While you can control the fresnel lighting via a specular mask (i.e. kind of like controlling specular shine), you CANNOT control the amount of fresnel based on any complex environment detail, or based on the actual specific angle/part conjuction of the aircraft.

You can for example feed the averaged colour of the atmoshpere scattering to the fresnel shader (like making it more orange-pinkish at dusk), further increasing the usefulness of the shader, but not much more than that really.

EDIT: Also to keep in mind, stuff like using specular maps to mask Fresnel lighting becomes -really- costly in the end in terms of performance.

I really wish once they finish this major graphics overhaul they can bring back these ambient light reflection effects as an OPTION in the graphics options menu. Players who want it can enable it and players who don't can disable it.

They disabled it long time ago and I sorely miss it. Made the sim really stand out to its competitors and made it as real looking as possible.

A few memories in these screens:

https://vcjgrg.blu.livefilestore.com...427.bmp?psid=1

https://vcjgrg.blu.livefilestore.com...836.bmp?psid=1

Especially notice the beautiful orange glow along the hurricane leading edge and the 109 engine nacelle/cockpit.

Stunning