I have often wondered if FSX truly reflects the surrounding area off the aluminum skin, or if in reality FSX is simply projecting some other image using generic colors that one can interpret as being reflected off the surface of the earth or from the sky? Either way, it does not in the least reduce the artistry folks are showing in this craft, which is truly amazing. So, this is more a "scientific" question.
For the record, what really impresses me about this work even more than the reflections is the ability to render the aluminum panels and the various and often intrinsic undulations and seams that comprise an aluminum skinned aircraft. This work does that particularly well.
Ken