So it happened Went to get the old 2nd class medical the other day, there it is clear as day "corrective lenses must be worn." That was a big proverbial kick to the groin. I'm only 32 for crying out loud. I thought I had a few more years. Two years ago I was 20/20 and 20/15. No such luck this year.

Anyway went and shelled out some dough for glasses. Hoping I made the right choice getting all the bells and whistles, and hoping for some discussion on what everyone with glasses thinks.
So my old flight instructor wore polarized glasses when he flew, and I’m not sure why. According to a book I have “Health Pilots” written by a AME, polarized sunglass are not the best option for flying, because they can mess with you depth perception.
So what did I go with? I decided on transitions lenses because I don’t want to have to bring a pair of sunglass too if I can avoid it. I thought the best option would be normal transition glasses, because they go completely clear in low light situations, as opposed to active transition with will still maintain a bit of shade even in lowlight situations. Anti glare, I figured that would important, when approaching a runway for landing to keep the glare of the lights minimized and cockpit lights as well.
How about the rest of you? Do you keep two pairs of glasses, or is you thinking the same and do you try to get an all in one feature. What about polarization?

Polarizers aren't bad in all plexiglass environments, but they will screw with your iPad etc. I take it you can't get your prescription in contact lenses?

I have found that the anti-glare screen protectors I use on my tablets make them fully readable with polarized sunglasses.

Well I've been wearing glasses since I was your age, I'm 56 now. The Transition lens work well outside, but when you are behind glass (like in your car), and I'm not sure I think plexiglass, they won't darken. So I carry a pair of blue blockers that I wear over my prescription glasses, not very fashionable but that's never been much of a concern to me. Oh and it gets worse I'm afraid about 10 years ago I had to get bifocal glasses, you know your getting older when that happens.

Good luck,

180jocky

There is a new 'coating' that transmits more light through the glasses, and makes them more scratch resistant, more than the regular 'scratch-resistant coating' that you pay for....I REALLY like mine...not all places carry it. CRIZAL look it up. Fog, water drop, and scratch resistant.

Been wearing glasses since college (bleeping 20/25 on Naval aviation physical and did not get to fly the fun stuff) after I could not hold things far enough away to read I went with progressive lenses, BUT the lateral view is always a bit blurred.

Went back to old and heavy glass bifocals with photogray lenses for flying. Had prescription set so I could read chart and instruments w/ bifocal and distance out the top. Everything is in focus with just moving eyes.

I occasionally fly w/ progressives but it feels like I am in a tunnel, especially on short final in the back country.

Transition or photograys do not fully change behind plexiglass.

I cannot tolerate contacts, but they probably are a good answer with sunglasses in the sunshine, but being in Seattle that is seldom an issue.

TD

I've been wearing glasses for a good 16 years as well. Now at the ripe "old" age of 26, the eyes aren't getting any better. Good enough for my class 5 druvers license, but due to class 1 and my ppl, gotta wear them to fly and drive. I have a good pair with the cryzal lenses, and after a year, they are scratching, but should be on warranty still. I can't stand contacts, my eyes get sore as soon as I put then in until I take them out. And if one ever fell out while I was flying, I'd have a hell of a time finding it and puttung it back in.
I have a good and EXPENSIVE pair of maui jims polarized perscription sunglasses as well and I love wearing them for flying. My garmin is readable with it, but it is hard to see my comm straight on. A little bit of an angle and its fine though. My eyes are sensitive to light so sunglasses are important for me.

David

Once I needed some distance sharpening in addition to reading I had to give up on the Walgreens 1.75 power $19.95 pair. I opted for all the bells and whistles as well. Went with progressive transitions cryzal lenses. Took about two weeks for my eyes and head to get used to them.

With a little history under my belt I went back and got the largest aviator frames I could find, had the progressive area moved to the very bottom and the transition part lightened substantially (a little too light actually). I have been thrilled with these. I no longer see frames in my peripheral vision, and with the progressive portion so far down the glass I get no distortion around the edges. The closest thing to not wearing glasses while wearing them I'm thinking.

Since I fly fish I wanted polarized as well, but no such combination existed. Two years later (2012) with new prescription in hand I went back to the same shop and found that one company now makes polarized progressive transition lenses, Rudy Project.

With just a week before my next fishing trip I ordered a pair. They came in with powers slightly off, and progressions not matching. The shop redid my prescription and reordered glasses at no charge, but not in time for the trip, so I took the screwed up ones with me.

They worked well enough for the trip to be a success, including a six pound rainbow, my biggest ever on a fly. But I fell a number of times because I couldn't accurately tell how deep the bottom was.

I now have the replacement Rudy's and everything is correct although I haven't had a chance to fish with them yet. I don't fly with them, still preferring my aviators.

Lots of the new-fangled stuff I fly with screens doesn't care for polarized, for those I have old Revo (all the new Revo are polarized), and Serengeti, together with Walgreen's cheapo reading glasses. For the fun stuff I'm using Maui Jim Hookipa, that have the reader lens in 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 mag. Landing blind in a taildragger is gonna test your peripheral, so careful with those bifocals/progressives.

One of my flying buddies was an eye surgeon and told me I couldn't spend enough on good sunglasses. Sun off the water was the worst, and he told me without sunglasses I'd end up with cataracts at 60. And he wouldn't be able to fix them because he'd be retired, which would be too bad because he was the best (most surgeons lack modesty).

You're allowed to own more than one pair of sunglasses. I resisted the Maui Jim Spider-Man limited issue with help (ridicule) from my wife.

I have only been forced into glasses in 'life' in very recent years (as opposed to work-where I have worn magnification for a couple decades) . Before this I had to have corrective lenses available (required) when I flew for maps/instruments. I guess I was fortunate to have been able to put it (full time glasses) off as long as I have (I'm now 63).
I currently have a pair of larger progressives for everyday and flying, and the exact same glasses, frame, & prescription in sunglasses when I need/want them. It took me a while for my eyes/brain to adapt to them, and I don't want my sunglasses to be slightly different correction in slightly different areas of the glasses if the lens shape/size is different from my 'normal'. Maybe not necessary, but I don't mind trying to not 'set myself up for problems of distortion/perception when flying.

lc

20/400 or worse since I was seven. Contacts when I was 16, never looked back. Ray Ban G-15 tinted lens for sunglasses in any number of styles. I carry my prescription specs in my flight bag as back up, but have never had to pull them out. They have transition lenses in them...I won't spend the money for them again.

I have a 93 yr old friend,still passes the driving test with NO corrective lenses. Deaf as a post though.

I've worn sun glasses and safety glasses my whole life.

So at 48 I needed reading glasses. Over the next few years I broke, sat on, lost so many pairs of cheap readers I finally made the choice to go with real glasses. I am glad I did. When they are on my face I don't loose, break, or sit on them.

I ware progressive transitions. Not polarized. Very happy with them. My new pair are in Ray Ban frames. I like the transition lens, if I forget sunglasses, no worries.

Cheers

I've had to wear glasses since college, with each eye being substantially different, so that's about 50 years now. At age 36, I tried soft contacts for a year, but I began to need readers, and it made no sense to wear both contacts and glasses. So I got bifocals and ditched the contacts, but only a couple years later, I needed trifocals. I also tried progressives for about a year, when I first needed the trikes. But the prescription part is like an inverted figure-8, with the sides not any prescription at all. That means moving the head a lot instead of being able to move the eyes. So I ditched them and ordered a set of trikes. I've had trikes ever since.

Right now, I have 3 pairs, my normal everyday pair with the middle segment set for the computer distance at the office, my very dark gray sunglasses which are aviator-style large frames with really thin bows to accommodate the headset, and a pair with clear lenses that I leave in the airplane for night flying, similar frames and bows as my sunglasses. When I was regularly flying a Mooney, I was careful to have the middle segment set so that I could focus easily on the panel, but Cessna and Piper panels are far enough away that the standard middle segment as halfway between the upper and lower segments works fine. Yeah, having 3 sets is expensive, but I have just one pair of eyes, and I want to protect them.

Polarized are no-nos for flying, not only because of screens on GPSs and such, but also because there is natural indiscriminate polarizing of the windshield during manufacture, so that the polarization of sunglasses combined with the random polarization of the windshield leads to blind spots. The insidious part of that is that you really can't see what you can't see--it's not like there are black spots you can look around.

Wearing glasses isn't all that bad--it's a whole lot better than not seeing!

Cary