HTC, please make the wind layer include a built-in gradient. A 20 mph jump in airspeed over 1 feet altitude is terrible if you are in the middle of hard maneuvering - flaps suddenly auto-retracting, planes close to stall go over the edge, nose bounces around when trying to aim etc. A layer defined at some alt affect the wind speeds at +-2000 feet using a linear interpolation.
Simple linear interpolation example:
h1, h2... = the heights of the layers, as defined in the settings.
d1, d2... = the height difference from the center altitude of the layer h1, h2... (absolute value).
D = the width of the layer gradient (alt distance from layer from which we start to interpolate)
Vx1, Vx2... = velocity component in the x direction of layers 1, 2...
Vx_wind = (Vx1*(1-d1/D) + Vx2(1-d2/D) +...) / ((1-d1/D) + (1-d2/D) +...)
Vy_wind = (Vy1*(1-d1/D) + Vy2(1-d2/D) +...) / ((1-d1/D) + (1-d2/D) +...)
Interpolate only when d1<D etc.. For the ease of the setting-up the arena, it can be defined that if there is no other layer is defined within D, the wind from the last layer is carried up to the next altitude.
Example, defined layers:
L1: h1=15k, 20 mph, wind direction 000 (Vy1=20, Vx1=0)
L2: h2=18k, 20 mph, wind direction 090 (Vy1=0, Vx1=0)
Would mean:
0-13k: no wind #default 0mph, 000 component is carried up
@13.5k: 5 mph, 000 #interpolating between L1 component and the default 0 component that was carried up to 13k.
@14k: 10 mph, 000
@15k: 20 mph, 000
@16k: 20 mph, 000 #no overlaping components within D=2k, last wind is carried up.
@17.5k: 15 mph, 000 from L1 and 5 mph, 090 from L2. Total 15.8 mph, 018 #here there is an overlap with the L1 component that was carried up @16k and L2 @18k.
@17k: 10 mph, 000 from L1 and 10 mph, 090 from L2. Total 14 mph, 045 #continue linear interpolation, L1 carried to @16k and L2 @18k
@18k: 20mph, 090 #out of the L1 @16k width.
@19k: 20 mpg 090 #L2 component carried up since there are no other components within D.
...
If this is not smooth enough the height resolution can be higher (e.g. every 100 feet) and D can be wider.
Layers can be forced to be spaced at least D from each other in order to get the exact net wind as defined at the layer center. Not a must, the arena admin can control this manually.
By the way, if cross wind information is needed for bombers guys to take into account, you can add the cross wind speed statistic in E6B or in the F6 bombsite on-screen text to help them.
