Sorry, not an expert, but is price related to protection ? Seem to remember some UK consumer study from years back suggesting that it is not.

Cheers:cool:

Oakley Minutes fitted with a black iradium lens, you will never look back. Oakleys best UV protection, very light, covers the whole field of vision and fits nicely under headset.

For strong light environments (above cloud layers, ...), we recommend any Julbo (see julbo.fr) sunglasses model with Alti Spectron x6 glasses, it has flash protection and anti-glare, tunes down any excess of light, still allowing to see in high resolution at extreme distances.

Would these be any good?

http://www.serengeti-eyewear.com/pro...s/humberto.cfm

Whats the difference between drivers and 555NM? Which is better for flying, (helis, not way up in the heavens like some you :) )

I have rayban predators but after wearing them a while get a little heavy on the nose and start to irritate you.

Thanks

I have a new pair of Serengetis that I got as a present!

My other Serengetis are now looking for a new home.

JAF0,

Go for Drivers (or, ideally, Drivers Gradient) lenses. See my post above.

And, FWIW, I also only fly helis.


Regards,

B73


PS Your link didn't work.

Thanks Bravo, ill have a look and see what I can get.

these were the ones that the link posted to (dont know why it stopped working)

http://fapomatic.com/58/gg6860_1.jpg

Model# Frame Color
lens color Size Information:
6852 Henna Drivers Base Curve: 8 Rx
6853 shiny Black Drivers Temple Length: 135mm/Spring Hinges
GG6860* Gunmetal 555nm Lens Size: 51.0 x 29.9 x 52.2mm, DBL 18mm

Lots of praise for Serengeti's found in this thread.

Rather confusing though since i've read a few articles that say photochromic lenses are not suitable for flying.

From an article on Transport Canada's site:

From an article by a FAA Vision Research specialist:

am not scintfic about this but stay away from polarized lenses for glass cockpit

I find Cebe Athlon ski glasses with brown-orange lenses are fantastic for both keeping the strong sunlight out of my eyes and for the comfort of the frames. The frames are comfy with headset on and also mean that the sunglasses never fall off, whether skiing or flying.

For those still looking for Serengeti's in the UK - as has been said, Sunglass Hut no longer stock them.

If you google it, you'll find shadesaver.com and you can get them shipped from the US.

The ones I just ordered were $109 + p&p which was about $50 cheaper than the serengeti website. Seems like a good deal.

Cloudmaster are a very good make, relaxing on the eye, and give a good contrast to clouds. Cheaper than Serengeti, but the lens are prone to scatches. Avaliable from AFE in the UK, along with Serengeti's

I swear silouette sunglasses since 1 year,they're extremely lightweight,clear lenses in all wx conditions,I camefrom oakleys but those seems good

can anyone clarify, whether polarised sunglasses are allowed in the cockpit while flying?

looking to buy a pair to start my flying soon, and would like to know whether to pay a difference of 100 for the polarised lenses

I would not advise Polarisd glasses. One one flight I found that I could not read the FMS panel at all and the EADI/EHSI also appeared very strange. It so turned out that the FMS Panel has horizontal lines which were illuminated and my glasses let in only vertical light hence the inability to read the displays. The ac is ATR

teghjeet : Thanks for your advice. I guess I would be better off with a pair of non-polarised then...

If anyone's interested, Sunglasses Time (there's one at Bicester Village, and one at MacArthur Glen Village Swindon) have an offer at the moment of buy one, get one free on Serengetis.

I just bought two pairs for £63.

Well, seein' as we're all bein' unscientific an' unedumacated about it ..... when I wanted an answer for this in the '70s, I went to an optometrist who fitted me out with Carl Zeiss lenses. Yup, the same mob that make, amongst other things, the lenses fitted to professional cameras. An' das good enough fer me.

The beauty of having sunnies made up is that you can pick whatever frame you want. Sometimes, I'd get a cheaper frame, such as a Rodenstock, but hell, you can get any sort you want.

As was mentioned earlier: what price yer eyes?

An' das ma 5o cents worf!

For the last 30 years I have used only Carl Zeiss Dark Umbral sunglass lenses, set in aviator teardrop frames with very thin side-wings so they don't become uncomfortable under a headset.

They'll see me out for the rest of my flying. They are optical glass and quite soft, so handle with care.

Just wondering.....

If photocromatic lenses are not good because they don't get lighter fast enough when encountering cloud layers....how about the rest of regular sunglasses that don't change at all....Would those be better? :confused:

Serengeti's also have a what they call gradient lenses in which the bottom part of the lense has a lighter tone than the top improving your instrument view in this type of situations...

.....just my 50 cents.

Scube
:cool:

I just read this on a web page. This seems to give pretty accurate info about this topic.


Here it goes:

Relay-Version: B 2.11 6/12/87; site scorn
Path: uunet!clyde.concordia.ca!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!julius.cs.ui uc.edu!apple!voder!pyramid!leadsv!claude
From: [email protected] (Claude Goldsmith)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation
Subject: How Should Pilots Select Sunglasses?
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, 08 Nov 90 08:32:21 PST
Reply-To: [email protected] (Claude Goldsmith)
Distribution: na
Organization: LMSC-LEADS, Sunnyvale, Ca.
Lines: 110

The newsletter published by USAIG in August has an interesting
article dealing with sunglasses for aviators. Since I don't have a
scanner handy and I'm a 2 finger typist, I'm not going to copy the
whole thing here. However some of the data and conclusions are
interesting and useful, so I'll extract a few things.

>From Aviation Insurance News; volume 21; number 4.

"There are several excellent reasons to wear sunglasses. It is
generally accepted that glare is harmful to the eye, and that
protection from glare is therefore therapeutic, even though studies
show that only 22 percent of the population reacts adversely to
glare."

"The older eye compares unfavorably with the younger one. Since
visual performance is directly related to image luminance, it follows
that the older eye, which is less responsive to changes in light
levels, is at a disadvantage. There are several reasons for this.
First, there is less increase in pupilary size with decreased
luminance. Second, changes in the lens and vitreous humor make the
older eye more sensitive to glare. Third, there is an overall
reduction in the transmission of light. This translates directly to
a need for more light to be able to see, and to age-related problems
with visual acuity in diminished light... Older pilots, therefore,
should wear sunglasses that allow the passage of more light to the
retina. It has been reported that to obtain the same contrast
detection performance as a 20-year-old, a 40-year-old needs 40
percent more light, and a 60-year-old needs 100 percent more light"

"A high-level light source, such as glare, causes pupilary
constriction. The smaller the aperature through which the eye must
see, the darker is the immage created on the retina... "

"The amount of light blocked by sunglasses is the key to how much
decrement takes place in visual acuity while the glasses are actually
in place. This adverse effect exists only while the glasses are
actually in place, and does not persist after the glasses have been
removed. Generally, the darker the lens, the larger the loss. This
is the reason why baseball players delay flipping down their
sunglasses from beneath their cap visors until they have located the
arcing ball."

"...A lens that darkens or lightens according to the intensity of
ambient light, or truly photosensitive lens, would appear to be the
most desireable, especially since the pilot needs metered light
abatement that is based on the severity of the exposure. However
those lenses that require UV-B to make them darken will not darken
when worn inside the airplane since UV-B does not penetrate the
canopy or windows. Thus, what appears to be the best answer to the
changeable needs of the cockpit, photochromatic lenses, turns out not
to be an answer at all."

"The amount of light that passes through a lens is the most critical
factor in selecting sunglasses to effect a compromise between visual
decrement, color distortion and glare or high ambient light
protection. Lenses are catagorized as being between a one and a four
according to percent of light transmission and it's basic color.
Thus, you can have a brown 3, gray 4, yellow 1, green 2 or any
combination of a color and a number. A number 1 lens cuts 20 percent
of available light, barely enough to be noticed, and except for
yellow, useful only in the world of fashion. A number 2 lens blocks
70 percent. A number 3 lens blocks 85 percent and a number 4 lens
blocks 95 percent. There is no place in aviation for a number 4 lens
of any color because of the severe decrement in visual acuity,
(though such lenses are available). A pilot with 20/20 vision
wearing number 4 glasses has a visual acuity between 20/40 and 20/60
while airborne in the cockpit, even though he could be a comfortable
20/20 on the sunbathed ski slopes using the same glasses."

"A Number 3 lens has utility only in unusually high light situations
such as flying into the sun, or flying VFR just on top in bright sun.
Interestingly, it is Number 3 lenses that are in common usage without
regard for whether acuity suffers. Visual acuity while wearing
Number 3 lenses can be degraded to an average of 20/30."

"The Number 2 lens should be the aviators friend, and then only when
judiciously worn. A 30 percent light transmission presents the world
with the same amount of light as that found in a 70 percent eclipse
of the sun. That is what these glasses do. Subdued light is the
result. Visual acuity is reduced minimally. Wearing Brown 2
glasses, the 20/20 pilot remains almost 20/20. Looking for traffic,
the pilot should remove them. As soon as meteorological conditions
permit, they should be returned to the case or pocket. Wear Yellow 1
glasses in haze or in the soup, and then only if they improve
vision."

"The effect of even a small difference in acuity on visual performance
is commonly underestimated." So say the investigators at the U.S.
Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory in their December 1986
report on the use of sunglasses and visors by U.S. Navy fighter
pilots. Visor wearers were at a 1.8 nautical mile disadvantage in
sighting a target compared to those not so encumbered."

"Sunglasses should not be worn merely because they are available.
Ambient light translates directly into visual acuity. Losses in the
former impact the latter."

"Aviators sunglasses should be glass or polycarbonate; should transmit
not less than 25 percent of available light; should not distort
colors, distances, or shapes; should nullify the bluring of shortwave
reflected blue; and should increase contrast without
misrepresentation. Their adverse effect of visual acuity must be
known and they should not be worn during conditions of diminished
light. There can be special times when an adjunct pair of Yellow 1
glasses (that are not sunglasses) can improve vision..."
--
note: photochromatic lenses would enter a number 2 type lense in their lighter tone stage but it seems that cockpit glass will affect the photochromatic ability of the lenses to get darker, to some point.

I want no unseemly mirth at this very informative posting.

Many years ago on Hong Kong TV there was an advert featuring a now long retired CX very senior pilot, (CXVSP)

The ad went something like this.

CXVSP, seated at the controls, turned round to the camera behind his seat with his hands raised and said something like

"I fly hundreds of thousands of passengers every year and their safety is in these hands. I need the best protection for my eyes I can get and I use Zeiss," (puts on sunglasses).

"Zeiss for my eyes!!"

There you have it ladies and gentlemen from the most impeccable of sources.

Remember now, no laughing (choke)

I always wore Raybans, tried Oakleys and various other types at various times, then just a few years before I retired I discovered Serengetti Velocity sunglasses with titanium frames and drivers gradient lenses and wished I'd found them 20 years before. When my original pair were stolen I went straight out and bought an identical pair. I had a look in Sunglass hut today and they still sell them there. They're not cheap, but worth every penny in my opinion.

Thanks for sharing the article. It was most informative. :8

Only just noticed this thread and had a quick read.

Being in Australia and travelling Outback the topic of glare and sunnies is very topical for me. It's 42 degress here today and extreme UV.

One point that does not seem to have been stressed is the long term implications of glare. Answer = cataracts and vision deterioration. (And no laser surgery). Direct quote from a medical vision site - "Most cataracts occur as a result of ageing and long term exposure to UV light. Making sunglass wear very important as preventative measure."

Pilots are exposed to significant UV, with far less atmosphere layer protection, and the wearing of good sunglasses is vital to good vision in old age - particularly as life expectations are longer now. My father, aged 92, spent much of his life at open sporting functions without sunglasses - after several ops including large $ expenses he has peripheral vision but little else.

I wear Randolphs, purchased from the USA. Dropped and damaged my first pair, their response was top class. They have the flat sections sitting nicely under my headset and soft seats on the nose bridge. I wear them driving, flying, drinking. Only trap is the flat sides allow them to fall off if you bend over quickly - they are best worn with one of those grandfather cords arouns the neck, particularly as I have to revert to my prescription glasses about 5 minutes before landing to get my long distance vision spot on.

Main reason for this post is that anyone reading this thread who does NOT wear good sunglasses - not just in the cockpit but anywhere in the sun - needs to be aware that it can catch up in our grumpy old age.

Prescription?
 

I have had Srengettis recommended before, also this thread indicates they are a a good choice.

I am slightly nearsighted, enough for it to be in my medical. So where can I get a pair of Serengettis with prescription glasses? Just to find the glasses themselves seems to be a problem, when I finally found some, they only had a small selection.

Perscription Sunny's
 

well the title says it. I currently have a pair of ray bans with perscription lenses from my local optician. But, since I am about to take to the skies once more, I think i can treat myself.
I know Oakleys do there own perscriptions, anyone know if serengeti does or any other good makes? Its just I think mine are not dark enough.
cheers
d2k

Re: Perscription Sunny's
 

I have the prescription Ray Bans, but before I got them I was wearing a pair of Serengeti's. From what I was told, you can't have lenses that are too curved to be prescriptions because they'll just warp everything you see. But also with Serengeti's you probably don't wanna take those lenses out. That's what makes the glasses so good. I've just gotten my Ray Bans tinted to a darker shade.

Hope that helps! :ok:

Re: Perscription Sunny's
 

If you look at the different threads dealing with sunnies you'll notice that Serengeties are recommended more often than not. Serengeties are available in prescription lenses even for their more curved frames (such as the Lassen frame).

http://www.serengeti-eyewear.com/support/rx_program.cfm

It did take some hunting on my part to find that authentic Serengeti lenses could actually be fitted to the more curved frames; one of the main dealers around here insisted that they cannot supply authentic lenses to, for example, the Lassen frame. I think you'll find that you have to locate a dealer that gets their lenses supplied from the States as the more curved lenses do not seem to be manufactured in Europe. Another alternative is to order them online.

http://www.athleticoptics.com/defaul...orts&MfgrID=60

On a personal note, based on all the discussion here, I'll definitely be ordering authentic prescription Serengeties for my next pair of sunnies.

Cosmo

Re: The best pilot sunglasses
 

i posted this earlier in the thread but was modded. i'll try again.
private pilot magazine did a study a little while back on the best sunglasses for aviation. oakley came out on top for each category.
you can check out the results of the study here:
http://oakley.com/private_pilot/
obviously the results are on the oakley site seeing as they did very well. please keep in mind the original study was performed by private pilot magazine NOT oakley.

Re: The best pilot sunglasses
 

These guys are excellent if you need any prescription sunglasses including serengeti.

http://www.opticsplanet.net/sunglasses.html

I have lost a fantastic pair of ray-bans that I had. Don't know what model but they were the ones the guys had in men in black if thats any help. Was very sad to lose them but am looking to replace them. Oakleys are the current favourite for both their technical value and the nice design. Thinking a pair of wires 2.0 with either blue or fire lenses. Anyone have any experience of this model?

Anybody knows about the difference between serenguetis made in Italy and Japan?
Are Japan's Serenguetis fake? It seems weird but sometimes I check on a website and the same internet shop has serengetis made in both countries and the price doesn't vary. Anybody knows?

Scube.

Ray Bans for under $200(AUS)
 

Ray-Ban’s ‘Sidestreet - RB3183’. Colour Code - 014/73 (Frame – ‘Brown’, Lenses – ‘APX Brown’)

Metal, frameless lenses. Really thin arms so headset stays nice and snug (mine are David Clarke 13.4’s) and keep outside noise to an absolute minimum. Not a big fan of Ray-Ban till now, when I realised they did some nice sets, unlike those awful 70’s style Aviators! These are well made, light, really comfortable & wrapped to avoid light leaking into your peripheral vision. Non-polarised variety of course, and rated category 3 on Ray-Bans tint rating. (Darkest is 4, which RB do not recommend for driving or flying). I find the brown lens makes it much easier to see the instruments and makes the outside seem a shade lighter compared to Cat. 3 lens with a green or grey tint. Still dark enough to take the sting away from that harsh WA sun.

Would’ve loved titanium, super-thin armed Maui Jims, but these were way out of my budget. Sertengetis come highly recommended too, but again too pricey for me. Pooh. Killer Loop did some incredibly thin-armed frameless, good looking sets at a great price, but all the ones available to me had mirror lenses which are apparently not recommended.

Ray Bans have great lenses, great fit, take good care of your eyes and whilst they still cost a pretty penny, they’re a good choice for people without copious amounts of money to burn!

AUS $179.95. From Sunglass Hut – have 14 day return policy if you don’t like them or work as well as you’d expect. 1 year guarantee. If broken (I was told ‘I don’t care if you sit on them or run over them deliberately with a truck’!), they’ll give you a brand new replacement pair at half the price. Sweet. :ok:

Its been a while since I last graced a cockpit but I always used Randolph Aviators.

I'm amazed that so few have mentioned them?? The Randolph Aviator standard issue sunglasses for U.S. armed forces pilots, Top Gun Flying School and NASA.

Things mush of change since I've retired ;) :)

Info
http://www.avidaviator.com/randolph_sunglasses.html

www.randolphusa.com

To Polarize or not to Polarize
 

Had 1000 hours of GA instruction time using some nice REVO polarized wraparounds which were fantastic, I only wish that I had invested as much on protecting my ears. However now fly A320/1s and the polarized sunnies cause distracting discolouration effects through the windshield and also completely black out the LCD display on the radio panel. I changed to some trendy narrow Revos but they let too much light in around the side and were soon disgarded. I still swear by the Revos and have some non polarized wraparounds which are great but pricey. In summary - Polarized are not helpful in an airliner!

For Jet EFIS there's only one must have:

Serengeti's with Driver Gradient Lenses.

And they are NOT polarised so no probs there!!!

polarising corrective sunglasses
 

hiya!,
i understand polarising corrective lenses SHOULD NOT be used....but does this mean they are banned???
my back up spectacles are of this type and i was wondering whether it is fully legal!

thanks very much,

tmr

I don't think they're banned, but they definitely aren't recommended for flight. Many aircraft have polarised windscreens. If you add polarised sunglasses to the equation and you get very dodgy vision!