AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - November 2024 - T-12

windscreen and overhead. But when the
sun does move directly ahead, the shades
work perfectly in the windshield, too.
The size of the Flight Gear shades
makes it possible to block the sun, but
not the entire window so you can look
around the shade while being protected
from direct sunlight. And, of course,
it's wise to use the shades above Flight
Level 180 where all traffic is under
positive control.
When you're ready to stow the
Flight Gear sunshades a simple hand
crossing technique snaps the shades
from their 20-by-12-inch size into a
compact circle about seven inches in
diameter. I say the maneuver is simple,
and it is once you learn how. It's
tempting to try to twist the deployed
shades by grasping both ends. But that
won't work. What works perfectly is to
grasp the lower edge of the shade several
inches from each end, and then
move your hands across each other. The
shade snaps into a circle that fits in a little
cloth bag along with its twin shade
that is included in the purchase.
The Flight Gear sunshades cost only
$14.95 from Sporty's. They are the best 15
bucks I've spent on anything to do with an
airplane in a long time.
sportys.com
Sun blocking on the ground
When it comes to blocking the sun on the
ground, I've had nothing but great experience
with Kennon sun shields. Kennon
shields are the easiest to use, and most
effective I have found after using them on
several different airplanes.
Kennon makes the shields from a
multi-layered reflective material that
is very light weight and easy to roll, but
springy. The springy nature of the Kennon
shield creates tension between the shield
and window frame to hold it in place with
no adhesives, fasteners, suction cups, or
Velcro that other shields may require.
Kennon makes the shields to fit an exact
make and model of airplane, even considering
the serial number that could impact
the size and shape of the window frames.
When my company took delivery of
our new CJ4 Gen 2 I called Kennon to
T-12
AOPA PILOT / November 2024
Kennon sun shields fit snugly into the window
frame without need of fasteners to reflect
baking sunlight heat.
order the shields. They had not yet made
shields for the Gen 2 version, but Cessna
told them there was no change to cockpit
window size and shape.
But the Kennon shields for the cockpit
side windows were just a tad too small
and lacked the interference fit that holds
them in place. Kennon tried to get a new
template from Cessna with no luck. Photos
I took of the shield in place showed the
Kennon people that about a quarter inch
size increase all around would fix the
problem. They made the new shields-no
charge-and they now fit perfectly.
To store the Kennon shields, roll them
up and put them in the supplied storage
bag. They weigh mere ounces.
Kennon claims the sun shields have
a reflectivity value of 93 to 94 percent.
They drop cockpit temperature on the
ramp dramatically. I've used a set of
Kennon shields for many years, but not
long ago the company updated the material
to one even lighter in weight and
more flexible and springy. The material
is smooth and soft and it won't scratch,
mar, or mark a window.
Several pilot supply retailers sell
Kennon shields, or you can order direct
at kennonproducts.com, or call 307-6746498.
The shields are custom made for
your aircraft so there may be a little wait
for delivery, but the shields' performance
is worth it.
kennonproducts.com
J. Mac McClellan is a corporate pilot with
more than 12,000 hours, and a retired aviation
magazine editor living in Grand
Haven, Michigan.
http://www.sportys.com http://www.kennonproducts.com http://www.kennonproducts.com http://www.aerox.com
AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - November 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - November 2024
