There’s no doubt that being a pilot is one of
the most exciting and coolest jobs around, as you get to travel the globe, as
well as taking in some of the world's most interesting cities, cultures and
customs. Just like with any profession though, there are some everyday
occupational hazards and in this case, one of them is eye damage from the sun.
The good news is that it’s easily overcome
with some good quality sky sunglasses.
In this blog, we’ll be going through the full variety
of attractive styles that are available. Eye-protection is vital, but you’ve
got to look good too, right? Before we do that though, let’s take a look at
this particular occupational hazard in closer detail to highlight the unique
needs pilots have when it comes to eyewear.
A Singularly Unique Line
of Work
The reason why specialist eye protection is
required by airline pilots is because the light conditions experienced as part
of their unique line of work can be extremely harsh. Flying over the clouds,
the UV rays and strength of sunlight is such that specialist eyewear is needed
and it’s not all about blocking out the sun.
Sky sunglasses are designed to meet the
important need pilots have to see their instrument panel clearly. Though a
standard pair of sunglasses would shield your eyes and protect you from UV rays,
polarization can distort the instrument panel and the windscreen. In addition, their
excessive tinting would make it almost impossible to see fine detail—hence the
need for something specially tailored to pilots’ needs.
The importance of adequate protection in these
kinds of light conditions is paramount, because the requirement for eye comfort
is high, and also because long-term exposure can lead to serious eye problems
like cataracts, macular degeneration and photo keratitis.
Method Seven VLT Options
For Sky Sunglasses
Before we get into the styles available, we’ll
first look at the different visible light transmission (VLT) options available for
Method Seven pilot sunglasses. The VLT rating is something that determines how
much visible light makes it through the lens.
-
24-30% (Lightest) Some
cockpits are darker than others and some pilots need more light, so our FLT24
and SKY30 lenses are the lightest tinted sky sunglasses available, offering
between 24-30% of visible light transmission. These particular lenses are light
enough to be kept on all day for maximum convenience.
-
18% (Medium) For
mixed light conditions, we have the next step down in VLT, with our FLT18 and
SKY18 lenses allowing 18% of VLT
-
9% (Darkest) The darkest
of our pilot sunglasses, our SKY9 lenses are designed for use in very exposed
cockpits.
Even the darkest of the Method Seven Sky
sunglasses will still provide supreme clarity, allowing you to see your instrument
panel in super-sharp detail, regardless of the prevailing light conditions.
Now, let’s look at the available styles.
The Patriot Series
Specially created for the Patriots Jet Team,
our aptly-named Patriot series of sky sunglasses have a wrap-around design that
offers superlative peripheral vision. Hand-tooled, created from super-tough
titanium alloy and paying homage to the classic aviator look, Patriot
sunglasses offer complete protection, as well as supreme contrast, color and
clarity.
This Patriot series is lightweight, flexible
and strong, in addition to being flight helmet-compatible and able to conform
seamlessly to the contours of your face. It’s an excellent choice for
high-action pilots and one of our most popular stealth performance frames.
The Altitude Series
The next of the Method Seven sky sunglasses
styles is the Altitude series that features a state-of-the-art combination of a
titanium alloy wrap-around frame and injected plastics and are specifically
designed to be worn with headsets. In terms of visual performance there is no
better choice, with the mineral glass lenses they contain representing the
absolute pinnacle of clarity and contrast.
What makes this possible? Well, the lenses are
created from high-grade German glass that contain rare-earth neodymium bonded
within its crystalline lens. They come in a range of 13 proprietary coatings
that are able to block out all UV rays and infrared heat, while simultaneously
offering crystal clear vision and color perception.
The Ascent Series
Next we have the Method Seven Ascent Series of
sky sunglasses that pays tribute to the classic aviator style, while at the
same time featuring a super-modern titanium alloy frame. Again, designed
perfectly for use with pilot headsets and flight helmets, they even have
rubberized nose pads for extra comfort when in the cockpit for long hours.
These highly flexible, strong, yet light
frames have titanium alloy temple pieces that taper down to a thickness of less
than 1 mm. As always with our sky eyewear, the Ascent series features the same
cutting-edge lens technology for exceptional clarity and eye comfort.
The Aviatrix Series
The last of our sky sunglasses designs is the
Aviatrix series, which are created with Japanese titanium and are designed to
meet the needs of female pilots. Featuring tangle-free nose pads, these pilot
sunglasses offer a classically stylish look, plus they’re super-comfortable,
even when worn with flight helmets and noise-cancelling headsets.
A matte gold finish adds to their unmistakable
allure, and the nose pads provide a customized fit by conforming to the shape
of your face for all day comfort. They’re simply the best aviator glasses on
the market for women pilots!
Protection, Comfort &
Style!
The most important thing here is the eye
protection and clarity that Method Seven sky sunglasses offer, however, they
also make you look great at the same time! With choices available for all kinds
of users from acrobatic flyers to commercial airline pilots, there’s absolutely
no reason why you should have to suffer with poor visibility, discomfort, or
inadequate protection.
If you would like to learn more about the
industry-leading eyewear products we offer for pilots around the world, simply
head over to the Method Seven shop where you’ll find everything you need to
know.
