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Article: The Feathered Edge

The Feathered Edge

Who Doesn't Like Air Shows?

 If you check out our About Us page, you will soon discover our love of airplanes and everything aviation.

If you have ever looked up at the sky when you heard an airplane passing overhead, you know what I'm talking about.

Most of us have traveled somewhere on an airliner, and I have no doubt you wondered how these machines work.

And when the local airport brings an airshow to town, everyone rushes to the airport to watch.

What Do Air Shows Have To Do With Sunglasses?

Airshow pilots tend to attract a lot of attention with their death-defying feats of flying skills. The crowd strains their necks to see airplanes fall from the sky, only to recover before impacting the ground! They loop, stream smoke trails, and amaze us with their incredible feats of danger.

In fact, they become our heroes, and many imagine being just like them.

So it makes sense if a company sells aviation-related products, then sponsoring an airshow pilot makes sense, right?

Two of the most famous airshow pilots are Sean D. Tucker and Robert "Bob" Hoover, featured at the top of this post.

Sean D. Tucker

One of them, Sean D. Tucker, is one of the 25 "Living Legends of Flight" named by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

In 1993 Tucker attracted the attention of a new sunglass manufacturing- Randolph Engineering, Inc. - and was chosen to represent them with his 1979 Pitts-S2S biplane named "The Randolph Challenger."

 Sean D Tucker and The Randolph Challenger when he represented Randolph Engineering at airshows from 1993-1995

The aircraft bears little resemblance to the original aircraft as it has been modified over the years to endure the abuse he gives it.

Promoting Randolph Sunglasses made perfect sense for a company manufacturing aviator sunglasses for men.

 Robert "Bob" Hoover

Bob Hoover is another member of the 25 "Living Legends of Flight" named by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

As a WWII fighter pilot, prisoner of war, test pilot, and airshow pilot, Bob Hoover is known as the father of modern aerobatics.

He has been called "the greatest stick and rudder man who ever lived" by none other than Jimmy Doolittle!

His remarkable life story was captured in the 2014 film called "Flying the Feathered Edge," and you can watch this film by clicking on the image below:

 Bob Hoover flying his Aero Commander demonstrating his incredible skills with engines featherd

Randolph Engineering, Inc.

The story of Randolph Engineering, Inc. is the story of the journey of two men who escaped Poland at the start of WWII, flew with the British Air Force, and came to America to create a world-class sunglass manufacturing company.

After attaining their engineering degrees, Jan Waszkiewicz and Stanley Zaleski started their careers in the US with the American Optical Company making AO Original Pilot and AO General sunglasses.

But soon, they decided they could make better sunglass aviators by engineering more robust and attractive aviator frames with a lifetime joint warranty.

Today Randolph Engineering supplies their Military Aviator Sunglasses to US military pilots through the DOD (Department of Defense).

 Stay Safe

It is essential to understand just how vital sunglasses are and are page "Why Do We Need Sunglasses" outlines the reasons.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and will tell your friends about it.

In the meantime, keep your eyes safe and focused on what's ahead of you, Hersch!

 

 Ps: Please share "The Feathered Edge" with your friends on social media!

 

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