Best foggles or hood w/ Headset and Glasses

[Jeff Saylor]

If you are a pilot who uses both a headset and eyeglasses, what IFR
trainng device works and fits best for you? The generic foggles, like
Sporty's sells? The Jeppesen JeppShades Flip-Up hood? A particular
model of hood?

[John Yossarian]

I just got a hoodlamb, it's pretty good so far. I've only worn it
for a couple hours though.

http://www.mypilotstore.com/MyPilotStore/sep/1482

Jeff Saylor > wrote in :

> If you are a pilot who uses both a headset and eyeglasses, what IFR
> trainng device works and fits best for you? The generic foggles, like
> Sporty's sells? The Jeppesen JeppShades Flip-Up hood? A particular
> model of hood?
>
>

[Stan Gosnell]

Jeff Saylor > wrote in :

> If you are a pilot who uses both a headset and eyeglasses, what IFR
> trainng device works and fits best for you? The generic foggles, like
> Sporty's sells? The Jeppesen JeppShades Flip-Up hood? A particular
> model of hood?
>
I use a flip-up device that clips on my glasses, I can't remember where I
got it or the brand. It's lightweight plastic, black, wraparound. They
look like Overcasters, now that I've looked at some pictures on a few
sites.

I've thought about the flip-up foggles that clip on glasses, but what I
have works, and is very, very light, which is important. You don't want a
lot of weight hanging in front of your glasses for hours, and they're very
easy to flip up and down for transitioning to and from instruments.

--
Regards,

Stan

[Brenor Brophy]

I tried foggles, but decided they let in too much peripheral vision. I also
tried something called a "Francis IFR hood" that a CFII had during a stage
check. It was bad because it pressed my glasses into the bridge of my nose
and gave me a headache. In the end I settled on a tradition hood and it
worked just fine for all my IFR training.


"Jeff Saylor" > wrote in message
...
> If you are a pilot who uses both a headset and eyeglasses, what IFR
> trainng device works and fits best for you? The generic foggles, like
> Sporty's sells? The Jeppesen JeppShades Flip-Up hood? A particular
> model of hood?
>

[Donald Ramsey]

Foggles did ok for me after I applied a liberal amount of Scotch(tm) tape
to block out the areas I wasn't supposed to see. To me, foggles do a nice
job of transmitting a bit of shadow as one might get in light IMC without
totally giving away which way is up. However, they do have way too much
clear vision area. You'll need to tape over the areas you feel are allowing
you to "cheat".

--Don


Brenor Brophy wrote:

> I tried foggles, but decided they let in too much peripheral vision. I also
> tried something called a "Francis IFR hood" that a CFII had during a stage
> check. It was bad because it pressed my glasses into the bridge of my nose
> and gave me a headache. In the end I settled on a tradition hood and it
> worked just fine for all my IFR training.
>
>
> "Jeff Saylor" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>If you are a pilot who uses both a headset and eyeglasses, what IFR
>>trainng device works and fits best for you? The generic foggles, like
>>Sporty's sells? The Jeppesen JeppShades Flip-Up hood? A particular
>>model of hood?
>>
>
>
>

[Thomas Borchert]

Jeff,

ASA's clip-on for glasses.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

[Matt Whiting]

Jeff Saylor wrote:
> If you are a pilot who uses both a headset and eyeglasses, what IFR
> trainng device works and fits best for you? The generic foggles, like
> Sporty's sells? The Jeppesen JeppShades Flip-Up hood? A particular
> model of hood?
>

I used the ones that clip onto your glasses and can be flipped up and
down. They aren't a hood, just glasses clip-ons that have part of the
"lens" frosted. The only downside is they don't completely block your
peripheral vision and once the clear part of the lens gets scratched,
they can be hard to see through. However, mine didn't get bad until
after several years of use.


Matt

[Dan Truesdell]

I used the hoodlamb extensively during my training and loved them.
Unfortunately, they attach to your headset, and may not fit onto some of
the newer ANR units.

Jeff Saylor wrote:
> If you are a pilot who uses both a headset and eyeglasses, what IFR
> trainng device works and fits best for you? The generic foggles, like
> Sporty's sells? The Jeppesen JeppShades Flip-Up hood? A particular
> model of hood?
>


--
Remove "2PLANES" to reply.

[Rod Madsen]

I bought a Hoodlamb with high expectations. A friend of mine has it and
loves it. However, it would not stay on my David Clark H10-13.4 headset.
Just be sure.

Rod
"Dan Truesdell" > wrote in message
...
> I used the hoodlamb extensively during my training and loved them.
> Unfortunately, they attach to your headset, and may not fit onto some of
> the newer ANR units.
>
> Jeff Saylor wrote:
> > If you are a pilot who uses both a headset and eyeglasses, what IFR
> > trainng device works and fits best for you? The generic foggles, like
> > Sporty's sells? The Jeppesen JeppShades Flip-Up hood? A particular
> > model of hood?
> >
>
>
> --
> Remove "2PLANES" to reply.
>

[Captain Wubba]

This may sound silly, but I take a $0.99 pair of clear protective
goggles (from Sears or Home Depot, or wherever), then put duct tape
over the top half of the lenses, and along the sides. I got tired of
losing $20 foggles.

I wear glasses and a headset, and these protective goggles are usually
quite flexible and comfortable, and work as well as any foggles or
view-limiting devices I have used. I can see the panel fine, but
nothing over the top, unless I actually try to cheat (which I could do
with most other goggles.I used these on a checkride, and the DE had no
problem with them. These typially fold up quite well and fit fine in
my flight bag, and if I lose them, it hurts a lot less than losing a
$20 pair. :)

Cheers,

Cap


Jeff Saylor > wrote in message >...
> If you are a pilot who uses both a headset and eyeglasses, what IFR
> trainng device works and fits best for you? The generic foggles, like
> Sporty's sells? The Jeppesen JeppShades Flip-Up hood? A particular
> model of hood?

[Andrew Gideon]

Captain Wubba wrote:

> This may sound silly, but I take a $0.99 pair of clear protective
> goggles (from Sears or Home Depot, or wherever), then put duct tape
> over the top half of the lenses, and along the sides. I got tired of
> losing $20 foggles.

I hope I don't have to go this route. I'm lazy. But it may be what I do.

When I did my IFR training, I used foggles. They were terrific for me, my
glasses, and my headset.

After receiving the rating, I managed to find enough poor weather to stay
current w/o the foggles. In the meantime, I got a new pair of glasses
which dip less low below my natural sight-line than my previous pair. That
is, there's more uncorrected visual space when I look down my nose, for
example.

A few months ago, I tried to use foggles, and found it very difficult. The
clear part of the foggles is only partially corrected for my vision by my
glasses. I've only a little trouble with the instruments (although I need
to move my head too much), but charts on my lap are just impossible to see.

I need to find something with which to replace the foggles, but I've not
figured out yet what. I'm afraid that anything close to my glasses (ie.
something which clips on) is going to have a similar problem. So I may
have to fall back on something like a hoodlamp or traditional hood.

I'm disappointed, though, as I liked the ease of the foggles.

Anyone have suggestions?

Thanks...

Andrew

[Sloan Essman]

I use a Viban and love it. They have 2 versions, one for folks with
glasses, and one without.

http://www.viban.com

Sloan
The way I see it, you can either work for a living or you can fly airplanes.
Me, I'd rather fly. -- Len Morgan

"Jeff Saylor" > wrote in message
...
> If you are a pilot who uses both a headset and eyeglasses, what IFR
> trainng device works and fits best for you? The generic foggles, like
> Sporty's sells? The Jeppesen JeppShades Flip-Up hood? A particular
> model of hood?
>

[PaulH]

I used the flip-up devices that fit on my glasses, but my examiner
refused to let me use them because of excessive perpheral vision -
made me put on a cardboard hood she carried with her.

Now that I've done more actual IFR, I agree with her - the ideal
device would not permit you to see even shadows moving inside the
cockpit. I almost had to re-learn IFR skills when I started the real
thing.

Once in cloud, there is NO visual cue that you are climbing or turning
apart from those instruments.

[Paul Keller]

I'm a glasses wearer & used a hoodlamb for all of my IFR training, and
continue use it for the occasional recurrent training and practice.
I've liked it alot--it does a very good job of blocking your
peripheral vision, you can transition very quickly and easily between
"under the hood" and VFR, notably, at the end of an ILS to minimums to
a visual landing, and, if you're practicing during the day with the
sun low on the horizon, since it's completely opaque plastic, it does
an excellent job of blocking the sun. Since it does attach to a
headset, getting it to attach to headsets with narrow speaker
stirrups, such as those on the DC H10-13.4 can be a bit of a problem.
I wrapped some electrical tape around the stirrups of my DC 13.4, and
generally do not have a problem with it staying on the headset.

--Paul Keller

[Wizard of Draws]

On 4/25/04 11:54 PM, in article , "Jeff Saylor"
> wrote:

> If you are a pilot who uses both a headset and eyeglasses, what IFR
> trainng device works and fits best for you? The generic foggles, like
> Sporty's sells? The Jeppesen JeppShades Flip-Up hood? A particular
> model of hood?
>

Jeppshades for me.
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino
Cartoons with a Touch of Magic�
www.wizardofdraws.com
www.cartoonclipart.com

[C J Campbell]

The cheapest one you can buy is the best one. These things get lost and
broken a lot.

[Stan Gosnell]

Andrew Gideon > wrote in
online.com:

> After receiving the rating, I managed to find enough poor weather to
> stay current w/o the foggles. In the meantime, I got a new pair of
> glasses which dip less low below my natural sight-line than my
> previous pair. That is, there's more uncorrected visual space when I
> look down my nose, for example.

Those new tiny lenses may be stylish, but they're not very practical. I'm
still using larger lenses, although somewhat smaller than my old ones,
because the small lenses just aren't big enough for my variable bifocals
and looking straight ahead also. My bifocal lens is about the size of the
glasses they sell now, and I just can't live with that.

--
Regards,

Stan

[Stan Gosnell]

(PaulH) wrote in
om:

> I used the flip-up devices that fit on my glasses, but my examiner
> refused to let me use them because of excessive perpheral vision -
> made me put on a cardboard hood she carried with her.

The checkpilots who give me my semi-annual rides like hoods, also. There's
no really good reason for it, but they don't like change.

> Now that I've done more actual IFR, I agree with her - the ideal
> device would not permit you to see even shadows moving inside the
> cockpit. I almost had to re-learn IFR skills when I started the real
> thing.
>
> Once in cloud, there is NO visual cue that you are climbing or turning
> apart from those instruments.

That's not always true. I'm often in-and-out, with visual cues coming from
the sun or lights from the ground. Seeing dim lights from the ground at
night can be very distracting, and sometimes give me the 'leans', requiring
very close attention to the instruments.

--
Regards,

Stan

[Journeyman]

In article >, Jeff Saylor wrote:
> If you are a pilot who uses both a headset and eyeglasses, what IFR
> trainng device works and fits best for you? The generic foggles, like

I had a generic hood that worked fine. It's a piece of curved plastic
with a strap that goes around your forehead. kind looks like the
brim of a baseball cap on 'roids. Unfortunately, despite their ability
to take extreme abuse, I wound up bending it so it wasn't really
usable.

Last year, I bought something called a 'Super Hood' (and I'm still
mad at Sporty's about it and won't buy from them). The hood is in
two parts. A kinda normal-looking brim, and a plastic piece that
clips to the brim. The nice thing about it is that the plastic piece
comes off easily when you get to the MDA/MAP and you can look at how
well you did. Then, when you go missed, you can clip it back on.
I'd recommend it if you can buy it from anyone else.


Morris

[Josef Burger]

Jeff Saylor > writes:

>If you are a pilot who uses both a headset and eyeglasses, what IFR
>trainng device works and fits best for you? The generic foggles, like
>Sporty's sells? The Jeppesen JeppShades Flip-Up hood? A particular
>model of hood?

I've tried most of the above and some others. Here are my views on
several of them...

1) If you are using David Clark or compatible design headsets the
_Hoodlamb_ is excellent. I leave mine permanently attached to my
DC headset, always ready for use. It works great with glasses, goes
on and off easily, and is not a hassle. A few minor problems with this
otherwise excellent device

I have older DC headsets with full-width stirrups, which is
what this is designed to work. It works well. Newer DC headsets
have narrow stirrups, and the manufacturers of the hoodlamb
don't provide a narrower "shoe" for these headsets. It is more
difficult to adjust it.

As I grow older I've found the nearness of the device to my eyes
to be somewhat intrusive. This really shows up in that it is
I no longer get a "crisp" seperation between my eyeline and
the panel. It is easy to get the hoodlamb cocked a bit and
delete portions of the panel from view from one eye. It is
also difficult to adjust the field-of-view because it is molded
plastic.

Because it blocks your _downward_ vision it makes using checklists
and reading appoach plates in your lap or on a kneeboard an
exercise in head movement which is bad in instrument flight. Or,
makes that manuever uncomfortable.

All that being said, I'd still be using my hoodlamb, and miss it
and its convenience ..but I'm using headsets it won't fit on.


2) The Jepp Shades are a great idea for a compact hood. Unfortunately
they don't allow wearing glasses -- they are much too close to one's
face. Also, when "unhoooded" the "visor" doesn't rotate upward
enough to remove itself from your peripheral vision. I find that
annoying. It might work ok with "small" glasses.


3) Super Hood. This is what I picked up to use on my noise-cancelling
headset. I find it does a good job of being a hood.

Because it doesn't block downward vision, it doesn't interfere
with checklists, charts, approach plates, and other such items.

You can readily modify your field of view by cutting the hood
to include things which should be in your field of view. It
is also easy to _add_ obstructions to the hood to block things
(such as the corner of a window) you would prefer not to see.

Because the "lip" is farther from your eyes it creates a crisp
transition between the hood and the panel. It is also quite
easy to position the "holder" on your head to keep exactly what
you want in view.

The "hood" slips off easily for conversion to VFR flight. It
takes more effort to put back on than the hoodlamb. I've
managed to leave it in the airplane a few times when "throwing"
it into the backseat when transitioning to visual from an
approach. Out of sight, out of mind.

Because of the size of its "snoot", my safety pilot(s) have
commented that they have more work to do to look around it
to get a good view past me. That is unfortunate, and something
you might want to consider in a higher-traffic area. When I
loaned it to people I fly with, it didn't seem worse than normal
to me... but if the "energy" ran out of my traffic watch , the
reduction in vision, esp peripheral, would be not great.

I like this thing, but I miss the hoodlamb for its readiness,
and convenience.


4) Foggles. I use these from time to time on an emergency basis.
I've been thinking of buying a pair for my students to use, since they
are more convenient to carry continuously than a conventional hood.

They don't work well with glasses -- at least the larger size
glasses I use. A friend who uses smaller "reading" type glasses
for looking at instruments seems to have no problem using them.

I don't like the gap in the headset seal they create. And the
extra noise which results.


That has been my experience with a variety of hoods over the last
several years. Hope it helps.

Bolo
--
| Josef Burger U of WI-Madison Computer Sciences | "No matter where you go,
| "Bolo" uwvax!bolo | There you are"
| http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~bolo/ | -- Buckaroo Banzai