Sunglasses

ScottC said:
I'm a lowly student, but I love my Oakley prescription polarized (brownish). They're optically the best lenses of any optical product I've ever used for sharpness and clarity.
I've not found any problems (yet) seeing instruments or through the windshield.
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Me, too. Been wearing them for many years, and on every daylight flight I've made (eye doctor brand, not Oakley; brown tiny, anti-scratch, anti-reflective, polarized). I can see everything except the iPad I'm just starting to use. No trouble with my Galaxy phone or tablet.
 
I'm based in SoCal & have been using the Serengeti Drivers Gradient glasses for a year & am very happy with them. Great for cloudy & hazy days & they allow you to see your instrument panel very well - http://www.mypilotstore.com/mypilotstore/sep/4483

They do damage easily though so you must be careful with them. And whilst they're ok for bright sunny days, it would be nice to have darker lenses for when the sun is blazing.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a similar style with darker lenses which are gradient?
 
Ray-ban aviators with the ear loops here.

Anybody know if flying eyes will be set up at OSH?

I've flown with Dean Siracusa (flying eyes guy) in his Meyers 200-D. Hell of an airplane.
 
pilotod said:
A nice option for either polarized and/or gradient tint is Chemistrie clips. They need your frame to drill small holes in the periphery to put magnets in and then the clip is customized to match the lens shape. The material is called HiVex and has a higher Abbe value than both poly and trivex. About $125-130 retail.
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In all seriousness... I can't imagine paying $100+ for a pair of freaking non-prescription SUNGLASSES. When I was a teenager you could buy a decent pair for < $10. Ever since that Italian company monopolized the business and drove prices into the stratosphere, I've sworn off wearing them. Luckily I don't have problems with glare, and don't spend enough time outdoors in bright sunlight to worry about the risks of UV exposure (though I've had my doubts about how well airplane windows attenuate UV -- I'm not sure what kind of material they're made of).
 
SCCutler said:
My wife gave me a pair of Scheydens (from Spruce, I think), and they are marvelous, especially on those bright, hazy summer days - traffic and clouds just pop out from the gloom.
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+1 on the Scheydens. I bought the flip ups and absolutely LOVE them. Really great lenses, built like a tank and are awesome in the cockpit. They are proud of them - but I'd buy them again without hesitation.
 
I have a pair of Costas polarized with brown lenses. They work fine. I can see the panel fine. It's funny how things are polarized, the iPad looks perfectly normal in landscape, but can't really see it in portrait. My kindle fire that I use for reading is just the opposite.
 
The biggest thing for me is finding a pair that fit my face. If you have a narrow face most frames will be wider than your face and not allow the ear cups on your headset to seal properly. Thick heavy frames can cause the same problem by not allowing your headsets to seal well.
I purchased Serengeti Drivers but can't use them for flying. The frame is too wide and lets too much noise in while I'm wearing headsets. They are great glasses for the money though and work well for driving.
I am still searching for glasses for flying.
 
topgun260 said:
The biggest thing for me is finding a pair that fit my face. If you have a narrow face most frames will be wider than your face and not allow the ear cups on your headset to seal properly. Thick heavy frames can cause the same problem by not allowing your headsets to seal well.
I purchased Serengeti Drivers but can't use them for flying. The frame is too wide and lets too much noise in while I'm wearing headsets. They are great glasses for the money though and work well for driving.
I am still searching for glasses for flying.
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Get some Clarity Aloft or QT Halos for headsets, problem solved. Personally I flip my sunglasses arms up on top of the headset cups on regular headsets, the angle doesn't bother me a bit.
 
I have Ray Bans and purchased some stick on 1.5 plastic reading lenses from Sportys, they work great, kind of do it yourself bifocals using your favorite non-prescription sunglasses!
 
I have a pair of Bifocal Maui Jim's, useless. Too dark in the reading portion for flying with the G-500 & 430 and such it's ok, but for a chart in the lap or reading my clearance note or even iPad or phone, too dark.
 
Thy Ray Bans have a significantly lighter tint as you progress to the bottom of the lens.
 
azure said:
In all seriousness... I can't imagine paying $100+ for a pair of freaking non-prescription SUNGLASSES. When I was a teenager you could buy a decent pair for < $10. Ever since that Italian company monopolized the business and drove prices into the stratosphere, I've sworn off wearing them. Luckily I don't have problems with glare, and don't spend enough time outdoors in bright sunlight to worry about the risks of UV exposure (though I've had my doubts about how well airplane windows attenuate UV -- I'm not sure what kind of material they're made of).
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I used to think the exact same thing. I mean, they are just tinted pieces of plastic right? Wrong. A friend of mine got a job at oakley and he showed me the equipment they use for testing lenses. Basically a projector that throws a target up on a screen, through both lenses. They had a ton of different glasses there from all sorts of manufacturers, including some very expensive ones. Most of them distorted the image, some even split the images in random directions. Some of the worst were actually very expensive glasses from designer brands. That distortion can do really terrible things to your vision and cause a lot of problems, including headaches and dizziness. There are a number of good quality brands out there including Oakley who actually take the optics of their glasses seriously and the quality of the materials and workmanship makes a huge difference. Might not matter when you're at a backyard barbecue, but when you're flying a plane it really should matter to you that you can see everything that's there clearly.

I've also found that the overall quality of the glasses is a lot better than the cheapies. I have several pairs of $80 Oakleys that are in near perfect condition after several years of use. The $20 gas station glasses dont last more than a couple months. Overall, I'm money ahead.
 
I wore polarized no-names until I switched from iPad 2 to iPad 4 (the last one before the Air). They changed the screen polarization such that portrait doesn't work - only landscape. I usually keep it portrait & upside down. Landscape blocked too much panel.

I now wear no-name non polarized. No-name because I destroy or lose sunglasses at a high rate. :D
 
I wore my Hazebuster sunglasses for maybe 20 hours, otherwise (especially since they are so expensive) I kept them protected in a case and in my flight bag. Dozens of internal cracks/lines appeared on one lens (the surfaces of the lens were still like new). The Hazebuster website contact form doesn't work, so I phoned Tonya Hensley. She said that the factory that made my model had closed -- which certainly raises suspicions about quality. Then she said that she would not replace the glasses under warranty and quoted an increased price plus shipping as my only option. I consider this to be terrible customer service and support, so buyer beware! (In contrast, a $12 pair of WalMart clip-ons have seen constant use sailing and driving for two years and are still in great shape.)
 
txflyer said:
Ray-ban aviators with the ear loops here.

Anybody know if flying eyes will be set up at OSH?

I've flown with Dean Siracusa (flying eyes guy) in his Meyers 200-D. Hell of an airplane.
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Hey, I used to work with Dean! Been on many photo shoots with the guy, years ago in what seems like another life. I'll have to track him down through Flying Eyes.
 
Timely thread revive. Anybody know of any cheap quality wraparound glasses? I can't pay the Luxottica tax for the oakleys I like the looks of. Picked them up and the plastic was flimsy the plastic lenses moved in their holders just felt like 4.99 gas station glasses vs 160$ retail. Heck i'd be willing to pay a chunk of change just trying to avoid Luxottica on principle.
 
Cheap wrap-arounds? Get safety sunglasses. I'm not kidding. They are decent optically and less than 5 bucks.
 
I've been doing the safety glasses thing for a while now, I like the style and they're really cheap, so win win.
 
I use non-polarized Ray Bans with the flash (mirror) coating. Amazing results. The flash eliminates a ton of glare. Soooooo worth it
 
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