Backcountry Pilot • Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

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Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

Anyone have feedback on whats available in pilot sunglass options that permit a good seal under a headset? The shades I've been using allow a fair amount of noise into the headset and in an 8 hour flight is pretty tiring. I've been tilting the ear pieces above the headset to accommodate but it becomes uncomfortable on the nose bridge. Since I have exposed myself to a lot of loud machinery over the years I really need to try and salvage the hearing I have left.
DeltaRomeo offline
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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

I’ve been wearing Serengeti Aviators for thirty or so years, and thousands of hours. My favorite headsets are Zulus, but I’ve worn Serengeti’s with several flavors of headset, and never had a problem. Bear in mind that since Zulus are ANR, almost any noise leakage really sets them off, and that just never happens with these glasses.

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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

Maui Jim FRIGATE or KA'ANAPALI...thinnest ear pieces made and the only sunglasses I can wear under headsets for any length of time...polarized too, which I think is a must.

Maui Jim also makes readers, though not in those styles.

Bring your wallet...
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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

I just got some Ravision shades from aircraft spruce, and an happy with them so far, but the longest flight I've taken is only an hour. Hard to imagine a thinner arm though:
http://m.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pspages/ra.php?clickkey=3450439
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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

One thing to bear in mind, everyone’s head is different shape, so, what works for one may or may not work for others. Best bet is to beg, borrow or steal some glasses and try them out with YOUR headset.

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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

Safety glasses work great, and the price is right.

https://www.amazon.com/JORESTECH-Eyewea ... asses&th=1
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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

DeltaRomeo offline
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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

Yes absolutely love them. Great support too.

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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

I use Method 7's and they work great with my Bose headset

https://www.methodseven.com/sky/altitude-pilot-sunglasses.html
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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

I've found my Forney cutting goggles with their elastic strap to be the least obstructive to ear cup fit.

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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

I cut my hair close around my ears and tilt my glasses with my Bose A20 and still plenty loud to me. I'm like you and want to keep what little I have left.

Seems I remember an outfit the sold glasses with something like fish line connecting the frame to the the part that goes behind the ear----basically nothing where the seal is.
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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

Zzz wrote:I've found my Forney cutting goggles with their elastic strap to be the least obstructive to ear cup fit.

Image


Nice! Never thought about those. I'll have to see if my Tinman goggles fit similary.
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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

Have an old pair of Silhouette glasses frames that I sent back to them to get sunglasses lens put in. They fit close, good headset seal. Checked out Hammer’s Maui Jim Ka’anapali suggestion and the frames look exactly the same. Have a pair of Maui Jim Hookipa readers - love that reader feature, but the frames arc out preventing a good seal. Still have some old Revo that are still good, Always liked Serengeti, they were good for an extra 1/2 mile viz flying floats low in fog, but their frames were not up to the quality of the lenses.

Took the Maui Jim’s to Kazakhstan one winter flying a glass cockpit AW139 over the frozen Caspian. Hopped in for the first flight and after my second call for the batteries to come on my copilot gently pointed out to me that they were already on, and that the four black screens my polarized sunglasses were looking at were actually brightly lit up. There was even an RFM limitation against polarized lenses. I was screwed, couldn’t look outside at the sunlit white ice without sunglasses, couldn’t read the screens with them. Ended up wearing them upside down on the end of my nose to look under them at the panel, but now the readers were on top.....
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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

I'll give a vote for Vedalo HD's Rosso 2. Awesome lens, even better is the titanium wire frame. Super thin and flexible which means your ear cups will seal and you won't get a headache after having the frame jammed into your temple after a couple of hours. They fit great with helmets also. Can be kinda spendy if you don't shop around so I limit their use to flying activities and not everyday use.

.02

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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

Lucky wrote:I use Method 7's and they work great with my Bose headset

https://www.methodseven.com/sky/altitude-pilot-sunglasses.html


Same here, Method Seven 's you dont feel them, wear your headsets and wont loose any sound quality.
Flat temples and frame, made out of titanium, super lightweight and non polarized, so you can read all the digital displays perfectly.
They are made for pilots.
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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal



Yup, they are great, but not perfect. Things I like:

1. They are so comfortable, and work with anything.
2. I can wear a hat. Any hat.
3. They are quiet and clear. Much better than any headset I've had.

Things I don't like:

1. They aren't super industrial like some DC headsets.
2. The foam tips need to be replaced when they get gross which for me is frequently.
3. The foam tips can't be popped in and out real quick when getting gas, so I usually use a standard headset to taxi.
4. The foam tips don't compress well in 0F.

I'm going to try and address the issues by adapting these earplugs to work:
https://www.amazon.com/Decibullz-Earplu ... B00WIXL46Q

I simply drilled a hole in the plug and inserted the tubes.
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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

Do the tubes have a corkscrew on the end? The CEP tubes I have in my helmet will screw right into Surefire earplugs, I get a better seal with those than the foam ones and I can wear them all day with no discomfort.
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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

CenterHillAg wrote:Do the tubes have a corkscrew on the end? The CEP tubes I have in my helmet will screw right into Surefire earplugs, I get a better seal with those than the foam ones and I can wear them all day with no discomfort.


I do the same at work. Surefire EP3 earplugs.

Waaaaay better than foamies. I just had to replace my first pair after 7 years of use.
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Re: Aviation shades that allow a good headset seal

My sunglass frames are Marchon Flexons. Besides being very thin, the bows are very flexible (they call them Flexon for a reason!), so that the headset easily pushes them to my head, so they seal very well with every headset I have worn. There are other brands with thin, flexible bows, but these are the best I've owned.

My sunglasses are prescription tri-focals, non-polarized, varying from very dark at the top of the lenses through not quite plain, only slightly shaded, at the bottom. I won't wear polarized sunglasses to fly--not only can they block the screens of various devices, but they can interfere with seeing clearly out the windshield.
The FAA has a nice brochure on sunglasses for pilots. You can read the whole thing at https://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pilot ... lasses.pdf. Here's what they say specifically about polarization:
POLARIZATION. Polarized lenses are not recommended for use in the aviation environment. While useful for blocking reflected light from horizontal surfaces such as water or snow, polarization can reduce or eliminate the visibility of instruments that incorporate antiglare filters. Polarized lenses may also interfere with visibility through an aircraft windscreen by enhancing striations in laminated materials and mask the sparkle of light that reflects off shiny surfaces such as another aircraft’s wing or windscreen, which can reduce the time a pilot has to react in a “see-and-avoid” traffic situation.


It helps to have decent ear seals, too. The ear seals on my DC One-X are as good as they come--DC finally got the message, so to speak. The ear seals on my other DC headsets (2 pairs of 10-12.4 and my original DC 10-40) are Oregon Aero, and they are much better than the original DC ear seals and the ear seals of most other brands of headsets.

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