The Monthly Dispatch

Information you might find useful!

ARE YOU PROTECTING ONE OF YOUR CRITICAL SENSES?

On a recent flight, I spent most of the time pointed straight into the sun. Even with the aircraft visors down, my eyes were exhausted by the time we shut down. It got me wondering what the FAA recommends for pilot eyewear. So, I did a quick online search and found the FAA actually published a pamphlet called “Sunglasses For Pilots: Beyond The Image”. 

A few takeaways surprised me:

• Sunglasses aren’t just for the “aviator look”—the FAA considers them real safety equipment.

• UV exposure increases approximately 5% for every 1000 feet in altitude. This means pilots can receive much more UV exposure than our non-flying friends and family. Over time this can cause damage your skin and eyes and means we should consider protecting our skin as well as our eyes.

• 100% UV protection is recommended.

• Pilots should protect their eyes not just from sunlight, but also flying debris—think bird strikes, or sudden decompression.

• The variety of colors available in sunglasses is almost infinite. However, the FAA recommends Neutral gray tint (15–30% transmittance) for flying because it distorts color vision the least.

• Avoid polarized lenses—they can interfere with cockpit displays and may also impact visibility through aircraft windscreens. I knew polarized lenses could interfere with the ability to see some avionics, but was not aware it could interfere with the ability to see through some windscreens.

The bottom line is that as pilots, our eyewear deserves more attention than most of us give it.

Please take a minute and download the FAA’s sunglasses guide here:
​https://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pilotsafetybrochures/media/sunglasses.pdf​

Your eyes are mission-critical—how do you protect yours? 

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