High-Efficient Aviators Prescription Sunglasses for Better Flying Experience

Though they may seem like mere accessories that make pilots look as cool as Maverick in that all-time favorite flying film, sunglasses are very important protective devices for aviators. They can provide protection for pilots that can help them to perform better even under the most extreme of lighting conditions. Sunglasses can provide such benefits to aviators as reducing visual fatigue from prolonged exposure to sunlight or because of dramatically changing lighting conditions. Studies have shown that reduced night vision can result from continued exposure to intensive glare. Sunglasses are a pilot’s best friend when it comes to protecting the most valuable asset of those who fly the skies – their eyes. Over all, the right pair of prescription pilot sunglasses can greatly reduce the possibility of pilot error and save so much in terms of money and health.

Recent regulations on the use of prescription pilot sunglasses by all types of aviators has brought to light the need for a new type of technology as an alternative to the polarized lenses that have been in use for over fifty years. The Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, has banned the use of polarized lenses by pilots. This is because they have been found to be more of a hazard in modern flight than they are a help. Though these anti-glare pilot sunglasses served well for the fifty-some years since their conception, studies on them suggest that they actually cause visibility problems that make them more dangerous in comparison to the benefits that they can bestow. These lenses produce distortions on reflective surfaces like glass, screens, water and various metallic surfaces. The difficulty that they cause in reading certain types of instruments like LCD screens, which are common in today’s cockpits, poses a risk factor too great to compensate for the benefits of these outdated lenses. Polarized lenses do eliminate reflected glare from flat surfaces, but the reduced retinal image resulting from the effect of looking through a laminated aircraft windscreen while wearing polarized lenses can cause distortion enough to make the seen image indistinguishable. If even for just a moment, this can be very dangerous.

It is very important for pilots to be aware of the available anti-glare pilot sunglasses on the market, especially those that are allowed by the FAA. Aviators should also be conscious of the types of lenses that can diminish their visual performance in specific flight environments, thereby increasing the likelihood of having an accident. We have put together the following valuable information on aviator sunglasses that we hope will guide pilots in their choice of aviation eyewear:

• Light Transmittance Factors – At least a 15% light transmittance rating is necessary for sunglass lenses to have effective visual acuity in terms of target resolution and detection of objects of medium to low contrast in particular.

• Photochronic Lenses – First, aircraft glass composed of polycarbonate matter might obstruct the UV light that triggers the darkening of these lenses; thus, the protective quality of the lenses is reduced. Second, the time needed for the change from dark-to-light or vice-versa is too long, making the change not only ineffective but dangerous in cases where lighting conditions can change dramatically in an instant (e.g. flying into shadows or into cloud formations)

• Color Discrimination – dark lenses may make it difficult for aviators to distinguish between darker shades of color. Lenses with low light transmittance percentages are also not recommended for the same reason. The same lenses with color-blocking aspects will render a mildly dichromatic (color-deficient) aviator unable to distinguish color signals.

• Low Light Levels – It is generally recommended that sunglasses not be worn in low-light conditions or at night. Even non-photochromic lenses that lighten to 10% reduce vision.

n response to the need for better technology anti-glare pilot sunglasses for aviators everywhere, Extreme Glare Sunglasses is proud to present Swiss technology Zurich anti-glare pilot sunglasses. Extreme Glare Sunglasses have all of the benefits of polarized lenses plus more, and none of their negative points.

A Bit of Anti-Glare Pilot Sunglasses History – Original Pilot Sunglasses

Pilot sunglasses were first produced for the US military in 1958. These were designed for the military to answer their specific eyewear needs. Military pilots required a great level of protection for their eyes, which are considered one of their greatest asses. Indeed, if a person who did not have perfect 20-20 vision could not hope to be accepted in the military as a pilot, those few who could have a chance to fly for the red white and blue needed to be well cared for. Their eyes are their greatest assets in the cockpit, so these were considered the top priorities.

These aviators also needed eyewear that would perform over and above any other ordinary eyewear available at the time. Because of the special conditions under which these pilots would serve, the eyewear they wore would need to be special, too. Their particular circumstances vary greatly, so the military called for eyewear that would be able to perform perfectly well under any and all of the possible conditions that pilots would face in the field. It was essential to have this because these pilots would not have much time or opportunity to make changes according to shifting circumstances.

Comfort was another of the top considerations. This may not seem like a factor to prioritize because of the nature of military work – tough conditions are expected and tough luck if you can’t handle it – but in the particular case of pilots, comfort means more than it would usually count for. The precision required of pilots in flight means life or death in many instances. If a plane is transporting medical supplies to an isolated company under fire, the precious cargo is gold to those suffering on the ground. If the plane is carrying relief troops protecting a key bridge against an entire platoon, the slightest error could mean the beginning of the end of a war that can no longer be won. Life or death is in the hands of the pilot for all those on board as well as all those on the ground who rely on the plane’s cargo and purpose. Under fire, timing is always of the essence. Moreover, the stresses of flight are enough to put any aviator on edge, so these heroes need all the help they can get. The fit of a pair of anti-glare pilot sunglasses ensures that they do not fall off, causing the pilot momentary blindness because of the sudden adjustment the eyes need to make. Close-fitting anti-glare pilot sunglasses guarantee that beams of light and dirt cannot find their way into the pilot’s eyes, causing distortions in vision that can result in grave miscalculations. Comfort is not a sissy request in the case of pilots but a necessity to ensure that the eyewear that is supposed to help them perform better does not become the liability that causes the mission – and consequentially all related efforts – to fail.

Absolutely, military prescription pilot sunglasses needed to provide maximum protection, optimum optical performance and reasonable comfort. For fifty years since, companies have been making efforts in the areas of research and development, technology, design and manufacturing. They have been trying their best to improve upon these original anti-glare pilot sunglasses created for the military in these many aspects to continually come up with newer and better eyewear for aviators. The amount of protection, the level of performance and the degree of comfort required by the US military became the industry standard for anti-glare pilot sunglasses in 1958 and has remained so until today. This is because US military pilots have flown all over under every conceivable visibility condition, making them experts on aviator eyewear needs. Pilots of all sorts from all walks of life can therefore benefit from the wealth of experience that comes with over fifty years of design and innovation in prescription pilot sunglasses.