AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2020 - 46

PILOT BRIEFING
JUST FOR FUN |

10 high notes
Inspiration for
the quarantine

PILOT PRODUCTS |

Aircraft paint protection
For bug season and beyond

1. "Sometimes, flying feels too
God-like to be attained by man.
Sometimes the world from above
seems too beautiful, too wonderful,
too distant for human eyes to see."

-Charles A. Lindbergh
2. "The Wright brothers created the
single greatest cultural force since
the invention of writing. The airplane
became the first World Wide Web,
bringing people, languages, ideas, and
values together." 
-Bill Gates
3. "The air up there in the clouds is
very pure and fine, bracing and
delicious. And why shouldn't it be?
It is the same the angels breathe."

-Mark Twain
4. "There is no sport equal to that
which aviators enjoy while being
carried through the air on great white
wings." 
-Wilbur Wright
5. "Anyone can do the job when things
are going right. In this business, we
play for keeps." 
-Ernest K. Gann
6. "The air is the only place free from
prejudice." 
-Bessie Coleman
7. "Sometimes things are bigger than
you, and the best you can hope for is
to keep your wings level and have a
little patience and a little luck."

-Warren "Wally" Simpson
8. "Built into the human psyche we
have this desire for liberty. I think with
many people the airplane becomes
the metaphor for liberation, for the
ultimate sense of freedom."
 -Rod Machado
9. "The good thing about flying solo is
it's never boring."
-Steve Fossett
10. "When once you have tasted flight
you will forever walk the Earth with
your eyes turned skyward, for there
you long to return."
 -Leonardo da Vinci (you didn't think
we'd leave that one out, did you?)

B Y DAV E H I R S C H M A N

POSTFLIGHT DUTIES during bug season involve painstakingly wiping insect
splatters from aircraft leading edges, but
a new product makes that chore easier.
ToughGuard is a two-step surface
protector that smooths aircraft surfaces at a microscopic level and defends
underlying paint from bugs, sun damage, dirt, and grease. It also provides a
high-gloss finish that makes paint look
better. I recently applied a coating to the
AOPA 2020 Sweepstakes RV-10 and was
favorably impressed with the result.
ToughGuard is made for aviation
and specifically approved by Boeing,
Airbus, Embraer, and other aircraft
manufacturers. I got a one-airplane
application from Craig Barnett of Scheme Designers that came in a 2-ounce
tube and 4-ounce bottle.
Applying it required some elbow grease. I first had to wash the airplane to
remove all dirt, dust, and wax. Then I mixed the "step one" fluid with a gallon of
warm water and rubbed it onto the airplane. The directions call for "agitating"
for between seven and 10 minutes, so that's a lot of rubbing. Then I rinsed the
airplane again and let it dry as directed.
Part Two is a protective sealant that looks like white sunscreen. You apply it
sparsely (in "dime-sized drops") and then rub it in by hand, or with an electric
buffer. I don't have a buffer, so I did it manually. Twice, as directed. After letting
it dry for an hour, I went over it again with a terrycloth towel.
The surface of the airplane shined-and the directions call for letting it cure
for at least 12 hours before flying. That's enough time for the resin to bond with
the aircraft paint.
ToughGuard claims to protect underlying surfaces for two years. I have no
idea whether it can really do it for that long. But the next day, when I wiped the
airplane down after a particularly buggy evening flight, the insect remnants sure
came off easily. And anything that helps protect the Sweeps RV-10's striking paint
job from the elements is well worth the trouble.
PRICE: prices start at $100 for a typical general aviation airplane. The product is
only available via the Oregon company's website.
CONTACT: ToughGuard-aero.com
EMAIL dave.hirschman@aopa.org

46 | AOPA PILOT July 2020
http://www.ToughGuard-aero.com
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2020
