Best sunglasses for flying!

I really like these. Lightweight, choice of three diopter strengths for the "readers" portion. Dual AV1, $99 at Sporty's. Nice to see both the instruments and bogey at 3 o'clock. :D

AV1.jpg
 
Yes on the non-polarized. That way I can leave them in the plane and not be tempted to take them fishing.

I’m liking Transitions, especially in the winter. Nothing like flying above a bright white cloud deck under crystal blue skies, then punching down through the icy clouds into a gloomy, cold winter wasteland and not having to change specs. I always feel silly running into the FBO men’s room wearing dark tinted aviators when it’s 6pm dark outside.

Price no object; how would you like 1/10 interest in a PC-12? You won’t even have to fly it.



Which Transitions do you have that work inside? Are you flying an open cockpit? Mine won’t Transition and I have a full clear canopy.





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Non-polarized. Polarized will screw up viewing of the digital screens

My wife and I both liked Vedalo HD sunglasses. They're specifically made for flying - lightweight with thin frames that don't interfere with the headsets. It's not uncommon for me to have them on for 8+ hours in a day on my long flying days and they're extremely comfortable.

Yes, they're expensive.

I second the Vedalo. They are really lightweight and comfortable but yes, they are pricey.
 
You guys keep mentioning thin arms.... WTF, over? Quit being cheap and get a set of halos or similar. Then, wear any effing glasses you want.

In planes where the prop goes supersonic or bigger piston stuff, the ANR muffs are good
 
Yes on the non-polarized. That way I can leave them in the plane and not be tempted to take them fishing.

I’m liking Transitions, especially in the winter. Nothing like flying above a bright white cloud deck under crystal blue skies, then punching down through the icy clouds into a gloomy, cold winter wasteland and not having to change specs. I always feel silly running into the FBO men’s room wearing dark tinted aviators when it’s 6pm dark outside.

Price no object; how would you like 1/10 interest in a PC-12? You won’t even have to fly it.

I did something in the above post I normally don’t do; I was BSing. I may need to practice more before trying it again. Please accept my apology. The truth is:

- I fish a lot. A number of years ago fly fishing for Albies off Montauk I took my flying sunglasses (several pairs) having forgotten that they weren’t polarized. The guide kept pointing to fish that I couldn’t see. He slowly got ****ed as he realized I didn’t have a decent pair of polarized sun glasses for the run and gun visual fishing we were doing. I was humiliated (caught a few anyway). Since then I’ve found,as many others have, that polarized glasses mostly work in glass cockpits. But only mostly...

- Transitions don’t darken in my cockpit or car either. But they work better than sunglasses when I get dunked in the muck at the end of an otherwise sunny flight. And I don’t have to change them once on the ground.

- The PC-12 is my dream plane but I’ll never have a piece of one in this lifetime.

Seriously, find sunglasses that work for you. When you find them, you’ll know it and keep them. I’m still using a orange tinted prescription pair from 20 years ago. In bright conditions, they are fine. If less than bright I go to my transitions with the current script.


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Well, there's two crowds when it comes to sunglasses.

For the "I'd rather spend my money on avgas than sunglasses" crowd, I present the Elvex Xenon safety sunglasses, $3.19/pair. I use them for yard work and such, where I appreciate the safety-glasses aspect. I've flown with 'em too. They have excellent coverage in your peripheral vision and don't have any frames on the sides to block your view of traffic. I buy several pairs at a time to minimize shipping cost per pair, and I leave a pair in each car, a pair on the workbench in the garage, a pair in the airplane, etc. so there's always a pair hanging around if I need sunglasses and I don't have my expensive ones with me.

For the "I want expensive, performance sunglasses" crowd, I present the Scheyden Precision Eyewear Jet-A. These are what I fly with most of the time. The sides are designed to fit well under headsets, and they work well with the Lightspeeds and Boses I've had in the plane. They do have a frame on them and thus some blockage of the widest parts of your peripheral vision, but it's acceptable. I also highly recommend the bronze lenses - These things can really make a white Cessna or Cirrus against a white cloud deck "pop" so you can see them easily. You almost have to see it to believe it.

Yes, I'm in both crowds. I was a cheap-sunglasses guy until I tried the Jet-A's at Oshkosh... But I still have lots of uses for cheap sunglasses.
 
I buy these S&W safety glasses for about $10. I buy them 3-4 at a time, and pairs can be found all over my property, my workplace, and my hangar. I break, scratch, and lose to many sunglasses to spend any real money on them.

smith-wesson-equalizer-safety-glasses-with-gun-metal-frame-and-anti-fog-smoke-lens-15__08073.1448995678.jpg
 
I buy these S&W safety glasses for about $10.

OMG. It's your fault.

Ravioli's True Story Time:
When I was working with Kodak they had a problem getting their people to wear safety glasses. Their solution was to provision "Smith and Wesson" branded glasses so they would think it was cool. (Don't bother with the questions about the uptick in safety glasses purchases)

So, I had a pair in my bag, since I needed them from time to time.

My (now ex) wife asked me for something and I said, "Oh, it's in the outer pocket of my bag."

She finds the glasses (S&W) in the bag and comes back quite irate. "DO YOU HAVE A GUN IN THIS HOUSE?"

In retrospect, I wish I did!
 
OMG. It's your fault.

Ravioli's True Story Time:
When I was working with Kodak they had a problem getting their people to wear safety glasses. Their solution was to provision "Smith and Wesson" branded glasses so they would think it was cool. (Don't bother with the questions about the uptick in safety glasses purchases)

So, I had a pair in my bag, since I needed them from time to time.

My (now ex) wife asked me for something and I said, "Oh, it's in the outer pocket of my bag."

She finds the glasses (S&W) in the bag and comes back quite irate. "DO YOU HAVE A GUN IN THIS HOUSE?"

In retrospect, I wish I did!

Well, it's no secret that I rather enjoy things that go pew pew pew, but I'd actually prefer that the glasses don't say Smith and Wesson on the side, and I honestly don't give a rat's buttock(s) what brand they are. I started wearing them because of all the different types of bulk safety glasses provided at work, these were the nicest looking and most comfortable. Some time ago, my employer began supplying Nemesis safety glasses instead, which are terrible, so I just started buying my own S&Ws. They are a bargain at 10 smackers.
 
Take a pair of your regular glasses to a mom and pop (not a chain) optician and have the lenses dyed to 18% gray. Less than $20 most places.
 
Take a pair of your regular glasses to a mom and pop (not a chain) optician and have the lenses dyed to 18% gray. Less than $20 most places.

+1

My optometrist’s office did a graded amber tint for me, almost clear in the bottom third. Works perfectly.
 
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