sun glare

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tpowers

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tpowers
This weekend returning to my home field, 5 knot wind straight down runway 19. Approach went fine but just as I leveled off over the runway, waiting for her to settle onto it, stall horn doing its thing, the late afternoon sun combined with a less than spotless windshield I couldn't see a thing. I can't visualize my height above the ground nor confirm I'm still going straight down the runway. Immediately executed a go-around. On the climbout realized this'll still be a problem on the next attempt so I decided I'd take advantage of the fact that I currently had the airport to myself and landed with a tailwind on runway 1. After announcing this on the CTAF for any pilots I might not be aware of, leaving and re-entering the pattern and watching closely for anyone who might be flying without a radio made a normal landing, obviously the groundspeed was higher than I'm used to but it's a long enough runway.

Lesson learned, pack some windex :)
 
tpowers said:
pack some windex :)
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No, no, no...

consuela.png
 
I don't even know what to say...are we being trolled? WWLD?
 
Lake Hood, late summer evenings. The typical pattern is landing west on glassy water into a low setting sun. Blinding. One more condition to be prepared for and to get familiar with.
 
Not an owner- Pledge: use it as a plexiglass cleaner? Or use it as a polish after you've cleaned it?
 
I used Pledge for years. Now I use Plexus because it sheds water better. In either case I use it to clean the dust and grit and bug guts and yes, I use paper towels. Always have. It leaves the windshield nice and shiny. Shedding water is a big deal.
 
Do a glassy water landing. Set your landing pitch and then use your power to control your descent rate, preferable 100-200 FPM. When you loose your outside visual reference, use as much Vision inside and outside of the A/C to keep on runway. Practice a few approaches before trying it for the first time though.
 
Stewartb said:
I used Pledge for years. Now I use Plexus because it sheds water better. In either case I use it to clean the dust and grit and bug guts and yes, I use paper towels. Always have. It leaves the windshield nice and shiny. Shedding water is a big deal.
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+1 can't say enough good things about plexus. The price is reasonable.
 
I first encountered this landing 21 at 15g on a late fall evening. Between crazed glass and the sun in my eyes I couldn't see Jack. Went around 3 times.

If you can't see the runway due to the sun fly away for 20m depending on fuel and come back after the sun moved :)
 
This place:

http://www.airnav.com/airport/k07

has a runway made of "glassphalt" - asphalt mixed with crushed glass. And it runs east/west. I've never landed there, but I've walked the rwy. A buddy of mine HAS landed there and said to never try it near sunset - you get the sun in your eyes, and you get the massive glare of the reflection off the rwy at the same time.
 
Microfiber towels are cheap and much better to avoid scratches than paper towels.

Use straight up-and-down motions, not swirling.
 
Jeff Oslick said:
Microfiber towels are cheap and much better to avoid scratches than paper towels.

Use straight up-and-down motions, not swirling.
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I use those and pledge. works great. I was worried about long term issues with the windshield, but I've heard of people using it for years with no problems.
 
I've never scratched a windscreen from paper towel. I have scratched them by not getting grit off before polishing. I park outside on a popular dirt strip that gets lots of wind and car traffic. Dust and grit are everyday issues. Use an appropriate cleaner and a little common sense and the windscreen will last a good long time without needing to dress scratches.

The worst thing I have for wear on a windscreen is when I use a winter windshield cover. That'll grind on a windshield in even a light breeze. And cleaners aren't easy to use in winter temps. Adapt and deal with it. Ski flying is fun.
 
To clean windows streak free the easiest possible way, use Collenite No845 Insulator Wax like on everything else that isn't fabric.

For really nasty glare, they make the soft static cling gells with deep tinting that you can stick in strategic places as needed to control glare.
 
Stewartb said:
I've never scratched a windscreen from paper towel. I have scratched them by not getting grit off before polishing. I park outside on a popular dirt strip that gets lots of wind and car traffic. Dust and grit are everyday issues. Use an appropriate cleaner and a little common sense and the windscreen will last a good long time without needing to dress scratches.

The worst thing I have for wear on a windscreen is when I use a winter windshield cover. That'll grind on a windshield in even a light breeze. And cleaners aren't easy to use in winter temps. Adapt and deal with it. Ski flying is fun.
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Paper towels are both wood fiber (coarse and harder than your window plastic) and wasteful. Microfiber does a much better job all around and is reusable and washable. Yes though, getting rid of grit first is the most critical thing, that is where 99% of scratches come from.
 
I don't have to wash them. I'm a water conservationist!

Don't think I don't have a bale or two of microfiber rags. I do. I still prefer paper towels. I'll bet money that most of you don't see the grit on your windshields that I do. If you've ever visited Lake Hood and driven around looking at airplanes you've deposited dust and grit my my planes. I've dealt with it for every flight for 25 years. I've figured out what works for me. Y'all probably can claim the same. It's a discussion. A sharing of ideas and experiences. Nobody's right, nobody's wrong.
 
I find microfiber dusters are great to get dust and grit clear. After a few coats of Collenite, bugs don't stick very well either.
 
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