Sunglasses

wrote:

I tried a half dozen pilot-recommended brands and the winner was
Serengeti. Wonderful optics, doesn't scratch easily, great
protection,
light and comfortable.

2NO

Ditto on the Serengeti recommendation. I find them particularly useful
late in the day when going "up sun" and for picking out the best
looking clouds through the haze. I've worn these for about 10 years
now; they replaced a pair of Ray Bans. I go with the Aviator Style -
geeky looking as all hell but wide enough to eliminate all but a small
amount of light infiltration from the sides. Those of you worried
about style can find Serengetis in other more fashionable
configurations.

P3

I like both the Serengeti's and the SunTigers.

I use a combination of Serengeti "Driver tent" Aviator style on bright
days and SunTigers on days that are overcast or very hazy. The
SunTigers cut the haze better than anything else I have used. I often
carry both pairs and switch based on light and haze condtions.

TT

My vote (and my $) go to Serengeti. The drivers tint helps bring the
contrast between clouds and sky into view. Not as good in low angle sun
conditions as some, such as the Costa Del Mar's that they replaced (got
crushed in the door of the truck). Good in shadow or direct sun.

I'll have to throw my hat into the Serengeti ring as well. Very high
quality for the price, I am a satisfied multiple repeat customer.

At 18:00 14 March 2005, wrote:
I couldn't disagree more with whoever says to buy the
cheapest
available. You only have one pair of eyes, and there's
lots of bad rays
out there.

I tried a half dozen pilot-recommended brands and the
winner was
Serengeti. Wonderful optics, doesn't scratch easily,
great protection,
light and comfortable.

2NO

I have used Suntigers since they hit the market in
the 80s. They were based on NASA research to reduce
UV that was causing cataracts, particularly by welding.
They based the orange color on the natural filters
in eagle's eyes. Eagles are in natural daylight all
the time, fly high, and do not get cataracts.

The orange is impossibly bright for the first two minutes,
but you can stay outdoors 12 hours and will not have
eye fatigue at the end of the day. There is an expected
amount of color shift. Greens pop out, yellows tend
to disappear, and blues tend to be black. You get
used to it quickly. The only problem is flowers; they
look weird!

You can have your own optometrist make your lenses
- even tri-focals (mine are) from C-39 plastic with
no hardener added. Send these lenses to Suntiger and
they will dye them for you and your optometrist can
put them back in your frames. I have done this with
4 pairs for myself and 4 pairs for my wife.

Soaring had a long article with graphs and charts back
in the 80s about these lenses. I have no financial
interest in the company.

wrote:
Want to purchase suitable sunglasses for the upcoming season. Search
of
old threads turned up info several years old. What are the
requirements
for a good pairr of good pilot's sunglasses.Tx.

I have worn Suntigers for several years. I never squint, and my eyes
never get tired. Because I wear trifocals and because I prefer to able
to choose the style I want, I purchase clear, uncoated lenses locally
from my opthamologist and send them to Suntiger for tinting. They
charge $40 for this service. I'm convinced I can see other aircraft
better wearing Suntigers. They're also good for night driving.

wrote:
Want to purchase suitable sunglasses for the upcoming season. Search
of
old threads turned up info several years old. What are the
requirements
for a good pairr of good pilot's sunglasses.Tx.


Also keep in mind what the AIM reads in section 8-1-6 Vision In Flight;

3. Excessive illumination, especially from light reflected off the
canopy, surfaces inside the aircraft, clouds, water, snow, and desert
terrain, can produce glare, with uncomfortable squinting, watering of
the eyes, and even temporary blindness. Sunglasses for protection from
glare should absorb at least 85 percent of visible light (15 percent
transmittance) and all colors equally (neutral transmittance), with
negligible image distortion from refractive and prismatic errors.

Specifically the part about "all colors equally". This refers to the
"Blueblocker" lenses or other similarly tinted lense. Also
"distortion...refractive...prismatic" I have heard these in arguments
against polarized lenses.

This is in the aim so it is not regulatory, but some like to enforce
anything that the FAA has published, I was asked not to wear my
polarized prescription sunglasses while flying, however I was not
cited.

SEE YA!!!

Matthew.

I bought a pair of prescription Suntigers 4 years ago and about a week
or two past one year the coating started coming off. Suntiger honored
the one year warranty and re-coated them. Two years later the coating
started coming off again. My guess is that sunscreen mixed with sweat
was what caused the detreriation. No more Suntigers for me.

I wear Polar Eyes ($50 from Aircraft Spruce or polareyes.com,
including a hard case and cleaning cloth). I love
them! They are very lightweight and comfortable.
I find the polarized lenses actually accent the contrast
of another plane against the sky. I prefer the copper
colored lenses. They have just a touch of blueblocking,
but won't make daisies look black. I have seen a couple
of canopies that produced some very mild color banding,
but most don't. Also, the rotation of thermals tends
to create a 'polarized' effect when they pick up dust,
pollen, grass, etc. You can see thermals for miles
with Polar Eyes. You can also see details in clouds
that aren't visible with non-polarized lenses, and
they cut through haze very well.

As for the post about the FAA 'asking' someone not
to wear polarized lenses, I'd 'ask' them take a hike!

I have a pair of Ray-Bans with the B-15 brown colored mirrored lenses
which are great for enhancing contrast and eliminating scattered blue
light of which there is plenty at altitude. The brown lens barely
distorts color, and really helps in finding the wispies or darkest part
of the cloud. Optics are excellent with no distortion. I bought a new
pair on Ebay for $30.00. They can't be beat IMO.