Canopy glints

[Vonrd]

I was at a supermarket for shopping today and noticed smoke trails over San Francisco. It was the Blue Angels performing for our local fleet week. Of course, I was mesmerized and watched from the balcony which had an excellent view. The performance box was about 12 miles away. What really struck me was the intensity of the canopy glints (it might also have been reflections on the gloss paint scheme that the Blues have). It was like high intensity strobelights going off. None of the sims that we fly reflect this as far as I know. Cliffs of Dover did to some extent. I've flown in RL for many years but never really pay'd attention to this phenomena and can't remember anything this impressive. This was intense.

[Britchot]

First thing that came to mind was Cliffs, I think it did a decent job without overly emphasizing it. 

[Ludwig]

It is really unusual to see a reflection that far away and would be more likely the paint than anything else. Air quality has a LOT to do with it. We don't hear visibility UNrestricted hardly anymore but when it happens it is incredible. I saw the rotating beacon at the El Paso airport at over 200 miles and saw SW 737 climbing out over DAL late at night. The controller said No... he is 240 miles from you and as he went through 10,000' I called his lights out and they confirmed.... oh yeah, he sees us. Both instances are at night. What gets my goat is the reflection inside the canopy and the scratches on the glass (?) or acryllic material. I have never seen that as bad as they made it in the sims and it is way easier to lean and adjust to get the Sun behind a cockpit frame so you can see in the cockpit compared to the sim, even with the 6 axis enabled. 

[Vonrd]

1 hour ago, Ludwig said:

would be more likely the paint than anything else

Agree

1 hour ago, Ludwig said:

What gets my goat is the reflection inside the canopy and the scratches on the glass (?) or acryllic material.

Super agree