Pilot Products: Throwing shade
A look at new sunglasses
Skysight tri-tinted sunglasses
Flying with sunglasses can sometimes be frustrating. You look outside and it’s blindingly bright. You look inside and everything looks black. Ray Hobbs thinks he’s found the answer with his Skysight tri-tinted sunglasses. The Skysights are custom made to fit in any frame, and each pair features three distinct tints. The largest portion of the glasses is as you would expect in a normal pair. But inset in the bottom are two lighter tints for looking inside the cockpit.
Hobbs says the middle, light tint is for the instrument panel and the slightly darker, bottom tint is for looking down at charts, manuals, and so on. Yes, it’s a completely wacky idea, and they do look a bit funny. But if you’re constantly annoyed by having to balance the need to look outside the cockpit and at the panel, Skysight could be an option. Although the deliniations between the tints looks like they could be distracting, we found them to be natural, and only took a few minutes to get used to it. Hobbs can make custom tints for your needs.
Price: $75 and up
Contact: www.skysight.com
IVI Vision
Who says you can’t have fashionable sunglasses that work great with a headset as well? IVI Vision produces a number of unique and modern styles of glasses, each with lenses from Carl Zeiss Vision. Pilot Patrick Moriarty runs the company, and has thrown in a few pairs geared specifically for the cockpit.
If you love the classic Wayfarer style, check out IVI’s Deano model. With a thin stem at the midpoint where a headset seals, the Deano is a great compromise between style and comfort. We found they fit smaller faces well.
Blake is IVI’s spin on aviators, featuring the same thin stem at the seal point. These and other models come in a variety of frame and lens colors. They are light, comfortable, and look great.
None of IVI’s models could be called cheap, but with high quality lenses and thoughtful design, it's easy to support a fellow pilot and look great while doing it.
Price: Varies. Deano is $260 to $280; Blake is $220 to $280
Contact: www.ivivision.com
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