Active Sky 2016 for FSX/P3D Is Here

Fans of flight simulation, rejoice!

One of the most complete and comprehensive mods of flight simulation history has been updated. It took some time to get there, but the much-loved Active Sky is finally with us in a new 2016 update. Active Sky 2016 offers a new way for people to enjoy weather like never before. With sixteen years of development, hard work and professional precision in one, Active Sky 2016 marks the pinnacle of weather-based mods.

This offers a gluttony of new features that should definitely be checked out. Any flight simulation fan with a love or passion for flight will absolutely want to try this modification out. If you already own Active Sky, then you can just upgrade to the new 2016 edition.

If you don’t, though, you can start today. All you need is an active license key for ASE, AS2012 or ASN to get this working.

Original artwork for the product

What’s New in 2016?

  • The introduction of a whole new raft of extra systems. From new in-cloud motion effects to a weather scenario system, flight management has never been so fun. You can control every aspect of the weather, and track it with the new airborne weather radar. Fans of realism can take things worth with the use of fresh Navigraph data integration and a re-designed, map-based custom weather editing system.

  • Make use of these brilliant new features with the extra P3D v3 visibility smooth and volumetric fog integration. This means that P3D users will finally get a more authentic and fun flight style. Not only will this really help you tick every box in terms of realism, but these new features will help pilots learn as they go.

  • Thanks to the improved mapping system as well as a fix for high-latitude cloud squeezes, you’ll find navigation simpler in every way. This offers a brutally enjoyable range of new changes and improvements that fully portray why Active Sky 2016 is a must-have mod.

  • However, this also makes huge strides in improving the overall realism of weather depiction. Fans in the past have complained that weather has felt scripted and average. With this mod, though, you get a far more genuine process. From the speed and quality of data parsing to the synthesis and interpolation of the weather features, everything feels improved.

Screenshot showing clouds

  • This makes sure that you can enjoy a fresher and more engaging weather experience, without performance dips. Everything that you use here is going to make sure you get a fully, frank and capable understanding of what weather should look like. Other mods might try and sell you an image, this sells you a truly authentic scenario.

  • Another major improvement was the full and frank integration with Active Sky Cloud Art. This mod was a major hit with fans, but conflicts in the past caused performance dips and errors. Now, you can run both flagship mods beside each other on both FSX and P3D in the future.

  • ASCA makes use of brilliant cloud and sky textures to paint the perfect image. It also utilizes excellent 3D cloud models that make the sky look far more alive than before. With this, real-time cloud dynamics can be seen to ensure that weather-influenced variety creeps into play. This means that realistic changes occur during your flight, reducing the need to keep signing in and out.

  • Fully compatible with various graphics add-ons to make sure you can have a wonderful overall picture. However, please be aware that if you wish to use dynamic texture reloads you will need to use both AS16 and ASCA together.


Clouds demonstration

About Active Sky

Designed as the comprehensive way for flight simulation fans to have truer designs in simulation, Active Sky does what it says on the tin; it improves the sky. In the past, the sky in simulators has just been a dull texture with nothing much going on; it lacked the depth and precision that was needed. Active Sky is one of the modifications to try and change this problem. Not only does using this ensure you get a far more comprehensive solution to the skies in FSX, it improves the atmosphere tenfold.

You’ll find that the whole world look far more authentic in simulation when used in this manner. Not only can you make your flights more engaging, you can actively improve your piloting experience. The more authentic the performance in the simulator, the more likely you are to become the best pilot that you possibly can!

VIDEO: Introducing AS16

Active Sky Main Features

  • Makes use of the potential for stronger and more authentic skies within simulation. Enhances the overall weather engine of the simulator, as well. This makes sure that your overall flight experience can reflect that of a genuine pilot much easier. Using this mod, you can easily utilize realistic flight scenarios.

  • This is because weather plays such a key role. With major new changes such as greatly improved thunderstorm effects, you’ll get to enjoy the real danger of flying an aircraft. Thunderstorms are terrifying to fly in, and this mod will make them so. You have to try and avoid thunder storms now, instead of flying through them as you may have done in the past!

  • However, this improvement to weather and scenery should not hamper your performance. You can still receive high frame rates and a greater level of overall reliability when flying. Although this changes a lot, everything in Active Sky has been refined continuously to retain consistent performance.


Clouds and sky over valley

  • Nothing in this mod is going to offer your machine a challenge it cannot face. Although it uses unique and exceptionally detailed integration and overall depiction, it still feels great to fly in. with ambient conditions that match reality, flights now feel far more authentic. You can even look at air effects and precipitation, adding another major flight consideration.

  • High-fidelity air effects like microbursts, downdrafts, updrafts, thermals and more have been included. These help to further add to the challenge of flying, making it much harder than it was in the past to fly with accuracy.

  • Makes use of the Active Sky API system to give you better integration for other mods. Now you can make use of the advanced radar, icing, wind shearing and overall weather management for yourself.

  • Uses online historical data to make sure that you can fly in sync with the weather for the last two years. This will ensure that you get authentic flight conditions that mimic that of the real world. This makes it much easier to enjoy days that you remember – why not try and recreate that famous Wednesday afternoon flight to Mallorca?

  • And much more!

Screenshots

Volumetric clouds Control screen In the cockpit Cirrus clouds
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System Requirements

  • Windows Vista or later
  • Microsoft Flight Simulator X with SP2 or Acceleration or FSX: Steam Edition.
  • 2GHZ processor or better.
  • 2GB RAM or better.
  • 1GB available hard drive space.
  • Minimum monitor resolution to access all user interface features: 1024×768.
  • A fully working Sound device (for sound and voice features).
  • Requires continuous Internet Access.
  • Requires an online internet connection for normal usage.
  • Please remember that Online activation is mandatory.
  • License Restrictions exist, too – check out the Active Sky website for further details.
  • License is valid for one computer/installation only.
  • Moving software to another computer will deactivate the previous computer.
  • 10 automatic reactivations are permitted.
  • Multiple-computer installations will require an individual AS16 license for each computer that it is installed on.

Recommended Settings

  • 3.0GHZ Processor or better
  • 4GB RAM or better
  • Broadband high-speed internet connection
  • 1280×800 or better resolution

For more information, visit the HiFi Simulation Technology website here. This product will soon be available on SimShack.

Download iconDon't forget... We have a huge selection (over 24,000 files) of free mods and add-ons for MSFS, FSX, P3D & X-Plane in the file library. Files include aircraft, scenery, and utilities All are free-to-download and use - you don't even need to register. Browse on down to the file library here.

Ian Stephens

Ian Stephens

Ian Stephens is a flight simulation industry expert with over 20 years of experience and also has a keen interest in aviation and technology. Ian spends a lot of his time experimenting with various simulator packages but has a love for Microsoft Flight Simulator X because of the huge selection of add-ons available. However, Ian also has copies of Prepar3D and X-Plane installed.

Ian has been writing for Fly Away Simulation for over 9 years. Should you wish, you can contact Ian via email at ian.stephens@flyawaysimulation.com.

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