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Pilot Eyewear

Bill Boyd

Well Known Member
Who better to ask than the VAF hive...

Hoping this goes well (not another endless debate kind of thing), I'd like to ask what sort of fancy (or plain) eyewear has become your favorite for flying. Assume that I would want UVA/UVB sunglasses, non-polarized, need presbyopia assistance to read charts and instruments (IOW "readers") and want comfort under the headset cups as well as some degree of cool-factor/fashion statement.

In years past, I've settled on Serengeti aviators in amber gradient with Optix stick-on magnifiers, but I've misplaced two pairs of them over the years :mad:
In between those, I bought and lost a pair of $cheyden flip-ups with custom Rx. :mad::mad: Both were good in their own way. Last month I was in the Sunglass Hut looking at the offerings from Oakley, Costa,RayBan and others. Nothing emerged as a clear solution. I stood there listening to the salesman blowing smoke about how HIS polarized eyewear wasn't a problem with TFT displays, thinking, "I wonder what the Sierra Hotel pilots at the VAF fly behind. Surely they've hashed this out on a hangar-flying day and reached the ideal solution." So I left the store empty handed and decided to ask my questions here.

Then I saw that LightSpeed has a line of eyewear ($$$) for sale, too.

What's on YOUR face when you strap in to commit aviation?

-Stormy
 
Love my Scheyden flip-ups. I have them in progressive bi-focal. I accidentally broke the frame after I had owned them for about five years. Called them and sent them back to be repaired. No charge, and good as new!
http://scheyden.com/
 
Misplacing my Scheydens

at my son's wedding 4 years ago was one of life's more expensive lessons. But I'm hoping there's a sub-$500 solution out there that I'll like :)
 
Randolph

I've got some of these in prescription form with gray lens no polarization. Next up is to solve the bi-focal problem as I have progressives now in my other glasses. The thin temples and bayonet arms work great with headsets. And they are fairly cheap (in the world of prescription glasses).

http://shop.randolphusa.com/aviator-p5044.aspx

AF5R611_1.jpg
 
I absolutely love my Vedalos. I prefer the copper-rose tint, but smoke is also available.

I love them because I think the lenses are superior. I also like that the frames are virtually unnoticeable under a headset, even after 2 hours. (After 2 hours, my butt is numb and my old bladder is full. 'nuf said.)

To be clear and for full disclosure, we sell these on our web store, but we sell them because I love them!

Yes, they are pricey. (What isn't?) We do have a very good price on them though!

http://www.flyboyaccessories.com/Apparel-s/6.htm
 
Vedalos make Sedona look even redder...
I don't even take them out of the plane.... ever.
Won't be losing them. But Murphy says I will step on them at some point.:confused:
 
Love my second pair of Oakley's! Look cool and do what they are supposed to do. My first pair reside with my Bose headset for passengers.
 
Being fairly cheap, and a full-time glasses wearer, I have had a pair of Hazebuster clip-ons in every airplane and car (not to mention my jacket pocket) for a number of years.

This year, at Osh, I met Bruce Holden from Zurich International (www.z-xg.com) . He had me try a couple of different types of demo glasses, and I really fell in love with the Serengeti's - and they looked cool. He made a pair custom to my prescription, and now they are my main outdoors eyewear. I still have the Hazebusters in every location though - because I don't always remember to grab the Serengeti's....it's a memory thing....
 
Had a pair of Randolphs and loved them, but lost them and I too looked for a less painful pair of sunglasses to wear and eventually lose. I settled on AO eyewear (www.aoeyewearonline.com) Supposedly they are standard issue to military air crew and are great quality for the price (around $50). They are also carried by many vendors such as Amazon and Opticsplanet so shop around. Good luck!

Richie Rivera
RV7A
Ormond Beach, FL
 
I'm way too cheap to pay those prices for glasses.

Several years ago somebody on here mentioned Zenni.com. I took a shot & have never looked back. My wife was very skeptical until she ordered her 1st pair. Now she has close to a dozen pairs of regular & tinted, to match various outfits. They are so cheap that you can buy a half dozen for the price of one pair at the local optical place.

http://www.zennioptical.com/?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=topnav+zenni+logo&utm_content=topnav+zenni+logo&utm_campaign=20141203+WproJ+Cyber+Monday+Ext+Remail

The sun glasses are polarized, but if you go through the order process for regular glasses, there's an option for tint. Pick 80% & you get non-polarized sunglasses.

FWIW,

Charlie
 
I wear Scheyden flip ups with lined bifocals. I'm not military, but I have a lot of contact with RCAF pilots and live in a city with a major air base; military pilots are not allowed to fly with progressives (which my regular glasses are), only straight bifocals, so I stuck with that option for flying.
 
Another vote for Vedalo. I fly with the Argento2. Frameless, ultra lightweight. They were my dedicated flying sunglasses, but I now wear them everywhere because I just can't find anything more comfortable! A solid 2 years of full-time use and they're holding up well. I've dropped them 3 or 4 times on asphalt and concrete without a scratch! I don't know what type lense material they use, but all of my Oakleys were much more scratch-prone.
Reminds me, I need to send my wife's pair in for repair. She has the hingeless ear pieces, and one suffered from metal fatigue. My ear pieces are hinged and I think the better option. She's been griping, so I need to get them back by Christmas ;-)
 
Zenni

I'm way too cheap to pay those prices for glasses.

Several years ago somebody on here mentioned Zenni.com. I took a shot & have never looked back. My wife was very skeptical until she ordered her 1st pair. Now she has close to a dozen pairs of regular & tinted, to match various outfits. They are so cheap that you can buy a half dozen for the price of one pair at the local optical place.

http://www.zennioptical.com/?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=topnav+zenni+logo&utm_content=topnav+zenni+logo&utm_campaign=20141203+WproJ+Cyber+Monday+Ext+Remail

The sun glasses are polarized, but if you go through the order process for regular glasses, there's an option for tint. Pick 80% & you get non-polarized sunglasses.

FWIW,

Charlie

Good tip. I've used Zenni for a couple years now for my clear prescription glasses. I am overdue for new sunglasses. Time to try this out.
 
I fly with Maui Jims. The polarization orientation doesn't interfere at all with my edits screens, and there is zero rainbow effect through the canopy. Heated windshields are another story....
 
Stormy,

The best I have used so far come from av-sun.com. The gradient tint plus the "reader" bifocal insert is an excellent combination.
 
Stormy,

The best I have used so far come from av-sun.com. The gradient tint plus the "reader" bifocal insert is an excellent combination.

Forgot to mention: Zenni will do gradient tint, too. My rimless gradient tinted progressive bifocals cost <$100. (Typically $350-$450 locally.)
 
Vedalo fan

+1 for the Argento2 by Vedalo.

They fit under a headset far better than anything else I've tried, which helps comfort and ANR performance. The non polarized lenses handle glare really well, and they're not so tinted that they can't be used on a moderately hazy day or as evening approaches.
 
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