Aviator Sunglasses

In 1937 the US Army Air Corps commissioned Bausch & Lomb to create sunglasses for pilots. The first model was introduced under the trade name “Ray-Ban® Pilot’s Glasses.” The green glasses absorbed light from the yellow range of the color spectrum – sunlight – thus the name Ray Ban. Ray-Ban® Aviator™ sunglasses encompass the shape that started it all.

During the Second World War the demand for glasses and sunglasses was so great that the U.S. Government contracted with a number of companies to provide eye wear for the military, and the shape of the lenses for sunglasses began to change into the larger, more rectangular shape we see pilots wearing today.

Aviator Sunglasses today fit into one of two categories: a fashion statement or exceptional eye protection.

In 1958 the Flight Goggle 58 was commissioned for pilots taking the new shape providing greater coverage of the eye and eye socket of pilots. On the left side of the page you can see what this newer shape looks like.

When it comes to fashion, some people prefer the original tear drop shaped aviator sunglass lenses, but today’s military and civilian pilots prefer the newer lens shape of current aviator sunglasses.

Today many people choose sunglasses based upon price and look, but will find that over time a cheap pair of sunglasses was a bad choice. Research has shown that the sun’s ultraviolet rays can cause injury to or disease in our eyes.

This makes choosing a pair of aviator sunglasses a very important one not to be taken lightly. As a pilot I have purchased a lot of different aviator sunglasses over the years, and of the many brands and styles worn I believe I have uncovered the best choices in aviator sunglasses on the market today, and what follows are my recommendations to you.

Which Aviator Sunglass Lenses Are Best?

With so many choices of lens tints the question arises as to which tint is best. Here is some information that may help:

Grey	Natural Grey mineral glass lenses offer absolute true color reception. Colors come through naturally resulting in hours of wearing comfort. Light reaches your eye with the same color composition it had before passing through the lens.When purchasing aviator sunglasses be sure and find out how well they block UVA, UVB, UVC and “blue light” rays from the sun. A good pair of aviator sunglasses will block 98-100% of these rays, and allow 12 to 18% of visible light to pass through – the ideal comfort level for most wearers.
AGX (Green)	The AGX, or slight green tint, lenses selectively filters the color spectrum to make the color transmittance curve of the lens closely resemble the curvature of the eye. In other words, the eye’s focusing system is largely keyed to the green wavelengths of the light spectrum.By adding a slight green tint to the sunglass lens your vision will remain sharp longer, your eye fatigue is eliminated and color contrast is improved. This makes this lens tint excellent for driving, flying and bright glare reduction.
Tan	Lenses with a tan tint work exceptionally well for anyone needing eye protection of cloudy, hazy or overcast days. This tint will cut off scattered blue light having the effect of increasing contrast and visual acuity.This lens performs very well in low light, haze, fog and overcast conditons making them a great choice for pilots, skiers and anyone else needing improved visual acuity. An extra pair of sunglasses with tan lenses makes a great companion to a pair with either grey or green lenses as drivers, pilots and anyone who is outdoors a lot can cope with lighting changes.
Flash Mirror	A flash mirror coating on a grey or green lens helps with glare reduction but is mainly for a serious fashion statement.While adding to the cost of the aviator sunglasses they don’t offer much in improvement in visual acuity or uv protection, but do create a more interesting fashion statement.

Polarized Or Non-Polarized?

It has long been argued that polarized aviator sunglasses provide the best eye protection for drivers, pilots and outdoors men; however, with the rapid introduction of small devices with liquid crystal displays (LCDs) a problem has arisen where aviator sunglasses with polarized lenses cause distortion of the LCD displays making information difficult if not impossible to read.

This is particularly a problem for cars with heads up displays, LCD instrumentation panels and for pilots flying aircraft with multiple LCD displays for critical flight data.

As a result non-polarized aviator sunglass lenses have become more popular, and unless the wearer is spending a great deal of their time at the beach, on the water or skiing non-polarized aviator sunglass lenses remain the best choice.

Aviator Sunglass Frames And Temples

Many cheap sunglasses are made using plastic or polycarbonate which can be adversely affected by heat and temperature. While attractive and lightweight they can soon become faded, cracks can develop and they can be misshapen by direct sunlight.

Personally I prefer metal frames and temples because they provide a more stable platform to hold the aviator sunglass lenses and are not subject to being misshapen by heat and temperature. However, some metal sunglass frames don’t come with a clear corrosion coating and can begin to deteriorate over time showing wear and tear and crazing.

When purchasing aviator sunglasses make sure that the metal frames and temples are made from 18% nickel silver metal, that the frames and temples are hand polished prior to the coloration process, and that the finishes are topped off with a corrosion resistant clear coat for maximum production.

3 Excellent Aviator Sunglasses To Consider

With so many choices of aviator sunglasses you are left with wondering what are the best choices for your precious dollars. I will attempt to answer that question by recommending the following models of aviator sunglasses:

• Randolph Aviator Sunglasses – These are my first choice because they are Made in America, built to last and your ability to build them the way you want them. You can choose frame size, color, temples, lenses and whether to get them non-polarized or polarized.
• Serengeti Aviators – Serengeti Aviator sunglasses come with driver gradient lenses and skull temples. Limited in choices, but excellent quality and a very cool, fashionable look.
• American Optical Original Pilot Sunglasses – AO Eyewear Original Pilot sunglasses are the least expensive, mainly because the frames and lenses are made overseas and are somewhat thinner and smaller than comparable frames and temples from Randolph Engineering.

Whatever your choice make sure your decision is based upon quality not price!

Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!

JetAviator7+

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