Sunglasses: polarized vs. non-polarized

[PiuYi]

which type of lens do you have for your sunglasses?



I don't use glass cockpit yet so my optician is recommending polarized, but I heard it's harder to spot planes in VFR with polarized? (glare is reduced so planes afar won't "twinkle" anymore)

[Joe le Taxi]

Avoid polarised. When I wore mine, and thought the FMS screen had blanked. Actually polarising of the lenses was aligned with the dot or line matrix in the screen, thus making it invisible. I had to cock my head to see anything.

Unless you never plan to use screens. But I think you can encounter the problem even with basic GPS screens. The only time polarised is handy is like when you are landing into sun on a wet runway.

[airseb]

Or on the beach... :E

[parabellum]

Seem to remember something about polarised lenses and the gold film in the windscreen not being a good mix too.

[PBY]

Plus if you ever fly a floatplane you will flare below the water level, as you loose depth perception.

[West Coast]

Potential to misjudge colors of the WX returns on WX radars, or at least that's what the manufacturer claims in their training materials.

[PPRuNeUser0179]

My instructor was telling me that flying with polarized lenses is illegal in SA.Not a major offence,but not allowed by the SACAA.
I had trouble with changing of radio frequencies when wearing mine.
But it is a great tool when that bright morning sun,mixed with minute dust particles is in your face on final :}

[wiggy]

UK guidance here:

Guidance on using sunglasses | Medical | Personal Licences and Training (http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=49&pagetype=90&pageid=9244)