Cleaning a windscreen

There’s no Safelite for airplanes, and replacing a windscreen or canopy can cost into the tens of thousands of dollars depending on the aircraft, so make sure you don’t damage a windscreen with a well-intentioned but incorrect cleaning.

1. Gather your supplies. The key here is to go with whatever the owner/operator prefers—Prist or just plain old water are common choices. Grab a clean microfiber cloth as well. While Windex and paper towels are go-tos for glass on the ground, they are not a good choice for aviation’s acrylic windscreens and should be avoided.
2. Spray the cleaner on the windshield/windows. If you have to use a ladder to reach all the windscreen, be careful that your attire (buttons, zippers, rings, rodeo star belt buckles) doesn’t scratch anything. Then, spray the area you want to clean. And if you’re going to clean part of the windscreen, you might as well get it all.
3. Wipe in lines, not circles. Wipe the cleaner, bugs, and grime off with top-to-bottom swipes, not circles. Circles are more likely to scratch the windscreen, and will elicit screeches of terror from nearby pilots.
4. Not quite clean yet? Do it again. After a very buggy flight, it might take two or three rounds to get the windscreen shipshape again. But don’t give up! It is easier to clean the bugs off when they’re freshly slain and before they’ve had time to harden.
   
   If you keep the windscreen clean and get into the habit of cleaning it after every flight, it’ll serve you well for years to come.