diff --git a/src/GUI/gui.cxx b/src/GUI/gui.cxx
index 4ccceb468..165a00c1f 100644
--- a/src/GUI/gui.cxx
+++ b/src/GUI/gui.cxx
@@ -696,7 +696,7 @@ void guiInit()
     // Install our fast fonts
     fntpath.append( "typewriter.txf" );
     guiFntHandle = new fntTexFont ;
-    guiFntHandle -> load ( fntpath.c_str() ) ;
+    guiFntHandle -> load ( (char *)fntpath.c_str() ) ;
     puFont GuiFont ( guiFntHandle, 15 ) ;
     puSetDefaultFonts( GuiFont, GuiFont ) ;
     guiFnt = puGetDefaultLabelFont();
diff --git a/src/Main/Makefile.am b/src/Main/Makefile.am
index 604871337..a6492a22b 100644
--- a/src/Main/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Main/Makefile.am
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ else
 SERIAL_LIBS =
 endif
 
-CPPFLAGS += -DPKGLIBDIR=\"$(pkglibdir)\"
+CPPFLAGS += -DUSE_SSG -DPKGLIBDIR=\"$(pkglibdir)\"
 
 EXTRA_DIST = 3dfx.sh runfgfs.in runfgfs.bat.in
 
diff --git a/src/Main/main.cxx b/src/Main/main.cxx
index c26b29d76..0f8b6a544 100644
--- a/src/Main/main.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/main.cxx
@@ -182,8 +182,6 @@ static void fgInitVisuals( void ) {
 
     // xglFogi (GL_FOG_MODE, GL_LINEAR);
     xglFogi (GL_FOG_MODE, GL_EXP2);
-    // Fog density is now set when the weather system is initialized
-    // xglFogf (GL_FOG_DENSITY, w->fog_density);
     if ( (current_options.get_fog() == 1) || 
 	 (current_options.get_shading() == 0) ) {
 	// if fastest fog requested, or if flat shading force fastest
@@ -354,11 +352,12 @@ static void fgRenderFrame( void ) {
 	xglEnable( GL_DEPTH_TEST );
 	if ( current_options.get_fog() > 0 ) {
 	    xglEnable( GL_FOG );
-	    xglFogfv (GL_FOG_COLOR, l->adj_fog_color);
+	    xglFogi( GL_FOG_MODE, GL_EXP2 );
+	    xglFogfv( GL_FOG_COLOR, l->adj_fog_color );
 	}
 	// set lighting parameters
-	xglLightfv(GL_LIGHT0, GL_AMBIENT, l->scene_ambient );
-	xglLightfv(GL_LIGHT0, GL_DIFFUSE, l->scene_diffuse );
+	xglLightfv( GL_LIGHT0, GL_AMBIENT, l->scene_ambient );
+	xglLightfv( GL_LIGHT0, GL_DIFFUSE, l->scene_diffuse );
 	// xglLightfv(GL_LIGHT0, GL_SPECULAR, white );
 	
 	if ( current_options.get_textures() ) {
@@ -383,12 +382,25 @@ static void fgRenderFrame( void ) {
 
 	// ssg test
 
-	xglMatrixMode(GL_PROJECTION);
+	xglMatrixMode( GL_PROJECTION );
 	xglLoadIdentity();
-	ssgSetFOV(60.0f, 0.0f);
-	ssgSetNearFar(10.0f, 14000.0f);
-	sgMat4 sgTRANS;
+	ssgSetFOV( current_options.get_fov(), 0.0f );
 
+	double agl = current_aircraft.fdm_state->get_Altitude() * FEET_TO_METER
+	    - scenery.cur_elev;
+
+	FG_LOG( FG_ALL, FG_INFO, "visibility is " 
+		<< current_weather.get_visibility() );
+	    
+	if ( agl > 10.0 ) {
+	    // ssgSetNearFar( 10.0f, current_weather.get_visibility() );
+	    ssgSetNearFar( 10.0f, 100000.0f );
+	} else {
+	    // ssgSetNearFar( 0.5f, current_weather.get_visibility() );
+	    ssgSetNearFar( 0.5f, 100000.0f );
+	}
+
+	sgMat4 sgTRANS;
 	sgMakeTransMat4( sgTRANS, 
 			 current_view.view_pos.x() 
 			 + current_view.view_forward[0] * 20,
diff --git a/src/Main/views.cxx b/src/Main/views.cxx
index b8cd9ce60..c6f6eba4f 100644
--- a/src/Main/views.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/views.cxx
@@ -239,10 +239,10 @@ void FGView::UpdateViewParams( void ) {
     xglMatrixMode(GL_PROJECTION);
     xglLoadIdentity();
     if ( f->get_Altitude() * FEET_TO_METER - scenery.cur_elev > 10.0 ) {
-	ssgSetNearFar( 10.0, 100000.0 );
+	// ssgSetNearFar( 10.0, 100000.0 );
 	gluPerspective(current_options.get_fov(), win_ratio, 10.0, 100000.0);
     } else {
-	ssgSetNearFar( 0.5, 100000.0 );
+	// ssgSetNearFar( 0.5, 100000.0 );
 	gluPerspective(current_options.get_fov(), win_ratio, 0.5, 100000.0);
 	// printf("Near ground, minimizing near clip plane\n");
     }
@@ -378,7 +378,6 @@ void FGView::UpdateViewParams( void ) {
 	xglLoadMatrixf( m );
     }
 #endif // FG_VIEW_INLINE_OPTIMIZATIONS
-	
 
     panel_hist = current_options.get_panel_status();
 }
diff --git a/src/Scenery/tilecache.cxx b/src/Scenery/tilecache.cxx
index 234abf1dd..188aa3e8d 100644
--- a/src/Scenery/tilecache.cxx
+++ b/src/Scenery/tilecache.cxx
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ FGTileCache::fill_in( int index, const FGBucket& p )
 void
 FGTileCache::entry_free( int index )
 {
-    tile_cache[index].release_fragments();
+    tile_cache[index].free_tile();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/Scenery/tileentry.cxx b/src/Scenery/tileentry.cxx
index d90f465f2..3c66667d5 100644
--- a/src/Scenery/tileentry.cxx
+++ b/src/Scenery/tileentry.cxx
@@ -55,17 +55,57 @@ FGTileEntry::~FGTileEntry ( void ) {
 }
 
 
-// Step through the fragment list, deleting the display list, then
-// the fragment, until the list is empty.
+// Step through the fragment list, deleting the display list, then the
+// fragment, until the list is empty.  Also delete the arrays used by
+// ssg as well as the whole ssg branch
 void
-FGTileEntry::release_fragments()
+FGTileEntry::free_tile()
 {
     FG_LOG( FG_TERRAIN, FG_DEBUG,
 	    "FREEING TILE = (" << tile_bucket << ")" );
+
+    // mark tile unused
+    mark_unused();
+
+    // delete fragment list
     for_each( begin(), end(),
 	      mem_fun_ref( &fgFRAGMENT::deleteDisplayList ));
     fragment_list.erase( begin(), end() );
-    mark_unused();
+
+    // delete the ssg used structures
+    delete vtlist;
+    delete vnlist;
+    delete tclist;
+
+    // delete the ssg branch
+
+    // make sure we have a sane number of parents
+    int pcount = branch_ptr->getNumParents();
+    if ( pcount > 0 ) {
+	// find the first parent (should only be one)
+	ssgBranch *parent = branch_ptr->getParent( 0 ) ;
+	// find the number of kids this parent has
+	int kcount = parent->getNumKids();
+	// find the kid that matches our original branch_ptr
+	bool found_kid = false;
+	for ( int i = 0; i < kcount; ++i ) {
+	    ssgEntity *kid = parent->getKid( i );
+	    if ( kid == branch_ptr ) {
+		FG_LOG( FG_TERRAIN, FG_INFO,
+			"Found a kid to delete " << kid);
+		found_kid = true;
+	    }
+	}
+	if ( ! found_kid ) {
+	    FG_LOG( FG_TERRAIN, FG_ALERT,
+		    "Couldn't find the kid to delete!  Dying" );
+	    exit(-1);
+	}
+    } else {
+	FG_LOG( FG_TERRAIN, FG_ALERT,
+		"Parent count is zero for an ssg tile!  Dying" );
+	exit(-1);
+    }    
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/Scenery/tileentry.hxx b/src/Scenery/tileentry.hxx
index 719536110..1a80f53c7 100644
--- a/src/Scenery/tileentry.hxx
+++ b/src/Scenery/tileentry.hxx
@@ -136,8 +136,9 @@ public:
     }
 
     // Step through the fragment list, deleting the display list, then
-    // the fragment, until the list is empty.
-    void release_fragments();
+    // the fragment, until the list is empty.  Also delete the arrays
+    // used by ssg as well as the whole ssg branch
+    void free_tile();
 
     // Calculate this tile's offset
     void SetOffset( const Point3D& off)
diff --git a/src/Weather/weather.hxx b/src/Weather/weather.hxx
index 228967936..355a1a20d 100644
--- a/src/Weather/weather.hxx
+++ b/src/Weather/weather.hxx
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ public:
     inline double get_visibility() const { return visibility; }
 
     inline void set_visibility( double v ) {
+	xglMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
 	// in meters
 	visibility = v;
 
@@ -56,8 +57,11 @@ public:
 
 	// Set correct opengl fog density
 	xglFogf (GL_FOG_DENSITY, fog_exp2_density);
+	xglFogi( GL_FOG_MODE, GL_EXP2 );
 
-	// FG_LOG( FG_INPUT, FG_DEBUG, "Fog density = " << w->fog_density );
+	// FG_LOG( FG_INPUT, FG_DEBUG, "Fog density = " << fog_density );
+	FG_LOG( FG_INPUT, FG_INFO, 
+		"Fog exp2 density = " << fog_exp2_density );
     }
 };