A person wearing Method Seven Pilot Patriot FLT18 sunglasses for pilots.

PATRIOT SKY9

Pilot Sunglasses

$275.00

Description plus minus

The world leader in visual performance, SKY mineral glass lenses define the pinnacle of contrast and clarity. The SKY9™ has a VLT of 9%, giving these pilot sunglasses the darkest lenses on the market and suitable for extremely bright conditions.

Lens Technology

A different approach to optics

We believe most sunglasses are too dark, overly polarized, and primarily about fashion. Maybe they make you squint less, but they don't help you see better.
We've accepted the major brands' offerings as their best effort. We wear our shades, everything looks darker, and that's (not) acceptable. Pilots have been using non-polarized lenses for years. Those companies tout the absence of polarizing as a feature, without anything else to offer, accept a bendy frame. In some cases, they are worse than using nothing at all.

Our technology is different.

We learned how to filter light with such precision that we can eliminate a specific wavelength (color/energy). Conversely, we know how to enhance a wavelength, like the specific red warning light in the cockpit of a 373 jet, and make an iPad screen come to life. We call this notch filtering "noise cancelling for your eyes", because our tech is so precise we clean up all the wavelengths you don't need, and give you more of what you do. Its music to the eyes. You see better. You are more relaxed. You keep your glasses on at all times. We help you have the best experience.

SKY Lens Technology plus minus

SKY lenses are Method Seven’s flagship pilot lenses, crafted from premium German glass with advanced notch filtering. These lenses incorporate eleven rare earth elements, including neodymium, molecularly bonded within a crystalline structure. Thirteen proprietary coatings block harmful UV rays and infrared heat, ensuring unparalleled color and clarity. For top-notch performance, nothing beats mineral glass for clarity and scratch resistance, and SKY lenses excel in light filtering tailored specifically for pilots' needs.

Crafted with precision across the globe: cast in Germany, polished in Italy, chemically hardened in China, thin-film coated, and set in titanium frames in Japan. Then, shipped to California for quality control before arriving at your hangar. The most complex and unique lens, exclusively for the complex conditions experienced by pilots.

9% Visible Light Transmission plus minus

VLT measures the average light passing through a lens. The lower the number, the less light gets through (darker). Since it's an average, not all VLT 9 lenses are the same. 9 is so dark it's reserved for glacier goggles. But with M7 notch filtering, our SKY 9 lens lets the light you need for instruments and ipads come through, while extremely darkening the peak energy of the sun. We designed this lens for a commercial pilot who flew west, chasing the sunset, and also needed to look at instruments without taking off his glasses. It worked. Nine is great for super bright conditions, very sensitive eyes or very young eyes. (older eyes need more light; stick with a VLT of 18 or more. Over 65, or working in dark cockpits, try the VLT 30).

Frame Technology

Designed for flexibility, durability, and longevity, Method Seven Pilot eyewear won't break your headset seal, ensuring you never miss a radio call. Timeless style meets endless comfort, without interruption. Developed and tested with real pilots across various professional and general aviation aircraft and cockpit configurations.

The Patriot plus minus

Designed with direct input from the Patriots Jet Team, a civilian formation aerobatic team that includes former Blue Angel and Snowbird pilots, the Patriot was born. When flying L-39 jets in formation, the team needed lightweight eyewear that stays on under high G forces, fits under flight helmets, works with oxygen masks, and provides peripheral protection from light at all angles. Our solution: the Patriot, an aviator engineered for elite performance. Featuring strong, thin, flexible temples compatible with headsets and flight helmets, the Patriot is the pinnacle of aviation eyewear design.

Titanium Frame Technology plus minus

Our titanium frames are hand-tooled by expert craftsmen, ensuring durability for everyday use and flexibility to conform to your head's shape. Titanium is naturally hypoallergenic and resistant to corrosion, making these frames a great investment in essential flight gear that will last for years to come.

Method Seven Pilot

Method Seven scientifically develops eyewear in-house and rigorously tests it in the field. Our mission is to unlock the full potential of the greatest flight instrument of all: the human eye. We are committed to enhancing vision, providing unmatched clarity, and ensuring superior protection for all pilots.

Scott "Intake" Kartvedt

The helmet fits, you don't feel them, there's no hotspots. They're not polarized, so you can look inside and outside, even when we're flying into the sun they block out that glare. I have flown with all other brands of glasses in my 27 years as a Navy pilot, as a civilian aerobatic pilot, and as a commercial airline pilot, these are the best pair of glasses I have ever worn.

Scott Kartvedt is a professional pilot and President of the Blue Angel Foundation. He instructs and evaluates for United Airlines in Denver, Colorado, and is the number 5 pilot for the Patriot Jet Team. He also served as a stunt pilot in "Top Gun: Maverick" and was the aviation safety supervisor for "Mission Impossible 8."

Scott's career includes five combat tours, flying with the Blue Angels, and serving as the Navy’s first commanding officer of the only F-35C Stealth Strike Fighter Squadron. Inspired by "Top Gun," Scott pursued aviation after graduating from Pepperdine University, joining the naval aviator program and flying FA/18 Hornets.

Selected for the Blue Angels in 1999, he performed air shows for three seasons. He led VFA-83, earning multiple awards and flew 91 combat missions during five deployments, amassing over 6,300 flight hours and 658 carrier arrested landings.

Scott became an FA-18 instructor, participated in Iraq's "shock and awe" campaign in 2003, and served as Aide de Camp to the U.S. Northern and Pacific Commands. He commanded an FA-18 squadron with two tours in Afghanistan and later ran the Navy’s F-35 program, leading the first stealth fighter squadron. Though he retired in 2013, he joined the Patriots Jet Team, and continues his airshow and aviation career flying in major films.