sunglasses - polarized or not?

[ben]

No, I don't want a pair of aviators...

I like to buy things that will last a long time. So if I'm going to spend some money on a nice pair of sunglasses, I want them to be able to work when I get to the fleet. In general, I prefer having polarized lenses to cut glare. Will this make it hard to see any cockpit instrumets? HUD or MFD's? What's the best thing to do? Thanks.

 

[navyfan]

I'm no expert, but when my son and I were taking flying lessons and asked that question of our CFIs, they both said "absolutely do not buy polarized." There were several reasons, and I can't remember all of them, but I think polarized qlasses make it very hard to see other aircraft. Pro pilots will offer you much more accuarate advice, but that comes from CFIs.

 

[Steve Wilkins]

A CFI is a professional pilot. I would have to agree with what they said about seeing other aircraft. Polarized sunglasses can make it hard to see other aircraft.

 

[navyfan]

Sorry, used wrong expression. By pro pilot I meant to say an airline or military pilot. No disrespect intended.

 

[nittany03]

Ben, you might be on the right track. I've heard that a lot of cockpit displays are polarized to cut down on glare. (Radios, MFDs, etc.) Thus, if your sunglasses are polarized in a different plane they'll block the light from the displays. So basically all that important info you need will turn into a bunch of blanks. But I've never flown with polarized glasses, so I can't verify if that's really true.

 

[squeeze]

ya'll do realize the shields on your helmets they ISSUE you are polarized, RIGHT?

Yes, if two polarized lenses are held at different angles or polarized differently, they can rainbow or black out all together (usually only if the lenses are turned perpindicular to the normal viewing angle - they take that stuff into account when making them), but it's not really a problem in the 34, as the only screen that can be a PITA to see with tinted lenses is the VHF radio. I wear polarized sunglasses all the time....just not under my helmet if I can avoid it, as the combined polarization leaves a funky rainbow look to a lot of surfaces reflecting light (including the canopy).

 

[ben]

I get the rainbow effect when I look at tinted windows in cars, so I know what you mean. And no, I didn't know that the shields were polarized. Do people commonly wear sunglasses under helmets or do most just rely on the shield to make seeing easier? Are the helmets in training the same as the fleet - same shields and such?

Rookies have lots of questions...

 

[nittany03]

Hmm. Didn't know helmet visors were polarized, but then again I haven't been issued a helmet yet. Learn something new everyday.

 

[webmaster]

Helmet? Do you mean a ballcap? Visor? Do you mean the plastic glare shield I can stick up in the windscreen?

I'm all confused.... :icon_tong

 

[NeoCortex]

I'm a Private Pilot, and I had a pair of Polarized sun glasses. I took them back!! I could not read any of the Comm stack in the plane. I bought a pair of Oakley A-wires 2.0 and I love them, Fly with them all the time.