Photochromic glasses
 

Hi!

So i broke my corrected sunglasses during my last leg to homebase..

While shopping for new ones I stumbled on the new transition gen 8 lenses, they claim to be half clear within 2 minutes and full clear after 4 minutes.

Any documentation about photochomic lenses seem to be dated (when the lenses took up nearly 30min to clear)

Are there any users of these in the flight deck? Can you tell me if the investment is worth it? Im thinking to change my dailies to them and keep a pair of sunglasses on the side as well for those sunny days. Or just stick to Normals and Sunglasses?

Thanks!

A few guys at work wear them with no apparent issues. I use mine for riding my bike in the woods. The new ones are faster than the old ones.

I haven't used new ones, used only the old ones a long time ago. They did not really color in on the flightdeck as apparently most of the spectrum that controls them was blocked by the flightdeck windows (back then 737). Which is why i switched to blue blocking corrected lenses, which i was used to from gliding anyway (shows clouds and cloud formation much clearer than normal sunglasses).

I have used Photochromic lenses for decades, originally Zeiss but now Pilkington which are a little slower to adjust to base level.
Reason being I have overly sensitive eyes, I can see better in low light that anyone I have ever met.
Also mine are 'merged' bifocals, naffing expensive but I value what I can see as I was a Printer and am an enthusiastic photographer.
So accuracy of image means a great deal to me, the eyes / brain adapt very swiftly and I find no problems with them.

I used Transitions for years but don't think any were gen 8. The problem I had with them is that they are temperature sensitive. On a typical AZ summer day they hardly darken at all but they go nearly black on a ski slope in winter. No issues with seeing cockpit displays of any sort but cockpit windows may reduce the amount of UV that reaches the lenses.

I don't need prescription lenses for distance any more and fly with plain glass dark lenses with stick on fresnel readers

I tried them in an aircraft with a heated windscreen. No good at all.

I'm studying for my ATPL's with the UK CAA right now; I just read a piece in the Human Performance section which says photochromic lenses generally aren't permitted. I'm not sure if this varies between countries...