What causes the sparkles when flying toward the sun?

SixPapaCharlie

SixPapaCharlie

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I am sure there is a name for it but in the windshield, I am starting to see these pinhead size spots that are bright in direct sunlight.

I don't recall seeing them before. I am guessing is it some sort of surface pitting or some such thing and wondering if this is generally a result of sun exposure or more likely that I fly out of a giant sandbox of an airport.

My plane lives in an open T hangar and lately, I have been flying so much I have gotten lazy about putting the canopy cover on. Is that likely the cause of these little spots or is it more likely something hitting / pitting the "glass"


I took a photo of my plane showing what I am talking about.
I have 3 or 4 spots now like this that I swear I didn't have 6 months ago.
What is the cause? Is there a solution that does not involve replacing the windshield?

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Little bits of your radiant personality are overheating and leaving your body, like sublimating evaporation. You can see it much better at altitude due to the Coriolis Effect.

Like, at night, when you're looking around in the dark and you see those kinds of things? Those are molecules of color.


(Or, yes, it's little pits, cracks, crazing, etc.)
 
They make products for that ya know. Probably because you're Grummy is eating too much pizza.

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SixPapaCharlie said:
I am sure there is a name for it but in the windshield, I am starting to see these pinhead size spots that are bright in direct sunlight.

I don't recall seeing them before. I am guessing is it some sort of surface pitting or some such thing and wondering if this is generally a result of sun exposure or more likely that I fly out of a giant sandbox of an airport.

My plane lives in an open T hangar and lately, I have been flying so much I have gotten lazy about putting the canopy cover on. Is that likely the cause of these little spots or is it more likely something hitting / pitting the "glass"


I took a photo of my plane showing what I am talking about.
I have 3 or 4 spots now like this that I swear I didn't have 6 months ago.
What is the cause? Is there a solution that does not involve replacing the windshield?

View attachment 64048
Click to expand...

Yup on the solution. This is a case of 'that'll buff right out' is not a punchline
 
luvflyin said:
Yup on the solution. This is a case of 'that'll buff right out' is not a punchline
Click to expand...

Details?
What sort of compound and technique can I attempt that won't destroy the windshield?
 
With that speedy Grumman, you're just on the edge of entering hyperspace:

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I think light causes them.

Actually, it's probably the one piece curved windshield. You should try a flat one.
 
bflynn said:
I think light causes them.

Actually, it's probably the one piece curved windshield. You should try a flat one.
Click to expand...

Actually, being that it's slow, why not just remove the windshield? I mean you can fly with the top down right? What ya even need a windshield for anyway?

image.jpeg
 
I find that a windshield product can not only clean but “fill in” temporarily scratches or tiny pits. Might want to give that a shot if you haven’t already to see if that cures it. I use Pledge (hope that doesn’t derail this thread). It seems to fill in and make the scratches disappear for a while. Neighbor whose owned his Bo for 40 years gave me a bottle of Brillianize to try; His windscreen looks great.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Details?
What sort of compound and technique can I attempt that won't destroy the windshield?
Click to expand...

I looked into it a few years back and instructions about it. Don't have time to look right now. You can try googlin it. You do have to be careful, those thins are thin. There are also Windshield cleaners that help. The are kinda like waxes and they actually 'fill in' the imperfections. It worked on my my windshield. It didn't have any deep pits though but it did make the 'scratches go away.. Don't remember the Brand but it's a common one. Black and Red can.
 
That plane should really be renamed from Traveler to Meanderer because it doesn't really go anywhere in a hurry.
 
I think it’s that sparkle in your eye you get when you read eman’s posts.
 
EdFred said:
That plane should really be renamed from Traveler to Meanderer because it doesn't really go anywhere in a hurry.
Click to expand...

Its not THAT slow.
My 160 HP meanderer kept pace and passed this 180 HP warrior like it was standing..... on one of those moving sidewalks.
Being lite has its perks

 
Lies! LIES!

Warriors arent 180hp.
 
What you are seeing is the Doppler effect. Except instead of observing from outside, you are an observer on the inside.
Just like a car honking passing you on a highway sounds like "nyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeoooooooooooooooooow" due to its speed adding to or subtracting from the speed of its sound wave as it approaches or departs, light particles behave in the same way. Even Einstein postulated that light particles (photons) can behave as a wave, especially when approaching the speed of light. (which they normally do)
So same Doppler principle applies to these light waves. Except, again, you are an observer on the inside so you are traveling against the light. So the light wave is traveling from the sun AT you at its standard speed of light. You, OTOH, travel toward the sun at your enormously outrageous cruise speed of 100kts. Combining these two speeds, you are now traveling into the light wave faster than the speed of light.
Your windshield was designed only for 1.0 speed of light. Any excess it cannot handle.
So what you are seeing are excess photons from the light wave that collect and build up on the windshield. And just like static electricity that builds up on a wing and sheds via static wicks, the photons need to shed.
The sparkles are nothing but a manifestation of concentration of photon discharge from the windshield. The locations usually correspond to worn thinner parts of the windshield which cannot hold as many photons as the thicker parts. Kinda like if you imagine the photons filling the low spots ("dimples") on your windshield to compensate.

Solutions? If it bothers you, you can buy some windshield solar photon wax. A can will run you probably about as much as a parachute repack. But it lasts a while, reducing the windshield photon abrasion to a minimum. You need to apply it about twice a year in TX, make sure you do it in absolute darkness. And I mean absolute. If you catch just one photon under the wax coat, it will bubble up, peel off and strip almost instantly. (remember, we're taking aggressive speeds of light, for crying out loud)
Yes, it is a bit on the expensive side but well worth it, IMHO. You can buy it at http://kalecoauto.com where you can find other important items such as muffler bearings, blinker fluid or Knuter valves.

Let us know how it works out!
 
They're probably just some type of focusing device used by AC much faster than yours to target their weapons systems ... it appears there are three directly in front of you preparing to launch an attack ... luckily, the sun is causing you to not perceive them about to launch:confused::confused::eek::eek::p
 
I had a friend of mine that said they used jeweler's rouge on scratches & pits in plexiglass helicopter canopies. That might help, but I'd try it in an inconspicuous location first.
 
Mirrorglaze #17. Follow the directions. Makes your auto headlights clear again too.
 
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