Flight sunglasses

[Guest Remy1492]

on both subjects, I have seen no enforcement.

In UPT in 2000 for me, everybody had Oakleys or something like that.

As for prescription, nobody except the flight doc cares. If you wear the bad fitting AF issued specs or a nice Lensecrafters model, nobody will notice or care unless it is purple or REALLY stylish and stupid looking. Just look cool or neutral and nobody will care. Seriously.

Try to get away with something until somebody calls it out then say you're sorry and didn't know and feel real stupid about it. That usually works

I wear contacts but bought the pilot sunglasses at the BX and had Sams Club put glass prescription lenses in them for when I need them. they are slim and fit into a flight suit pocket if ever needed. Always carry a set in my helmet bag for backup.

[Guest Dirt Beater]

Why not just wear the tinted visor?

[C17Driver]

I used to wear wire Oakley's (squadron issued from drop down funds)but they always gave me headaches. So I went out and got a nice pair of Nike's...The link shows silver but I got them with dark grey frames and black lenses.

http://store1.yimg.com/I/sunglassesgiant_1858_34764281

[Murph]

Quicksilver Cure's for 70 bucks

http://store1.yimg.com/I/sunglassesgiant_1858_10952158

[pcola]

C-17 and Murph, don't those hurt with the headset on? I can't find a pair of glasses that don't squeeze my temples under the headset. Becomes almost unbearable after about an hour and gives me a headache the rest of the day.

[Toro]

Originally posted by NSFW:

Toro, why not just wear the tinted visor?

The amber visor is high-contrast and I found it to be a lot more useful when low-flying. The problem was that it made everything brighter as a mentioned and I didn't have the two-visor do-hicky thing on my helmet. Rather than re-attach my visor on sorties, I just wore the shades.

[C17Driver]

pcola stud,

That's why I went to the Nike's. The ear piece parts are flat and they are very light weight. I've never had a problem since I got them.

[Rocker]

I wear the issue sunglasses in the airplane, and they are comfortable because they sit nice and flat on the sides of your noggin. I do not wear them elsewhere (for reasons Toro illustrated), though admittedly, I remember wearing them around back in the very early days. But I quickly learned the goofiness of my ways. I still think they look cool though - just me. My dad bought me a pair of standard RayBan aviators when I graduated - just like the ones above, and just like the ones he's worn on his face since Vietnam. I can't quite pull them off yet, but when I start looking cool and people don't question me quite as often (like maybe when I make major), I'll start wearing them regularly.

[Murph]

pcola

Ditto what Rocker and C17 said... the quicksilvers are nice because the "earpiece" is relatively flat. I've flown with the same type of glasses for 7 hours at a time (civilian stuff) with little pain.

[Smokin]

I'm looking at getting the ESS ICE glasses. They are designed to be shatter-resistant and have a bunch of stories from Iraq of their products saving many eyes. They're non-polarized and meet all the mil specs. Plus you can change the lenses, even have a laser protection lense. I know someone talked on here about them before, but does anybody wear these flying? I've found them for $32. I doubt they would stop a bird going through the T-38 waffer thin canopy, but it might make me feel better! :cool:

http://www.essgoggles.com/ICE-Series_6_detail.html

[KennyB]

I'm a big fan of Serengeti sunglasses in the plane... they have 'photochromic' glass lenses that adjust to changing light conditions.

I wear the Pisa... it cuts through haze like nothing else!

I was wearing some Arnettes while on a flight with an IP in Corpus on a very hazy day. He gave me his Serengetis to try on when I was having trouble finding a ground reference and BAM it popped out of nowhere! Once you try these lenses you will never go back. That photochromic lens was developed for driving but it works great for flying as well.

http://www.serengeti-eyewear.com/products/plastics/pisa.cfm

Not cheap but will sharpen your acuity outside the cockpit on hazy days. Also, they aren't polarized so you're good there.

[ 13. September 2005, 20:14: Message edited by: kenblankenship ]

[Vandal]

When I was doing the GA thing I wore the Stardard issue sunglasses and promptly changed to my Oakleys as soon as I hit the car. I never had any pain with the issue glasses, worked great under the headset but If I ever wore my Half Jackets I was in pain for a while after.

[Guest ELan]

A lot of the people in our unit wear Maui Jim glasses. Super flexible...tough to break, life time gaurantee...real lite and don't hurt head. They are expensive ($250) and are polarized, which makes them illegal I think, so I'm sure all of the pilots that have them remove them before they fly...

http://www.mauijim.com/mjweb/public/catalo...E=LFG502-02.jpg

[ 13. September 2005, 23:40: Message edited by: Torch ]

[Login Name]

Rocker, you probably need to grow a mustache before you can really pull them off...think Magnum P.I.

RWaller52, I've found that most wire frame glasses are comfortable b/c they fit well under the headset, aren't bulky, and will conform to your grape. As for the lenses, well thats just soemthing you're going to have to find that suits you.

[KennyB]

There isn't any kind of discount on Serengetis that I'm aware of... if you find out I'm wrong, let me know!

[ucf_motorcycle]

I get all my sunglasses at the dollar store. Walk in with $10 and walk out with 9 sunglasses (tax). I keep a pair under each visor of my cars. And they are scattered throughout. I lose them and break them all the time. For $1 they are rather decent and block out the glare. I used to buy more expensive glasses but those broke just as easy when you sit on them so now I buy the cheap ones which are typically ugly but do the same job.

[Rocker]

I've had my RayBan Predator 8's since '99. They're no good to fly with, but the lenses are awesome. I like cheap sunglasses also, especially foaklies if I can find them, but the lens quality is almost never there.

[Guest Clemsonpilot]

Oakley Crosshairs and I love them.

http://oakley.com/airborne/

[ 15. September 2005, 09:46: Message edited by: Clemsonpilot ]

[otsap]

I have a pair of Silencers, made by Native Eyewear. They're the most comfortable glasses I've ever tried on. Extrememly lightweight, and they are amazingly clear! Plus, they have a lifetime guarantee against scratches. They have some carbonate layer on them so they don't even get those little scratches that tend to slowly ruin visibility.

[pcola]

I bought these Raybans (minus the puple lenses) recently specifically for flying and they are killing my temples. Guess I'm gonna have to break down and give the standard issued aviators a shot. Rocker, you can imagine how goofy they look on my narrow face.

[JeepGuyC17]

I wear RX glasses, so I had some RX sunglass lenses put in the issue Randolph sunglasses. As others have mentioned, I don't wear them around town on account of the factor, but they are relatively comfortable with the headset on and they're cheap/free/durable so I don't have to worry about them getting all bent up like some expensive frames. All around, very practical, especially if you have a RX.

Side note, I think it's funny that civilians pay about $50 to get these things at surplus stores so they can look like AF pilots, but most real AF pilots are ashamed to wear them outside the jet

Edited August 25, 2007 by JeepGuyC17

[Guest Jimmy]

I like the Serengeti Medium Aviators in matte black with the gray lens. Good FOV coverage, not very much lens refraction, I've dropped them lens first maybe three times onto concrete and no scratches. The ear pieces are flexible and malleable meaning you can get keep them from sliding down your nose, and you can damn near look straight at the sun without needing LASIK afterwards. That might catch up with me in a few years tho.

The sun is really pretty to look at and stuff.

[Champ Kind]

I fly with the Oakley Fives 2.0

Started wearing these at UPT. They're relatively inexpensive ($40ish at the BX, I think even cheaper if you get them through Oakley gov't sales). They lasted me two years, and they would have lasted even longer if I'd taken better care of the lenses. I just bought my second pair a few weeks ago.

They're lightweight, damn near indestructible, and fit well between your noggin and headset.

[Sierra Hotel]

Be careful about cheap sunglasses. They will dilate your eyes due to the darkness but they wont filter out UV rays nearly as well as they claim on the label. This makes your eyes A LOT more susceptible to cancer and premature aging.

Also, Oakley claims that they have the clearest lenses as voted on by AOPA or one of those flying organizations.

[stract]

I have a pair of Silencers, made by Native Eyewear. They're the most comfortable glasses I've ever tried on. Extrememly lightweight, and they are amazingly clear! Plus, they have a lifetime guarantee against scratches. They have some carbonate layer on them so they don't even get those little scratches that tend to slowly ruin visibility.

Agreed on the Silencer. I have the Asphalt frame (almost-black color) and I got the Reflex lenses for when I'm home, but the grey ones (non-polarized so legal in a uni) work great. Amazingly clear as stated above, and definitely cut down on the glare in the Desert. I don't wear them flying (we have a nice big tinted visor on our cool Darth Vader helmets) but they are indispensible walking around with the high albedo.