Reflections from aircraft transparencies of instrument lights and other cockpit objects have been a concern to many pilots. Attempts to reduce these reflections have been hampered by the lack of a repeatable measurement method and variances in reflection measuring instrumentation. The problem with measuring instrumentation is that different brands will often give significant value differences using the same specimen surface.

This test method reduces the instrument variations by standardizing the light source, calculation method, and area of specimen surface being measured; a brand of instrumentation is not specified. Since the reflectivity is defined as the ratio of two luminance measurements and does not depend on an absolute measurement, dependence upon the accuracy of the measuring instrument is reduced.

The test method may be used to objectively compare the reflection characteristics of various transparent materials. Furthermore, the test method may be used to evaluate reflections of a specified spectral source by using that source in place of the standard light source.

Provisions are made to check for polarization effects of the sample and to record the reflectivity of a standard specimen. These provisions are offered as an option to the tester; it is up to the user or the requiring agency to determine the significance and use of these data.

Since the reflections are measured photopically, the results are representative of what the pilot would visually perceive.