Readytotaxi From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2006, 2628 posts, RR: 3 Posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 3371 times:
Is there a preferred type of glasses you people use, not talking about Fashion Labels, is it a pair that react to sunlight or permanently dark kinds that are best for the job.?
you don't get a second chance to make a first impression!
Max Q From United States of America, joined May 2001, 3326 posts, RR: 19 Reply 1, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 3362 times:
Well, they are not the most fashionable and are a little darker than needed sometimes but I have used Ray Bans for 28 years and found them to be priceless.
Simple but effective.
The best contribution to safety is a competent Pilot.
Njxc500 From United States of America, joined Dec 2007, 219 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 3251 times:
The key to sunglasses nowadays is to make sure they are polarized, to reduce glare, especially useful for flying. Lightweight is nice too, as it makes any pair more comfortable. My favorite is Smith, and I bought my last pair at REI.com, and they have an outlet there with some 50% off. Just make sure they come with polarized lenses, or I usually buy a pair that has multiple pairs of lenses, just in case.
My first choice, and current pair for flying is the smith Factor D-max. This one has the interchangeable lenses and comes with four pair, one being polarized. http://www.rei.com/product/736168
My second choice is the axis, with full frame around the lenses. This only comes with one pair of lenses, but they're polarized. http://www.rei.com/outlet/product/772544
Illini_152 From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 1000 posts, RR: 2 Reply 5, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 3239 times:
Polarized are just about useless in many modern aircraft, as looking at certain glass displays will be blanked out totally at certain viewing angles.
Happy contrails - I support B747Skipper and Jetguy
Njxc500 From United States of America, joined Dec 2007, 219 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 3235 times:
I am going to agree with you on that, my garmin in my car does that, but the King in my cessna does not. I don't usually wear anything for takeoff and landing, but in flight on a bright day, I think the polarizing helps for doing visual scans for traffic.
FlyASAGuy2005 From United States of America, joined Sep 2007, 6540 posts, RR: 11 Reply 7, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 3221 times:
My dad seems to be content with his bayonet style Ray Bans that he's had since his Navy days (got out in '86), and still has them flying with Conti. All the guys make fun of him because the molding is almost gone around one lense and peice of the temple support is dry rot but he loves them!
CAM2:"Lightning coming out of that one." CAM1: "What?"
Bellerophon From United Kingdom, joined May 2002, 574 posts, RR: 60 Reply 8, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 3181 times:
Ray Ban - Aviators.
Worn them for fourty years, they do the job perfectly, although of course I didn't always wear the prescription Ray Bans I do now!
Whatever your preference however, I would strongly recommend against buying polarised lenses or cheap lenses, and also, to a lesser extent, lenses that react to light.
CosmicCruiser From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 2222 posts, RR: 16 Reply 9, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 3164 times:
Quoting Njxc500 (Reply 6): I think the polarizing helps for doing visual scans for traffic.
In thicker, multi layered, heated windscreens there will be pink and green/blue splotches all over the window. not good
Starlionblue From Hong Kong, joined Feb 2004, 15904 posts, RR: 66 Reply 10, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 3148 times:
Quoting CosmicCruiser (Reply 9): In thicker, multi layered, heated windscreens there will be pink and green/blue splotches all over the window. not good
Same with most PDA and music player screens btw.
"There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots." - from Citadel by John Ringo
CosmicCruiser From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 2222 posts, RR: 16 Reply 11, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 3117 times:
IAirAllie From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 12, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 5 days 16 hours ago) and read 3071 times:
I got a pair of serengetti's for christmas. I have to say I prefer the generic glasses my mother left in my car and I grabbed for my first flight lesson. Wish I knew where she got them because I have worn out the springiness in them so they fall off if my headset isn't on holding them in place. They are the perfect tint. Not to dark not too light. I can see my instruments fine and look outside with comfort in most sunny conditions. The serengettis are too dark. They are annoying when flying on partly cloudy day or any conditions where the light out side is variable. Like when you fly the pattern near sunset or sunrise into the glare and out of it. They don't make many female styles in high quality sunglasses. It's hard finding a pair that don't look silly on me.
Lowrider From United States of America, joined Jun 2004, 3220 posts, RR: 10 Reply 14, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 3017 times:
I have used American Optical sunglasses for 5 or 6 years now. Less expensive than ray bans and they work great. The bayonet style seem to fit under headsets the better than other options.
I will add my opinion to all of those that say avoid polarized. I do not think they are save with multi layered windshields or LCD avionics.
SCCutler From United States of America, joined Jan 2000, 5103 posts, RR: 28 Reply 16, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 2876 times:
I have taken to buying cheap-ass sunglasses (as long as they have UV protection), as I have left too many pair of $100.00 Ray bans on airport ramps across the south. One set found its way home to me, by mail, from two different airports, only to go missing at my home 'drome.
One pro pilot I know now buys some Ray Ban Aviator knock-offs in cases of 144, so that he does not mind losing them. He gave me a pair of them and, because they are wretched, I cannot lose them no matter how diligently I try.
...three miles from BRONS, clear for the ILS one five approach...
9VSIO From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2006, 645 posts, RR: 2 Reply 17, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 2861 times:
I use Oakley's Big Square Wire - It fits very comfortably on my head which was one of the main reasons I bought it! It also lacked chunky arms, so I managed to preserve some peripheral vision at least.
Me: (Lining up on final) I shall now select an aiming point. || Instructor: Well, I hope it's the runway...
Pihero From France, joined Jan 2005, 3597 posts, RR: 72 Reply 18, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 2725 times:
It seems that that there is a general consensus among experienced pilots that polarised lenses are an absolute No-No in an airliiner cockpit, because a lot of aviation lights or displays are already polarised : For instance, most of the visual gate guidance aids do so (I had to intervene once because the F/O couldn't see the stop sign).
In fact, most pros use the range of Ray-bans, Serengeti...big brands and there is not much of a difference between them. It's a question of comfort and god looks .
But I'd also advise against "sporty-trendy" types like surfers glasses, and particularly the red-ish tinted ones : they would blank the colours of the screens and blot out the reds (VASI, Stop lights...and so on...). Secondly, these lenses have generally not a good optical resolution and you might well find some distortions in the vision field...leading to an increased risk of disorientation : It is really not a joke .
Tb727 From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 1398 posts, RR: 4 Reply 19, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 2686 times:
Here is why you don't get polarized sunglasses for flying. This is what it looked like looking out heated glass with my FO's polarized glasses. You can't see anything!
My flying glasses are the military brand Randolph Engineering Aviators. They have the bayonet style arms that fit flat and comfortable under my David Clarks.
Lowrider From United States of America, joined Jun 2004, 3220 posts, RR: 10 Reply 20, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 2683 times:
Quoting Pihero (Reply 18): But I'd also advise against "sporty-trendy" types like surfers glasses, and particularly the red-ish tinted ones : they would blank the colours of the screens and blot out the reds (VASI, Stop lights...and so on...).
Excellent point. What do you think about the yellow/amber shooting type lenses, intended to increase contrast? I have seen guys were them for this reason on hazy days.
Tb727 From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 1398 posts, RR: 4 Reply 21, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 2669 times:
Quoting Lowrider (Reply 20):
Excellent point. What do you think about the yellow/amber shooting type lenses, intended to increase contrast? I have seen guys were them for this reason on hazy days.
My first pair of sunglasses when I was doing my private pilot stuff were a pair of Randolph Concord's with a yellowish tint. They were really good for VFR type stuff when you are looking out for traffic, it seemed to help out with seeing white better which helped spot traffic a little easier. Now I just use a gray tint just to help cut down on fatigue from brightness on those long days in the sky.
Readytotaxi From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2006, 2628 posts, RR: 3 Reply 22, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 2650 times:
Pihero From France, joined Jan 2005, 3597 posts, RR: 72 Reply 23, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 2648 times:
Do you guys know about this joke :
"Lots of people waiting at the pearly gates and St Peter is really busy processing them...Tempers are high and there is a lot of scuffling, pushing...
And then comes an oldish guy, wearing a dark blue uniform, wings on his chest, four bars on the sleeves, scrambled eggs on his cap...he goes to the top of the queue and St Peter just says "Hello" and waves him on...
A rather impatient man starts to protest loudly and St Peter tells him :You didn't want me to ask him to queue, did you ? That was GOD. HE thinks himself as an airline pilot, these days..."
Mirrodie From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 7422 posts, RR: 65 Reply 24, posted (4 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 2574 times:
Quoting Njxc500 (Reply 4): The key to sunglasses nowadays is to make sure they are polarized, to reduce glare, especially useful for flying.
I used to feel the same but after a lot of research about aviation accidents as they related to eyesight, I now cannot endorse polaroids. As someone illustrated above, the windshield and LCD displays may look distorted.
Quoting Illini_152 (Reply 5): Polarized are just about useless in many modern aircraft, as looking at certain glass displays will be blanked out totally at certain viewing angles
True.
Readytotaxi, I recommend a UV tinted lens. You can have them tinted to whatever darkness you like. The darkness is not important, but the clear UV tint is.
Personally, I would still use a polaroid. I know not to view the display at a ceratin angle and the problem goes away.
Professionally, I cannot endorse them to my patients who are pilots. They can be of really great value especially to seaplane captains. But I do warn them of the issues with LCD displays.
Many above have given their favorite fashion brands (Raybans, oakleys, etc). As I am sure you know, you are not paying for any better quality lens, just for the brand name frame.
You do not have to pay large sums of money for the privilege of eye protection.
Forum moderator 2001-2010; He's a pedantic, pontificating, pretentious bastard, a belligerent old fart, a worthless st
25 CosmicCruiser: I'm not sure that's totally true. To some extent you do get what you pay for. Check out vedaloHD.com but really any big name should provide a good le
26 9VSIO: I actually put frame comfort very high on the list - the lens is indeed just a lens and can be changed easily and cheaply. I find it interesting to s
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