at any time before or during a flight.

The weather, airports and navaids are displayed and can be edited, added or erased. The forecasts are available through graphics or text. If, along your route, there is no Metar issued for few hours, the engine will use the forecast to update the weather.

The thermals are modeled using the temperature and surface of terrain.

The wake turbulence trails are visible and, like in real life, are moving with the wind.

ASN does not rely only on interpolation to cover the oceanic areas and other territories where there are few weather stations.

The developers of ASN say that they have created a realistic hurricane simulation based on actual hurricane data. Their program would automatically disregard the ground data that seems incorrect. I cannot comment about the realism of that simulation since I have not tried it yet. But if it is correctly modelled, this function should interest whoever wants to experiment what it is to fly in or near a hurricane.

ASN is compatible with FSX, FSX: SE and the P3D versions up to P3DV4. It can support a multi-monitor setup.

I am not listing all the characteristics of this interesting software since there are always new options added. If you want more details, I provided the link below. Like with all the other weather engines, take the time to see what each has to offer since they have quite different features and spectrum of options.

Here is the link: Active Sky Next

For more weather engines, click on the following link: Other weather engines

For more articles on flight simulation on my web site, click on the following link : Flight simulation