Sunglasses question

romank

New Member
I know there is a thread about sunglasses here, but rather than discussing what brand or what model is better (like in the old thread) I have a couple of general questions.

First, which tint will make it easier to spot another airplane? Brown, grey, G15(grey-green), the same?

What is a better tint overall?

Also, is it true that in order to the glasses to fit well under the head phones they should have a wire frame? Generally, wrap around glasses with thicker plastic frame fit me better. (I will only be starting taking lessons, so I have no way of knowing how it will fit under the headphones. :) )

Thanks in advance!

BTW, I already know that I should not buy polarized or photochromic lances.
 
I always flew with cheap CVS sunglasses. Worked fine. Don't have anything to compare them too though.

As far as the frames...they dont have to be teeny tiny thin little frames, just not bulgy.
 
Wire frame is definitely better, at least in my opinion. The plastic frame gave me a headache, no complaints with a wire frame.
 
I've got some sunglasses that have a thicker frame, with no ear-wrap-around piece (ie. straight, Oakley style). Instead of wearing them under the headset, though, I just prop the ear pieces of top of the headset ears. It looks kinda funky, but they're comfortable and still do their job. I don't know how I managed to fly for 6 years without 'em.
 
I started my training wearing oakley A-wires, they fit okay under the headset but started feeling uncomfortable on long trips, and let more ambient sound in. I currently wear maui jim flex wire frames, and they are waaaay more comfortable under the headset, no complaints even on long hauls. Also the maui jims have high contrast lenses and I have been able to see noticably clearer. They also offer better contrast when looking out in the sky for things like airplanes and birds. My reccomendation: bring a headset to the store with you and try some on, see how they feel and buy something good. I am pretty picky as far as sunglasses go though.
 
Its doesn't matter. Wear what you want, just make sure they're comfortable to you. If you find that it interferes with your headset and its too loud, pop in some earplugs.
 
I wear comfort aloft headsets, so I don't have to worry about the sunglasses letting in ambient noise or how thick the frames are.
 
As one ages....
I have my old USAF greys.. good but heavy.
Raybans with grey lenses.. good.
Two Serengetis with brown and grey-green.
The best is the brown from my experience, especially late afternoon or in haze.
 
I hear that the brown tint Serengetis are the best for spotting aircraft. They also work great in haze, and work great for spotting haze domes on a cloudless day to use when flying a glider. =]
 
As to the shade/tint, used to fly with a pair of oakleys with a brown tint, and simply couldn't stand how things looked through them. I've always preferred a blackish tint, but not so dark that you feel like you're flying with a limo on your face. Currently fly with some black, non-polarised Ray Bans with no complaints what so ever. Then again you don't have to go for a name brand. Flew with some $10 Wal Mart sunglasses for a while. Hey, they did the job! :)

YP
 
Wire frame is definitely better, at least in my opinion. The plastic frame gave me a headache, no complaints with a wire frame.

:yeahthat:

tried flying with some non wire frames, killer killer headache.

tried flying with some wire frames, killer killer awesome flight.
 
Instead of wearing them under the headset, though, I just prop the ear pieces of top of the headset ears. It looks kinda funky, but they're comfortable and still do their job. I don't know how I managed to fly for 6 years without 'em.
Ha ha! I thought I was the only one who did that!

For me, I just buy $5 Wal-Mart aviators, grey-black tint. They seem to do the trick just fine. Not wire framed, but if you're using the aforementioned method, it won't matter anyway. ;)
 
BTW, I already know that I should not buy polarized or photochromic lances.

i fly with polarized lenses. its only an issue if normal viewing angles cause you to be unable to see your lcd screens, and possibly with certain windshields. photochromatic are no good because your window will block UV so they wont know its sunny and wont tint.
 
Thanks alot for the replies guys!

Does anyone have any experince with G15 tint? How good is it in comparison to grey or brown, in terms of spotting other aircraft?
 
I went from wearing spy to Oliver Peoples. Big time difference. They're polarized and have a brown tint....these are the ones. Best pair of sunglasses I've ever worn.
21-C2oWIo1L._AA280_.jpg
 
+1 for the cheap walmart aviators. I gave up on nice sunglasses after the airplane ran over my Raybans.
 
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