Aerobatics in glasses.

[Skittles]

As I watch Paul Bonhomme's run in Dubai I notice he's pulling 10G with his sunglasses sat neatly on the bridge of his nose.

As I'm about to buy some prescription sunglasses, I'd rather get something that will suit me if and when I start aerobatics, rather than giving it a go and finding that past a couple of G the glasses quickly vacate my face.

Of course the 10G was positive G, I suspect any significant level of negative G and they'd have been straight off.

Has anyone got any thoughts on the most appropriate eyewear? As I said I do wear a prescription, so they do have to be glasses of some sort.

Thanks in advance.

['Chuffer' Dandridge]

Buy one of those thin neoprene headband thingys that surfers wear to keep their Oakleys on... It works for me (but I only do +6,-3g):ok:

[bbrunton]

Headphones do a lot to help keep glasses on...

Mine have never come off.. Negative G would be the worst case senario.



Bill

[n5296s]

Never had a problem with them even shifting, never mind coming off. I've never pulled 10G (and we prefer not to talk about the time I came close), but I've certainly been in the whole -5/+6 range of the Pitts. I wear a cloth "helmet" primarily to keep my headset in place (because otherwise that DOES come off) and that does an excellent job of holding my glasses in place.

n5296s

[Skittles]

Excellent.

Perhaps the important thing is just to get very well fitting glasses rather than going for something purpose built.

I don't even do aerobatics, and when I do it will certainly be nowhere near the '10G' I mentioned, that was just what Mr Bonhomme managed to pull. Essentially I didn't want to buy something now, then buy something else if and when I do start any form of aerobatics.

Thanks for the advice.

[Dan Winterland]

I've been wearing glasses for flying aerobatics for about 25 years on and off. Most wearing RAF MK3 and MK4 helmets which clamp to your head and there's no way the glasses will ever come off - athough I did have a lens drop out of a pair once. The official glasses had very flat arms and no plasitic on the part of the arms which rested on the ears. So there's a clue - if you are going to clamp them to your head, thick arms will become uncomfortable very quickly.

These days I don't pull more than about 4g on infrequent aerobatic flights and I wear ordinary glasses with Peltor headsets which do hold on with quite a lot of pressure. I have never had a problem. It would be a good idea to use a headband though - I often consider it but somehow always seem to forget it. I always use a headband retainer for sailing.

It's the glasses/headset combination which is important. And as for comfort, take your headset to the optitians. You'll look like a prat while you try them on, but it will give you an idea. And try and chose flat arms.

[Blues&twos]

Like others, I've done the -3g to +6g (Pitts) thing wearing prescription glasses. I always wear a "Croakie" (to quote 'Chuffer' Dandridge in an earlier post "thin neoprene headband thingys that surfers wear to keep their Oakleys on"). However, I've never felt that I really needed to, it just makes me feel happier. My glasses haven't shifted at all, even with sustained -ve g, although I did once lose my headset briefly!

(And my lunch on occasion, but that's an entirely different thread....)

[BackPacker]

I've got contacts and usually a pair of sunglasses on when doing aeros. Biggest problem is the headset falling off under sustained +g, when I'm looking upwards to mee the horizon (in a loop for instance). Putting the headband of the headset as far forward on the top of my head as I can without breaking the seal helps a lot, and indeed the headset keeps the glasses in place.

My biggest problem is jamming the required set of spare glasses into the map pocket so that they don't fall out under negative g.:ok: