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Preserving The Plexi

The Plexiglas windshields in our general aviation airplanes are pretty remarkable-made of acrylic, they are lightweight with little distortion, and it should be at least 30 years before you need a new windshield (inset), if treated right. Thats according to John Zofko, Jr., founder of Great Lakes Aero Products, one of the major glass manufacturers. Even on a tie-down, you can figure on 10-15 years, per Scott Utz, head of maintenance at Arapahoe Aero on Denvers Centennial Airport.

Rick Durden
Verified

The Plexiglas windshields in our general aviation airplanes are pretty remarkable—made of acrylic, they are lightweight with little distortion, and it should be at least 30 years before you need a new windshield (inset), if treated right. That’s according to John Zofko, Jr., founder of Great Lakes Aero Products, one of the major glass manufacturers. Even on a tie-down, you can figure on 10-15 years, per Scott Utz, head of maintenance at Arapahoe Aero on Denver’s Centennial Airport.

Rick Durden

Senior Editor Rick Durden has written for Aviation Consumer since 1994 and specializes in aviation law. Rick is an active CFII and holds an ATP with type ratings in the Douglas DC-3 and Cessna Citation. He is the author of The Thinking Pilot’s Flight Manual or, How to Survive Flying Little Airplanes and Have a Ball Doing It, Vols. 1 & 2.