Ouch! Sunglasses problem, advice?

[Captain Smithy]

On my last lesson (around 4 weeks ago I think... weather has been thoroughly smeg), I hit upon a nasty problem.

It was a very bright sunny day, and I had to wear my sunglasses whilst flying. However, my headset very tightly pinched the legs of the glasses, painfully trapping them between my ear and the side of my head. Ouch. After my lesson, my ears and the sides of my head were aching like hell. :ouch:

Anybody have any ideas on how I could solve this painful problem?

Cheers

Smithy

[18greens]

If you haven't already get glasses with thin wire arms.

Rayban avaitors were designed with this in mind. This also allows a the headphones to seal better to your face.

[Whirlygig]

However, if you want to avoid looking like a 70s porn star, try Oakley A wires or Serengeti!

Cheers

Whirls

[youngskywalker]

What's wrong with looking like a 70's porn star?! ;)

I got fed up being ripped off by so called 'pilot's sunglasses, took a look at the selection in 'Boots' the chemist and bought good quality ones for about 30quid, they have flat bayonet style legs and they are very comfy when worn with a headset.

[dublinpilot]

Would some of these (http://www.transair.co.uk/product4.asp?SID=2&Product_ID=1133) solve your problem?

dp

[gcolyer]

What i done in the Grumman AA-5B that I fly is to get the sun visor from a learjet and fit that on to the Grumman. It is very nice.

I wear glasses all the time as I am specy. I find the only option is wire arms on the glasses.

[RatherBeFlying]

The new in ear head sets can circumvent that problem. I use a Plantronics headset with acoustic tubes connected to ear molds. Today you can take such a headset to an audiologist to fit Comply tips.

An optometrist can change the earpieces on your glasses to something that will be reasonable under a headset.

Maybe even try cutting a slot in the headset padding, but the cure may be worse than the disease.

[Comanche250]

I had the same problem, I found it was because the ear seals were too small and were resting on my ears instead of getting a good fit around them hence they were pushing on the ear and the arm - solution, take off the ear covers and get slightly bigger ear seals, I also found that gel ones are better than foam ones.

C250

[sternone]

Does anybody has a solution for sunglasses with correction lens ? The problem is that with big glass surface it's not possible because the glass becomes to tick...

[gcolyer]

As mentioned I use prescription lenses. My prescription is quiet strong so my lenses are usualy pretty thick.

The only option is to go for expensive prescription sunglasses. This means the highest index lens that you can get, which currently is 1.74's.

I personaly go for G15 1.74 lenses. These are green non polarized lens. Polarized lenses are not that great as you can't see some LCD instruments. I personaly find green or orange lenses to be the best for flying.

I always go for frameless glasses that have the thinest arm that I can find (and like). My lens is 47mm in diameter and 27mm in height, like i said my prescription is strong, yet with the 1.74 index my lens is only about 3.5mm thick. I have absolutley no discomfort at all when I use them with DC headsets.

Here is my prescription from my last order:
Sphere Cylinder Axis Add PD
Right: 3.50 -3.00 30 59
Left: 3.50 -3.00 165

My last pair cost me about £140 with the lenses I mentioned above. And here is a link to the glasses I have. And yes the frame(less) only costs £22 the rest of the prices is for the lenses!! incidentaly it is a great website for prescription and non prescription.

http://www.selectspecs.com/detailps.php?item=157.03

[sternone]

I have made new sunglasses from rayban, but i took the most strong dark sunfilter, that means when i'm in the plane, i have troubles looking at the instruments because it's so dark... i better buy new ones, and not the stronges dark filter :-))

[scooter boy]

Sternone, I would recommend contact lenses and ordinary sunglasses, far less hassle than switching from prescription shades to your specs every time a could goes by - I know because I did it for far too long, CLs are liberating.

On the other hand you could have LASIK eye surgery and see like a hawk!:ouch:


And for the avoidance of confusion IMHO there is a lot wrong with looking like a 70s porn star, the moustache really gets tangled in the mic, the spray on jeans strangulate your crotch on long flights, the bouffant hair gets dented by the headset, the open neck hawaian shirt is just fecking cold most days of the year and most importantly chicks do not dig that aviator look, no no no it is so 1972...

SB

[rotorcraig]

Polarized lenses are not that great as you can't see some LCD instrumentsThis caught me out in an R22.

Preparing to transit East Midlands airspace and had been asked to Squawk XXXX. Got close to the zone with no clearance and the Transponder still wasn't flashing to indicate that SSR was picking me up. Told the pax that we may need to go round - couldn't get higher due cloud base and thought SSR couldn't see me at my altitude.

East Mids came back with clearance just in time (they were busy) - turns out the Transponder had been flashing for 5 minutes but I couldn't see it through the polarized lenses.

RC

[djpil]

I stopped buying prescription sunglasses many years ago and started using Zurich ones which fit over the top (http://www.zurichsunglasses.com/) of my normal ones. Optional headband doesn't interfere with headset or helemet.

[sternone]

On the other hand you could have LASIK eye surgery and see like a hawk!

One question, i'm only a few points short to get a medical number 1, if i do lasik surgery, does that count ? So i can actually get a medical 1 ?

[gcolyer]

I thought the CAA had an issue with Laser surgery.

[tonker]

I used to sell these things and found the RayBan Aviators didn't conform to the head and left a large noisy gap(and i've got a big noggin). David Clarke do sell foam seals to get round this.

Until somebody stole my Serengetis they were my 1st choice, but RayBan have been taken over and thus have a much better up to date range.

:ok:

ps i'd rather look like a 70's porn star in RayBans than a cyber skateboarding dope dude in Oakley's:E

[sternone]

i'd rather look like a 70's porn star in RayBans than a cyber skateboarding dope dude in Oakley's

Besides that very good argument of yours, it was always a dream to look like a porn star...

[Mad Girl]

I'm also a specy.......You could always try these...
http://www.ihaveawebsite-nowwhat.co.uk/sunglasses/clipon-sunglasses/clip-on-sunglasses.htm
I wear metal framed specs but I think the clip is big enough to go over other frame types.

I used to have bluey/black ones but my instructor pointed out what that colour can do to your depth perception on final in certain conditions (He's also a specy so obviously tried lots over the years). He made me land with and without sunglasses - guess which were the better landings ?? :O.

Swapped to the brown ones (polarised) - brilliant. Went up recently in sunny haze and I could see much better with them than without them.
Apparently, if you can find the orange ones - they're good as well. :ok:

[172driver]

FWIW, I had my Aviators fitted with specy lenses, specially calculated for cockpit use. They are bi-focals and the near-vision area sits higher than in normal bifocals (so as to cover the whole panel) and has also been calculated for the greater distance from seat to panel (as opposed to 'normal' reading glasses). They are graduated with the bottom bit being very light and the top rather dark, thus avoiding the problem of not seeing enough inside the cockpit. Took me a little while to explain all that to the optician, but they work a treat. And yes, I probably DO look like 70s porn producer, but who cares :cool:

PS: under FAA regs, polarized sunglasses are NOT permitted to be worn by a crewmember, for exactly the reasons mentioned by rotorcraig and also because if your a/c has a heated windshield you will get interference.:=

[high-hopes]

Would some of these (http://www.transair.co.uk/product4.asp?SID=2&Product_ID=1133) solve your problem?

Nothing like a bit of Universal Muff ! :ok:

[bottom rung]

How about a monocle? I'm sure you could get one tinted. You could wear two at once and they wouldn't interfere with the headset at all.:)

[alvin-sfc]

Noooo, don't want to make a spectacle of yourself.:eek: