Sunglasses...trivial?

[mhcasey]

Hey guys,

I lost my beloved pair of regular old Ray-Ban sunglasses the other day...non-aviator style. Since cheap sunglasses 9/10 distort vision and generally tick me off, I want to get a quality pair that will last a while. Do you guys have any words of wisdom? Stay away from polarized? Aviator style is a must? Anything else?

Maybe a trivial post, but I don't want to spend 100 bucks towards crappy sunglasses when I could apply that towards flying airplanes.

[Getburned]

Run a search, you'll find a ton of discussions answering those specific questions.

[jknight8907]

I've got a pair of Bolle Metal Meanstreaks, they do cost a bit up front, but Bolle has replaced mine 4 times--yes, 4 NEW pairs--after I scratch them a bit, and for free. You can't beat that!

[MikeD]

Here are some good ones up for auction:

http://cgi.ebay.ie/WHOLESALE-AND-JOB...QQcmdZViewItem

[turbojet28]

Nice shades, Mike! Are those USAF standard issue?

My girlfriend just got me some Randolph Engineering aviators from Marv Golden for my birthday. They are very nice, albiet kinda dorky for a civillian pilot flying Cessnas. Even though it was more of a nostalgic gift than anything, they are very nice. The bayonet style fits well under my headset and the frames seem to be good quality. I think she paid around 60-70 bucks for them. Nice gift, not sure if I would buy them myself, but they are quite nice indeed.

[Kristie]

MikeD, when did you start ebaying?? hahaha

[Captain_Bob]

If you like Maui Jim's... Go to SAM's Club and hit up their optical department... They sell "Pacific Trader's" that are basically Maui-Jim wannabe's. Same coating process, polarized, glass lenses. Great quality for $50-$70 depending on the style.

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/sea...location=store

I've had mine for almost 3 years now... Love them.

Bob

[British Pilot]

Randolph my friend.

http://www.randolphusa.com/c-2-aviation.aspx

They do not distort colour, and offer excellent shading from the sun. On top of that they make different arm styles which are designed for use with headsets, so they don't interfere with the comfort.
All for the paltry sum of $71.00

My CFI wants a pair now too...perhaps when I pass my checkride...

Furthermore, their customer service is excellent.

[Captain_Bob]

If you like the Randolphs, and if you have any military acquaintences... have them go to the base exchange and buy you a pair of standard issue Randolph Engineering Aviators. Typically 30-40% off full retail.

Bob

[SIUav8er]

Originally Posted by Captain_Bob

If you like Maui Jim's... Go to SAM's Club and hit up their optical department... They sell "Pacific Trader's" that are basically Maui-Jim wannabe's. Same coating process, polarized, glass lenses. Great quality for

Bob

polarized lenses are bad or flying since they "absorb" glare. this makes it harder to see traffic.

[frog_flyer]

i have some 6 dollar CVS sunglasses that work great.

[casey]

Originally Posted by SIUav8er

polarized lenses are bad or flying since they "absorb" glare. this makes it harder to see traffic.

brown polarized lenses do decrease glare, but also increase contrast. I find this helps me a lot in spotting traffic. A bigger issue is how polarized lenses interact with other polarized glass (ie, LCD equipment), as the combination of 2 polarized filters (the lcd screen itself and your glasses) will block light from 0-100% depending on how you tilt your head.

[Dugie8]

Serengetis, can't go wrong, good price (around 120 bucks) great for flying as it is easy to see inside and out, even on overcast days. I used them a lot flying in NC and the SE since it gets pretty hazy with the humidity and temps. Made seeing the field and traffic much easier.

[Casper]

im with dugie on this one.

In addition Serengeti lenses are photochromatic which makes them great for almost all enviormental conditions.

[88MPH]

Originally Posted by frog_flyer

i have some 6 dollar CVS sunglasses that work great.

Im with frog! All the $5 walmart racks are bound to have at least ONE that works good! Always works for me, and cheap to replace. No heart/wallet break!

[CAFFEINE]

Another vote for Serengeti's with the drivers gradient lenses.

[Mr_Creepy]

I want These:

[ERfly]

I just got a great pair of Ray Bans. I think they're the 3175s. They're very comfortable, look pretty good and block out a lot of light. I like 'em. I can't say how they are with a headset, I wear a molded ear piece.

[Captain_Bob]

Originally Posted by SIUav8er

polarized lenses are bad or flying since they "absorb" glare. this makes it harder to see traffic.

Gosh... guess I'm flying badly with my polarized lenses...

There's actually two schools of thought on that SIU... 1st is just what you stated "glare" helps you see other aircraft... the 2nd is "contrast" helps you see other aircraft. I am in the second school of thought for several reasons:

1. Glare is annoying and gives me headaches. You not only see glare from passing planes, but also glare off the dash, wipers, pitot, nose, captain's watch, instruments, lakes, ocean, etc... Glare is not fun. That same glare that helps you see something also closes your pupils and causes them to adjust more often. If you've ever spent a sunny day on the lake or ocean, kayaking or fishing... and you didn't have polarized lenses you'd understand what I'm talking about.

2. Contrast makes more sense. Is the sun always shining in your world? Just jabbin' ya. But seriously, contrast helps you not only see aircraft, but also cloud layers, and even runway environment shooting to mins. I have a freind who is truly color blind. When he goes hunting in the woods, he see's the animals further away and way before anyone else... why? Contrast.

3. I "squint" less with polarized. My eyes are more relaxed in a pair of polarized lenses. Polarization doesn't just absorb the glare... it also allows you to see through the glare. Here's a nice trick... Drive east down a congested interstate at rush hour (around 5 pm), with the sun banging off of the road and every rear window in front of you. Have a pair of regular sunglass lenses and a pair of polarized lenses. Switch between the two. You'll notice the difference right away. With the polarized lens you'll see through the cars windows and actually see the drivers and the cars in front of them. With a standard lens, you get nothing but glare from everywhere which causes you to squint and look away more. If I'm not squinting all the time then my eyes are more relaxed and I am more likely to see things more clearly around me.

There ya go... I originally heard the "polarized...bad" remark from one of my first instructors... but after researching it on my own, (and after selling sunglasses myself), I came to a different conclusion. The benefits far outweigh the annoyances for me (tilting head to see an LCD screen go blank, etc...)

My recommendation for flying... high contrast brown or rose tint, polarized, lenses. If not polarized, then at least the high contrast like serengeti's. I have the rose tint for my flight bag, and the grey lens for everyday driving, water sports, etc...

Bob

[EatSleepFly]

I'll throw in my vote for polarized, too.

Someone told me too when I started flying that polarized weren't good for pilots, but I don't subscribe to that theory anymore either.

Then again, it's not as if I have a lot of LCD screens to look at. I have never noticed a difference in my ability to spot traffic wearing polarized lenses.

[Bandit_Driver]

here's my favorite. You can wear them from dawn till dusk...

http://www.serengeti-eyewear.com/pro...um_aviator.cfm

[aloft]

Serengeti makes a polarized version of their driver lens. I own a pair, they're great. I only wish they were the gradient lens; although they look super cheesy, they make sense in the cockpit.

[Tiger815]

Originally Posted by mhcasey

Hey guys,

I lost my beloved pair of regular old Ray-Ban sunglasses the other day...non-aviator style. Since cheap sunglasses 9/10 distort vision and generally tick me off, I want to get a quality pair that will last a while. Do you guys have any words of wisdom? Stay away from polarized? Aviator style is a must? Anything else?

Maybe a trivial post, but I don't want to spend 100 bucks towards crappy sunglasses when I could apply that towards flying airplanes.

If you liked your old Ray Bans why not just get another pair? Ray Ban makes excellent quality lenses and who cares if they aren't "Aviator style"?

As far as discussions of polarized vs. non polarized, folks who've spent a lot of your tax dollars researching the matter say non-polarized are the better choice for flying. That said, I've flown with both and believe there may be some trade-offs where in certain situations polarized lens would have the advantage. Still I'll tend to take the advice of those that did the in depth research and I chose non-polarized lenses for flying.

As far as places to shop, if you don't have to have the absolute latest style you can get top quality brands like Ray ban, Serengeti, and even Maui Jim (if you want polarized) at online places or at your local Costco for less than $100. I got a pair of Serengeti Hurikanu's for about $75 at my local Costco and the last time I was in, they actually had Randolph’s (or maybe they were AO's) for less than that.

There seems to be a bottom line of about $70 to get what I consider a really good pair of suitable aviation sunglasses. For that amount, you can get Randolph’s or American Optical "Military Issue" types with great optics but maybe less stylish than some would prefer, however if you shop around you can find more stylish Ray Bans or Serengeti’s for less than $100. Most anything you pay over the $70 range should be considered "vanity dollars" since you are not getting any better quality when you buy those $200 Oakley’s.

[mhcasey]

Sounds like there is no definitive answer, but all of your responses have been helpful. My Dad apparently has some Serengeti's that he's not using anymore that I'm going to borrow for now. If they don't work out, I'll probably either see what Costco has, or try some of those fancy Rudolph's.

One last question: Are grey lenses really not ideal for contrast? Grey lenses keep colors as true as can be with all objects, whereas a brown lense will distort brown, red red, etc., or so I thought? Being a mountain biker, I've heard all sorts of people say that yellow heightens contrast most, but in my experience, they just make everything look yellow, which is altogether uncomfortable. Does anyone want to try to explain this one scientifically, with reference to cones and millions of chemical reactions? ; )

Also, congrats to all of you guys that found good cheap sunglasses. My experience has been more dissapointing in the walmart optical department...

[Captain_Bob]

http://www.adventuresportsonline.com/sunglasscolor.htm Here's another good explanation...

Also... Here's the FAA specific document.

http://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pilotsafetybrochures/media/sunglasses.pdf#search='sunglasses%20polarized%20fa a.gov'

It's not that they've spent ton's of out tax dollars to determine if polarized lenses are good or not. It's just a simple recommendation because "of their possible interaction with displays or other materials in the cockpit environment." If you are fully aware of that issue and have compensated of do not have any displays that are an issue... then...


Bob