Help finding sunglasses

[Sebas]

Just wondering which sunglasses everyone recommends, its time I got a good pair.

Can you tell me the make and model?

[Gomer Pylot]

Most sunglasses will work. My current set is Serengeti Velocity Titanium with driver gradient lenses. I actually prefer the Hurikanu model, but I couldn't find any with gradient lenses. The reason for the gradient lenses is to keep out the glare through the windshield, but still allow seeing the instruments clearly, especially just after sunrise and just before sunset, when the ambient light isn't very high, and the sun is bright but the cockpit is dark. I really like brown gradient lenses, because they help cut through the haze and let me see inside with my aging eyes. I also have Randolph Engineering brown and grey glasses, and while they're very well made, they're relatively heavy, and don't wrap around, letting in glare from the sides.

[Vaqueroaero]

Just wondering which sunglasses everyone recommends, its time I got a good pair.

Can you tell me the make and model?

 

I use Serengetis. Hurikanu I think is the 'model', but I'm not sure. I bought them from Sporty's a few years ago. They are great, lightweight and you can easily wear them all day. Make sure that when you buy a pair that you buy ones with slim arms so that they don't dig into your head under earpiece pressure and also so that it doesn't upset the noise reduction of your headset by leaving an open space between your head and earpeice.

[Sebas]

Thanks Gomer & Vaqueroaero. Serengeti does look good.

 

Anyone else with suggestions or tips, the more the merrier. I appreciate it all.

[FlyGirl86]

I went to a sunglass place with every intention of buying a pair of serengetis...and then the guy told me not to. He was a commercial pilot and recomended Ray Bans for a number of reasons. I got a pair and I love them. They don't change the color of anything, like some serengetis and are really comfortable with the headset.

[LifeApresMil]

I love my Serengeti's, 'Bromo' model with prescription. (They may not offer them in Rx anymore) You never know it when the photochromatic feature happens which varies light transmission from like 9 to 22%(??) which makes them suitable from dawn til dusk. These or Revo's. Very high tech they are. They are wraparound and they did not interupt my headset seal nor add pressure to my Oregon Aero EarSeals. My motto: "Buy the best, then you won't want for anything more."

[Witch]

I found some "Made in Taiwan" Air Force style cheapies at a surplus store for $5.99. The neat thing is that I used the frames and got prescription lenses in them for $50. I think I scored. Also got a pair with yellow lenses for night.

 

My IP has some like you see at the sunglasses display at the dept store. He likes them, and if I remember, he paid something like $15. Does one need Serengetti's to be a pilot?

 

Later

[mechanic]

I have a couple pair I have tried. I have tried a pair that wraps around the eyes that I bought at my motorcycle shop and a pair of Randolph Eng. USAF issue. I like the Randolphs but like Gomer said, sometimes you get some glare and after a while the nose supports starts to ache my nose.

 

My first instructor did not like my wrap around glasses because they are very dark and they couldn' t see my eyes making the scan.

[Superman]

Does one need Serengetti's to be a pilot?

 

Do you know how to tell who the pilots are in a bar?

 

 

They're the ones with the $300.00 watch .........

 

$200.00 sunglasses ...........

 

 

 

 

and trying to write a bad check for $1.00 beer

 

heard this one while consuming a few adult beverages at the local watering hole last week.

 

Fly Safe

Clark

[Witch]

Do you know how to tell who the helicopter pilots are in a bar?

 

They'll tell you.

 

:D :D

[Bristol]

Witch,

 

haha that's funny..

 

My choice for sunglasses... walmart $9.95 Flying Fisherman Polarized. Cheap and work good. Very stylish (at least I think so).

 

http://www.flyingfisherman.com/2002/home8.02.php

[joker]

Personal thoughts:

 

Instructing with sunglasses on is not good practice.

 

Unless the sun is really a problem, instructors should try to keep their glasses off when instructing. As we all know that the eyes and face play a huge part in communication, why cover them. Especially in a noisy environment where at times, verbal communication or hand gestures may not be possible.

 

Example: I was coming in on approach with a foreign student who's English was not so good. I asked him to switch the Carb off. After some moments of me saying it, I tried nodding to it and 'pointing with my eyes'. His arm eventually went to the magnetos! "No!" I shouted as I shoved cyclic between my knees and did it myself. On the ground I realised that I had my sunglasses on.

 

This made me wonder how much of my teaching is lost, by my wearing sunglasses.

 

Cheap sunglassess are worse for your eyes than no sunglasses at all. - SEE NOTE BELOW

 

I believe that if you wear cheap glasses, then the darkness causes your pupils to dilate to compensate which also lets in more UV and does more damage to your eyes than if you didn't wear any at all.

 

Polarized Glassess in a Aviation

 

I wear polarised glasses in a glass cockpit. Some say that you shouldn't, because you risk losing some of the LCD displays. Well, you do, but never completely! However, this has not ever been a problem for me.

 

Use sunglasses when necessary, not more or less than - Keep your eyes healty, but keep your eyes fit.

 

Eyes are vital for pilots...so take care of them. If the sun is very strong, or in glare conditions protect your eyes by wearing a good pair of glassess.

 

But what are we protecting against? Brightness? Only the most extreme brightness, yes. Mostly we are protecting against UV radiation.

 

If the sun is not strong, then don't wear them. Overuse causes the eyes to become very sensitive and their ability to accomodate weakens - they become lazy. Some people's eyes are so weak, they find themselves wearing glassess ALL THE TIME! So take them off often. Give them a workout. They are designed to work with different brightnesses, so let them.

 

Joker

 

Note (with Gomer's post below in mind!): Price of glasses is difficult to assess. Cheap to me means ones without UV protection and a well shaped lense which doesn't distort your view, you know the sort of thing you get in a $1 shop....You can get very resonably priced glassess which do have UV protection and good lenses. You don't necessarily have to go with the 'name' brands who mark up their prices way over the top. I have never bought 'name' brands, but I always ensure I have UV and the lenses don't distort.

 

Lense check - when buying glasses try this test. Hold them at arms length by the arms. Find a vertical line in the distance (a wall of a building) and look through the glasses at that line. Then wiggle the glasses up and down. If the line distorts, don't buy them. They'll screw your eyes in the long run.

[Gomer Pylot]

Like I said, most sunglasses will work. You don't really need expensive ones, and I've worn relatively cheap ones for decades. But the Serengetis are very nice, and the gradient lenses do make a difference. If you really want cheap but still want the gradient lenses, Hidalgo Supply will tint them for you. Jim Hidalgo has been selling glasses for a long, long, time, and knows his business, and has very good prices. You can get prescription or non-prescription, clear or tinted, and lots more. I have nothing to do with him other than being a customer for about 25 years. His website is minimal, but you can get a free catalog. Or you can go with the $10 glasses from WalMart. They all can work, but I do find that I really like the ones I have now.

[bearintheair]

Here's a great website to go grab a pair of shades' that take the pain out your eyes' and not your pocket. Go to;- www.campmor.com - then scroll down to "sunglasses" - if your still not satisfied with the huge selection, your eye's will pop-out their sockets when you see the price of them - UV A,B and polarized!!! Check out the "hot deals" - there's everything from Ray Bans' to Serengeti's to Bolle to Columbia's, and on and on the list goes.

 

Bonus is your wife won't be a monkey on your back - "WTF have you been spending our (the Royal our!) money on now"

 

Best of luck dude

[cctk2]

Ive been wearing RayBans for better than 30+ years now and prefer them for bright sunny days especially in snow environments. But for the past couple years I also keep the Serengettis handy for flying when its gets heavy overcast, rain, mist and haze. They do well.

[2rst1]

Check out the aviator sunglases from Maui Jim:

 

http://www.mauijim.com/mjweb/public/catalo...E=LFG306-02.jpg

 

Really nice sunglases. A bit expensive though around 300US, i dont regret it...

 

NB! they're polarized (might not be the best if you're flying with a glass cocpit

[Gomer Pylot]

Doesn't have to be a glass cockpit. Any LCD instruments will be illegible, as well as any other LCD devices you may have, such as watches, calculators, etc. IMO, polarized sunglasses are useful only for fishing, and I'm not completely convinced of their usefulness for that.

[Maggie]

I have been looking for a new pair. I want non-polarized. I've been looking for interchangeable lenses, but I am now starting to wonder if it would be more practical to have 2 sets. I was looking for normal lenses for sunny/partly cloudy days, and another set for flat light days (maybe yellow lenses?). Any thoughts? Don't want to spend a lot of money. I've got small head, and want ones that the arms aren't too thick. I get headaches from the pressure of thick arms. I'm not picky at all, haha.

[AStarB3]

Why hasen't anyone recommended Oakley. They are by far the best sunglasses you can buy and come in a huge variety of styles.

[lelebebbel]

Oakleys are nice and have good lenses (don't get plastic lenses though), but imo they are not "better by far" than the other top brands.

I've owned two pairs of glass Oakleys and two pairs of glass Serengetis. I couldn't tell a difference in terms of clarity or quality (I also broke all 4, but that is a different story).

The Serengetis were a better fit with a headset on, but that just depends on the model you get. Both Oakley and Serengeti make dozens of styles.

Raybans are just as nice, and they make a few pilot specific models with thinner temple arms that fit under a headset. I might give them a try if I ever buy flying sunglasses again. At the moment I'm either flying with a helmet with built in sunvisor, or just a cap.

 

 

I've been looking for interchangeable lenses, but I am now starting to wonder if it would be more practical to have 2 sets

Not sure if interchangable lenses would be practical... I'd probably just get 2 pairs. Then again, with interchangable lenses you could put one dark and one clear lens in, and park your car in the "disabled" spots without getting into trouble, so that's an advantage you have to consider....

 

 

I wouldn't get too excited about getting a certain brand. Any of the high-end brands will be good, just get a model with glass lenses that fits your head. And make sure to try them on with your headset/helmet on.

Edited July 3, 2011 by lelebebbel

[Wally]

Brown CR 39 polarized, please. Good all-around and great in the rain.

 

I used to wear $5 brown polarized drugstore shades. Now that I have old eyes and require 'corrective lenses', I prefer clip-on with my scrip lenses. The flip-ups work even better, allowing rapid change from light to dark. The drugstore designs scratch expensive scrip lenses. The integrated designs of flip-up and clip-on are hard to find and fairly expensive.

 

I like Oakleys. They are very good shades and pretty much "it" if you need ballistic protection in any significant measure- paintball, for instance, or no clear helmet visor. Most are 'wrap around' designs, a form which I've had occasional issues with misting up in high humidity and temps. For that reason, I use a conventional form lens.

[Whistlerpilot]

IMHO glass lenses makes a difference in quality of image with minimal distortion. I wear Smith glass lens which are photochromatic and polarized. They are made for skiing but I wear them 70% of the time flying. Also carry Serengeti gradient lens for overcast days, and a pair of Mantra "Acid Green" which are amazing for flat light landings in snow and on the glaciers here in reduced visibility. They actually bring in more light and accentuate the shadows so only suitable for those flat light conditions but I carry them all the time in BC and AK.

 

Prefer my helmet with dual visors grey and yellow, but I'm presently only allowed to use it on utility jobs. With the helmet I carry Serengetis and occasionaly wear them under the grey visor for extreme brightness. In my opinion the helmet/visor is much better than sunglasses. Without the helmet I find I have to wear a ball cap except on very overcast days to prevent "flicker vertigo".

[r22butters]

Oakleys are nice and have good lenses (don't get plastic lenses though),...

 

What's wrong with plastic lenses?

[Gomer Pylot]

What's wrong with plastic lenses?

Nothing, if they're quality lenses. Almost all prescription glasses use plastic lenses, and it's almost impossible to find glass prescription lenses. The only downside to plastic is that it scratches easier than glass, and you have to be careful when cleaning them. Never wipe them dry, and if possible always use running water to rinse off the dust/grime before cleaning with soap & water or a lens cleaner. Other than that, plastic is superior to glass for most uses. Cheap plastic lenses, though, are very prone to distortion, and I don't like to use them. They're getting better as production techniques improve, so even cheap lenses are usually acceptable.

[palmfish]

I never thought much about having a special pair of sunglasses for flying. I've owned expensive sunglasses over the years (multiple pairs of Oakley, RayBan, Serengeti, Smiths), but I can never hang onto them for more than a few months before they get lost, crushed, or stolen. I'm still pissed about my Smiths that were stolen from the computer room at the EAATS CH-47 sim building while I was on a break back in 2006.

 

I bought a pair of RayBan Wayfarers three years ago and surprisingly, they are still going strong. I wear them pretty much all the time. I've tried amber/yellow/brown/orange lenses before but always end up back with grey.

 

I have an old pair of Oakley Half-Jackets that I keep as a backup in my car glove compartment, and also a pair of Randolph Aviators that I got at the PX. I like the Randolphs because they're cheap and have quality lenses, but I don't like glasses with nose pads.

 

Wow, I didn't realize I had this much to say about sunglasses!

 

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is weight. I prefer glass lenses but they are significantly heavier than plastic lenses. If I have a mild headache or am just "eye/ear tired" after a long day, my Wayfarers can be uncomfortable. Just a thought...

 

I'm 45 and this year is the first year my eyesight dipped below 20/20. I never gave it a second thought before, but now reality has hit me that one of these days I'm going to need prescription lenses. What do you all do about that? Can you get RayBans with a prescription?

 

What about when you wear a helmet? Right now, I prefer to not wear glasses under my helmet because it's more comfortable. Do you wear prescription glasses with skinny arms under your tinted visor?

 

Anyways, sorry for the long post - just kind of thinking out loud...