What sunglasses are best for flying gliders?

For those of us that need bifocals I take my favorite pair of sunglasses and trim a pair of these plastic reading lenses to fit at the bottom. An inexpensive way to get to bifocals without the custom work. They attach with just water and, magical, seem to never come off. Comes in many magnification levels. Depending on your eyes you may need two different levels. Enjoy, John

https://www.amazon.com/Optx-20-Stick.../dp/B000W7HQCQ

On Friday, October 27, 2017 at 7:33:19 AM UTC-4, Jim Kellett wrote:
On Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 2:27:58 PM UTC-4, Jonathan Foster wrote:
Are there any sunglasses that seem to work really well for flying?
snip

Without a doubt, the Suntiger Aviator from Elton Optical in Las Vegas, the non-polarized version. Not only can you see the instruments, but the ultraviolet and blue-blocking tint actually makes it easier to see through haze AND makes the little "pre-cumulus" wisps visible! Been using them for two decades now. Perfect for the soaring pilot.

The deal breaker is: you lose all ability to distinguish shades of green. I can easily identify a cut hay field by color alone at 8 miles. But not with Sun Tigers.

You can capture most of the advantages being talked about with other, less radical tints that preserve enough color vision to be useful.


best,
Evan Ludeman / T8

On Friday, October 27, 2017 at 6:55:05 AM UTC-7, Tango Eight wrote:
On Friday, October 27, 2017 at 7:33:19 AM UTC-4, Jim Kellett wrote:
On Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 2:27:58 PM UTC-4, Jonathan Foster wrote:
Are there any sunglasses that seem to work really well for flying?
snip

Without a doubt, the Suntiger Aviator from Elton Optical in Las Vegas, the non-polarized version. Not only can you see the instruments, but the ultraviolet and blue-blocking tint actually makes it easier to see through haze AND makes the little "pre-cumulus" wisps visible! Been using them for two decades now. Perfect for the soaring pilot.

The deal breaker is: you lose all ability to distinguish shades of green. I can easily identify a cut hay field by color alone at 8 miles. But not with Sun Tigers.

You can capture most of the advantages being talked about with other, less radical tints that preserve enough color vision to be useful.


best,
Evan Ludeman / T8

Which is why the Zeiss, Randolph Engineering, Serengeti's, Ray Ban's are all brownish. And all the aforementioned are great aviation glasses. Through the 30 years I have been flying I have used all the above, plus Suntigers.. I would say for me, the Sun Tigers were just a step below the above mentioned, and apparently the market agrees.

Aviator Sunglasses = Sunglasses + more money.

Just like Aviator wris****ches.

Try out different glasses and get what work for you.Â* If they happen to
be "Aviator" then enjoy them, but don't be fooled by a label.

On 10/27/2017 8:34 AM, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
On Friday, October 27, 2017 at 6:55:05 AM UTC-7, Tango Eight wrote:
On Friday, October 27, 2017 at 7:33:19 AM UTC-4, Jim Kellett wrote:
On Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 2:27:58 PM UTC-4, Jonathan Foster wrote:
Are there any sunglasses that seem to work really well for flying?
snip

Without a doubt, the Suntiger Aviator from Elton Optical in Las Vegas, the non-polarized version. Not only can you see the instruments, but the ultraviolet and blue-blocking tint actually makes it easier to see through haze AND makes the little "pre-cumulus" wisps visible! Been using them for two decades now. Perfect for the soaring pilot.
The deal breaker is: you lose all ability to distinguish shades of green. I can easily identify a cut hay field by color alone at 8 miles. But not with Sun Tigers.

You can capture most of the advantages being talked about with other, less radical tints that preserve enough color vision to be useful.


best,
Evan Ludeman / T8
Which is why the Zeiss, Randolph Engineering, Serengeti's, Ray Ban's are all brownish. And all the aforementioned are great aviation glasses. Through the 30 years I have been flying I have used all the above, plus Suntigers. I would say for me, the Sun Tigers were just a step below the above mentioned, and apparently the market agrees.

--
Dan, 5J

This is a, "ask 20 peeps, get 20 answers....".

Your polarization may have been off 90*.

I like, and use, Serengeti Strara glasses. The tint allows decent color rendition (as Tango8 stated) as well as seeing wispies forming.
I like them, you may not.

Find what YOU like, screw the rest. Use other suggestions as a guideline.

There is no "majic bullet", your eyes will give guidance.

Years ago I had Suntigers made to my prescription. It got pricey to change them every time my prescription changed. I contacted them and had a pair of clip-on’s made. Never looked back and never felt the need to change after that.
Barry

Regardless of type of sunglasses you get, get ones with lenses that block blue light. Many bird species have colored oil droplets inside their retinal cells. Guess what color those oil droplets are? Yep, pretty much the same range of browns, oranges, copper colors that one finds in various "blue-blocking" sunglasses like Serengeti, Suntiger, etc. Those oil droplets do for birds what our blue blocking sunglasses do for us.

On Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 11:27:58 AM UTC-7, Jonathan Foster wrote:
A couple of weeks ago I purchased a fairly cheap pair of sunglasses. When I put them on in my glider all of my instruments magically went black. Unbeknownst to me, the lenses are polarized.

Are there any sunglasses that seem to work really well for flying?

I like to replace my flying glasses each year, and therefor want something that is quality, but not outrageously priced. I also like polarized, as it makes other gliders much easier to see (as well as wisps, etc.). Finally, I am old enough that I need readers to see the instrument panel (I wear contacts for distance vision).

I have found that SunCloud meets all these criteria for me. I can get them off the shelf from Amazon for about $80 and the optics are great. Many styles available, but I prefer "Conductor" as they wrap around. See link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Suncloud-Cond...ncloud+readers

On Sunday, October 29, 2017 at 9:33:38 AM UTC-6, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
On Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 11:27:58 AM UTC-7, Jonathan Foster wrote:
A couple of weeks ago I purchased a fairly cheap pair of sunglasses. When I put them on in my glider all of my instruments magically went black. Unbeknownst to me, the lenses are polarized.

Are there any sunglasses that seem to work really well for flying?

I like to replace my flying glasses each year, and therefor want something that is quality, but not outrageously priced. I also like polarized, as it makes other gliders much easier to see (as well as wisps, etc.). Finally, I am old enough that I need readers to see the instrument panel (I wear contacts for distance vision).

I have found that SunCloud meets all these criteria for me. I can get them off the shelf from Amazon for about $80 and the optics are great. Many styles available, but I prefer "Conductor" as they wrap around. See link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Suncloud-Cond...ncloud+readers


REI also sells Sun Clouds, but not readers. I have a pair and they are nice reasonably priced sun glasses.