24 carrot ;
POLARIZATION. Polarized lenses are not recommended
for use in the aviation environment. While useful for blocking
reflected light from horizontal surfaces such as water or
snow, polarization can reduce or eliminate the visibility of
instruments that incorporate anti-glare filters. Polarized lenses
may also interfere with visibility through an aircraft windscreen
by enhancing striations in laminated materials and mask the
sparkle of light that reflects off shiny surfaces such as another
aircraft’s wing or windscreen, which can reduce the time a pilot
has to react in a “see-and-avoid” traffic situation.
I read it as regular sunglasses will NEVER cause interference (by their design) and polarized MAY ( not a garantee) do so in combination with certain instruments.
So in certain aircraft you MAY and in other aircraft you MAY NOT encounter issues.
For clarification; I fly G1000 equipped Diamond aircraft with a curved perspex canopy and have NEVER encountered problems doing so.
Flying your average spam-can will not be a problem with polarized sunglasses.
An average spam-can is not a business jet with 8 different layers of various different materials inlcuding heating pads for a wind screen.
So some may and some may not.
To generally state that polarized is a no-no in aviation is an urban myth that has roared its ugly head at least a dozen times in the last 10 years here on PPrune.
As stated earlier I currently wear a Walmart brand polarized pair of shades from the fishing department and I have had zero issues picking out traffic in a wide spread of atmospheric conditions.
It belongs in the same list of aviation myths as the following:
- I need a Ray Ban Aviator to be taken seriously at my club
- I need a Breitling to be taken seriously at my club
- I need to wear a army/navy/airforce issue poop-suit to be taken seriously as a PPL
- I need to wear epaulets on a cross country so the locals know I am a PPL holder