PLT117: Heated Windshields
What code PLT117 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Heated Windshields before your checkride.
Recall aircraft heated windshields
What this means for your checkride
Heated windshields are part of an airplane's ice and rain protection. Electrical heating keeps the windshield clear of ice and fog and, on transport airplanes, keeps the glass warm enough to stay resilient. They work alongside the anti-ice and deicing systems that protect the wings, tail, and engine inlets.
Ice degrades vision and airframe performance, so the FAA tests how anti-ice and deicing systems, including heated windshields, prevent or remove ice.
Anti-ice and deicing are not the same: anti-ice prevents ice from forming, while deicing removes ice that has already accumulated.
Where to study it
A code on your test report is an area of deficiency. An authorized instructor must review it with you and endorse that review before you take the practical test, and the examiner may revisit it during the oral. Study it until you can explain it out loud, not just recognize the answer.