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Flat light sunglasses for glacier flying


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Hi guys,

I'm looking for a good pair of sunglasses for overcast days flying on a glacier to help manage flat light conditions.

 

What do you use?

 

Polarized or non-polarized?

 

I am aiming in the 25 % to 40 % light transmission range for the lens.

 

Serengeti is highly regarded but they are all photochromic lenses and I don't think I want to be waiting for the lens to catch up if I go from sunny to shady light. Maui Jim makes a green lens that looks like it might work but green isn't a color that is recommended for this purpose. Smith has the ignitor lens, Oakley has a few good looking choices.

 

Thanks for your help

 

 

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Serengeti's don't have any lag time that I'm able to notice unless in extreme situations. Like walking from bright sunny outside to dark hangar with out the lights on. Their lens work great I think for adding definition.

 

Polorized isn't recomonded much because many GPS screens and some windshields are polorized also. The polorized glasses along with other polorized items aparently create blur spots or one would need to tilt their head to see the GPS screen.

 

When I was researching I stumbled upon Sean Tucker's sponser VedaloHD. I wanted to try those but the price tag kept me away.

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+1 Serengeti's.

I've had mine for 7 years and they work fantastic in bright glare & flat light. I think I have the Velocity but the name has been scratched off so not 100% sure, but they're not polarised.

I've just started my first season in the snow and am very happy with their performance.

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Serengeti's don't have any lag time that I'm able to notice unless in extreme situations. Like walking from bright sunny outside to dark hangar with out the lights on. Their lens work great I think for adding definition.

 

Polorized isn't recomonded much because many GPS screens and some windshields are polorized also. The polorized glasses along with other polorized items aparently create blur spots or one would need to tilt their head to see the GPS screen.

 

When I was researching I stumbled upon Sean Tucker's sponser VedaloHD. I wanted to try those but the price tag kept me away.

 

I've worn brown polarized for 30 years, generally without problem.

One (1) LCD display out of hundreds I've flown was a problem.

That same aircraft had stress patterns in the bubble that 'moired', a little distracting.

Some LED screens are very sensitive to angle of view, vertical and horizontal orientation. Slight head movement resolves the issue.

Reduces glare but bright enough to continue into precip, haze.

The color increases contrast better than polarized lenses with gray or greenish tints.

 

P.S. I buy the best shades I can find and use them for years. The good news re:brown polarized vs brands w/proprietary tints- you can try them on the job for very little money, off the rack somewhere. If they work for you, nice ones will be better,

Edited by Wally
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I'm not trying to derail the post, but I am curious if any of you guys have had issues with the glasses frames and the ear seal of your headset?

Headset, no... Helmet, yes. Temples and temple ends create hotspots.

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I was wearing polarized sunglasses while flying with an iPad a while back. Every time I turned the screen vertically I thought it was turning off. It wasn't until I took my glasses off to clean them that I realized the screen was just disappearing because of the angle.

 

They get a bit annoying with spots on the MFDs in my wife's Subaru as well.

Edited by SBuzzkill
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My opinion, this is what you need:

 

Serengeti

Velocity (model)

Driver Gradient

Brown Lens

Non-Polarized

 

Everything others have said about them is true. By far the best sunglasses I have ever owned, and I'm a self-proclaimed aficionado. The model (velocity) I specifically like because the earpieces are so thin, they cause no issue with ear cups.

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I had a pair of H2O optics heavy polarized boating sunglasses a while back. I could not wear them while flying because the Litton digital guages in the B-407 appeared totally blank with those glasses.

 

I now just wear a cheap pair of glasses from Tractor supply while working. They tend to get scratched and beat-up in the aircraft. I have a nice pair of Oakleys for my personal use.

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The velocity drivers gradient is what I fly with as well. I have used these lenes for the last 20 years and have not found a better option for the money.

 

These are not photochromatic or polorized in this combination.They are gradient instead.

 

Serengeti has polymer lenses that are lighter weight that are photochromatic, but they tend to get rather dark.

 

Being glass, they are a heavy set of eyewear, so proper attention to nose bridge adjustment is crucial for long hours of use. I recommend stopping by an eye doc shop and have them fitted once they arrive.

 

Ps, mypilotshop.com has the best price and customer service for this item as well!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for the help with this. This made my decision pretty easy since almost everyone said the same thing.

 

I ended up getting the Serengeti aviator drivers gradient for about $100.00 on amazon and I am really impressed with the quality. They feel much more solid and well built compared to the ray bans I have been using and the optics are crisp. We have had blue skies here in Juneau for weeks so I haven't had a chance to use them in flat light yet but so far I am happy.

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  • 3 weeks later...

It doesn't come close to eliminating the lighting problem and someone can still make a mistake. However, we have had some weather lately and there is definitely an advantage with wearing glasses that favor contrast. I have tried flying without wearing my Serengeti glasses and with them on and even just in crappy rain and clouds I see a difference. The gradient lens also is nice so that I can see inside. It does make everything darker though. I picked up an $8 pair of yellow glasses that brighten things up when the weather is really bad.

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It doesn't come close to eliminating the lighting problem and someone can still make a mistake. However, we have had some weather lately and there is definitely an advantage with wearing glasses that favor contrast. I have tried flying without wearing my Serengeti glasses and with them on and even just in crappy rain and clouds I see a difference. The gradient lens also is nice so that I can see inside. It does make everything darker though. I picked up an $8 pair of yellow glasses that brighten things up when the weather is really bad.

 

How do you think those yellow lenses would work out in flat light but not super crappy weather? Example: Overcast day where sunglasses aren't needed but conditions still pose a threat in terms of visibility.

 

I've flown in that condition and wasn't a fan of it. I still had plenty of visual references, but the area was still covered in snow and definitely messed with depth perception while down low. We ended up not doing any training in that area that day...

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  • 3 weeks later...

I don't think sunglasses are going to help you see any better in flat light conditions but I don't know for sure.

 

I fly in Kodiak, AK and it's overcast and rain more than sunny and sunglasses are a big help. Specifically high contrast and polarized.

 

I fly both six pack and glass panel and the polarizing has never been an issue only a huge help seeing through a rain covered wind screen and differentiating between cloud layers. It's a must for any pilots who fly in marginal/SVFR conditions.

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I fly in Kodiak, AK and it's overcast and rain more than sunny and sunglasses are a big help. Specifically high contrast and polarized.

 

I fly both six pack and glass panel and the polarizing has never been an issue only a huge help seeing through a rain covered wind screen and differentiating between cloud layers. It's a must for any pilots who fly in marginal/SVFR conditions.

 

What do you mean when you say high contrast?

 

Edit: What color lens do you find to be the best? Yellow? Orange? etc...

Edited by ridethisbike
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What do you mean when you say high contrast?

 

Edit: What color lens do you find to be the best? Yellow? Orange? etc...

I've been using Maui Jim's the past few years and they've been great. They have a yellow/green lens for low light/high contrast that I wear 80% of the time. I had a cheap pair of yellow polarized fishing sunglasses before and those worked well too. The Maui Jims are better but also cost several times more, probably more to do with quality than color.

 

I'd try a pair, maybe get a cheap par first and see what you think. It's cloudy most days here and when it's rainy/misty/foggy they really help.

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As far as the yellow lens goes, they make everything brighter so I can only really wear them with a thick and consistent overcast layer. On the glacier it gets pretty bright even when it seems like it should be dark and the yellow lens makes it worse. Other times the sky cover is variable and the yellow is good for one part of the flight but bad for another.

 

The last time I wore them it was painfully bright at the airport despite the poor conditions, perfect on the way to the glacier dodging clouds, and then painfully bright again on the ice. But, when I was flying under the mixed up clouds the yellow lens clearly was an advantage. The boundary between cloud and rain was visible as well as the terrain. At one point I was flying by some trees on a ridge and I pulled the glasses down and I couldn't really make out the terrain details. With the glasses on I could see each tree and felt much more comfortable with being close if I had to be. On the ice, even though it is super bright, there is an advantage. No matter what I think there is an advantage wearing any sunglasses.

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