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A glareshield is one of those things pilots don't notice till they don't have one but by then, it's too late.
Ever tried to spot opposite-direction traffic at 12 o'clock and three miles when the glare on the windshield is so bright it makes your eyes water? Not a pleasant situation and not safe or smart either.
The simple solution is to call Dennis Ashby at Meadows Field in Bakersfield, Calif. He's been in business for 30 years and makes custom glareshields for a variety of makes, including the Mooney M201 and later models.
He also covers the Piper PA-24/30 Comanche and PA-28/32/34 Cherokee series as well as most of the high-wing Cessnas, including the 120/140, 150/152, 170/172, 180/182 and 210/206. In the Beechcraft line, he's got glareshields for the Model 33 and 35 Bonanza, from 1962 on.
When The Mod Works in Florida souped up a Cherokee Arrow for AOPA's "Ultimate Arrow" giveaway, one of the special touches it installed was a Dennis Ashby glareshield.
Ashby's glareshields are made of laminated fiberglass and have a molded heavy leather textured surface. The one-piece shields are designed to tuck under the windshield from the front, totally covering the top of the instrument panel.
The reinforced lip extends three inches past the front of the panel to shade the instrument faces and form a convenient handhold. He also sells an FAA-approved lighting system (10 bulbs in a 30-inch-long, flexible, clear-plastic tube) that can be installed in the glareshield overhang for night flying.
The price of glareshields ranges from $205 to $295, depending on aircraft type and model; the optional lighting system is priced at $85.
For more information, contact Dennis Ashby at (800) 945-7668 or for overseas and fax (805) 393-8224.
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