"Best" IFR View Limiting Device

CC268

CC268

Final Approach
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CC268
I have read a couple threads on here and other sites (most being a couple years old) about different IFR hoods/goggles. I need to pick up something up myself and have limited it down to a few choices:

1. The Best Hood - this seems to be one of the favorites
2. Vibans - expensive, but comfortable
3. Blockalls - mixed reviews on these
4. Jep Shades

I have tried the typical frosted foggles, not a fan.

Any input, feedback, suggestions is appreciated. I may actually pick up several devices and do a little review of all of them.

Thanks.
 
luvflyin said:
There was one I saw once that was cheap and got great reviews. Made out of cardboard. It folded up flat. Can't remember the name.
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Yep that is "The Best Hood"
 
James331 said:
I find IMC or a simulator works best.
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Well AZ isn't the best at IMC - simulator can be used, but obviously going to do some time under the hood
 
The one that limited my view the most was this binocular looking thing. A pity I can't use it, doesn't fit over my spectacles. You of course can get really cheap ones made of cardboard, I imagine they get the job done.
 
Kinda all the same, I'd just pick the smallest and lightest one
 
CC268 said:
I have read a couple threads on here and other sites (most being a couple years old) about different IFR hoods/goggles. I need to pick up something up myself and have limited it down to a few choices:

1. The Best Hood - this seems to be one of the favorites
2. Vibans - expensive, but comfortable
3. Blockalls - mixed reviews on these
4. Jep Shades

I have tried the typical frosted foggles, not a fan.

Any input, feedback, suggestions is appreciated. I may actually pick up several devices and do a little review of all of them.

Thanks.
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I use The Best Hood. They fit in the pocket of my knee board. The fit over my glasses. They fit over my head set. They're cheap. They work as advertised.

My instructor carried a hard pair ( I don't know what they were), but he only had they when he knew he was going to use them.
 
I found foggles overall much easier to adjust then any hood. They were able to more precisely block the outside view without blocking the instruments.

Tim
 
Foggles light up so much when the sun hits them that I couldn't see the instruments. I took some black contact paper, cut it to match the frosted area on the Foggles and stuck it on the inside. Eliminates the glare.
 
upstateny said:
Foggles light up so much when the sun hits them that I couldn't see the instruments. I took some black contact paper, cut it to match the frosted area on the Foggles and stuck it on the inside. Eliminates the glare.
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The foggles I have are solid white plastic. Got them from ASA in 2010 as part of the IR kit.

Tim
 
I have the Jepp Shades and like them. I am able to easily use them over my glasses.
 
A UND aviation graduate told me that they would fold up an old sectional to make a hood. If you're in college, that probably saves enough money for a week of drinking. I use Foggles but prefer clouds.
 
I took one of those gray hoods with the elastic band, added some extensions to the side, then put clips on it so I could just stick it on the brim of my hat. Works better than anything I've tried (and I've tried just about all of them). The only downside is it looks terrible.
 
Stratus clouds work well. I never really had any issue with foggles. They were more than sufficient for me, it's actually easier with the clouds.
 
Depends on what you mean by "best". Of all the VLDs I've tried, the one that prevents unintentional "cheating" the most effectively is the Francis hood. But if your panel includes a panel mounted GPS or anything outside of the conventional 6-pack, it forces you to move your head to see the rest of the panel, which tends to be vertigo-inducing. The most comfortable one I've used, which I bought and which my DPE was okay with, was the ASA JiffyHood, and it's the one I continue to use. I don't need to move my head to see my GPS, at least not much. But if you're not careful it IS easy to catch glimpses outside the plane.

The best "hood" of all is actual IMC, but depending on where you train it can be hard to come by.
 
upstateny said:
Foggles light up so much when the sun hits them that I couldn't see the instruments. I took some black contact paper, cut it to match the frosted area on the Foggles and stuck it on the inside. Eliminates the glare.
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Simple answer: make your own foggles. Buy cheap hardware store safety glasses. Sit in your plane, put them on and draw the edge of the panel on the glasses with a marker. Tape the outside, and the inside of the lenses under the marker line. Sandblast the rest of the inside. Remove tape and wash them (sand in your eyes is no good).

The store bought foggles have texture on the outside, so if they get scratched, you get blinding flashes. Your homemade ones are textured on the inside, so scratches won't do anything. They are also ~$5 instead of $30.
 
I like the Jepp Shades as well. Flip up is handy and the Velcro strap fits under the headset seals.
 
If you wear eyeglasses, then take a look at Overcasters: http://www.mypilotstore.com/MyPilot...mZgsCEIfdOBRwvDCVXpIOQO3BpWdPdXk3YaAhaj8P8HAQ

They clip on your glasses instead of having a strap that must be positioned under your headset (so you either have to wear the hood starting on the ground or remove your headset and put the hood on in the air). They flip up so you can fly normally while wearing them, and flip down for simulated IMC flight. They are the lightest weight ones I have ever worn.
 
bkspero said:
If you wear eyeglasses, then take a look at Overcasters: http://www.mypilotstore.com/MyPilot...mZgsCEIfdOBRwvDCVXpIOQO3BpWdPdXk3YaAhaj8P8HAQ

They clip on your glasses instead of having a strap that must be positioned under your headset (so you either have to wear the hood starting on the ground or remove your headset and put the hood on in the air). They flip up so you can fly normally while wearing them, and flip down for simulated IMC flight. They are the lightest weight ones I have ever worn.
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I've tried them, and in theory I like them, but the problem I've found is that's there's just no real good way to store them without them getting bent in strange ways - and it's really hard to get them unbent. Plus, if you leave them in your car all the time (like I as a CFI did), they actually warp in the heat.
 
RussR said:
I've tried them, and in theory I like them, but the problem I've found is that's there's just no real good way to store them without them getting bent in strange ways - and it's really hard to get them unbent. Plus, if you leave them in your car all the time (like I as a CFI did), they actually warp in the heat.
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I had the beginning of that problem when I left a pair on the glarescreen. Caught them just as they began to warp. Now I keep them in the glove box of my Tiger and have never had an issue.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Local sim time is more than I pay per hour in my own plane.
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True, but the heart of the question was "what's the best."

Training in a level D sim is the best, but obviously that's not practical or even advisable for the SE GA pilot.
 
What ever happened to the idea of putting a sheet of polarized plastic in front of the windows? The pilot in training wears polarized sunglasses and sees nothing out the window. The instructor/safety pilot has regular sunglasses (or none) and can see through the sheet.

(Yes, I know the plastic has to be properly aligned to work.)
 
azure said:
Depends on what you mean by "best". Of all the VLDs I've tried, the one that prevents unintentional "cheating" the most effectively is the Francis hood. But if your panel includes a panel mounted GPS or anything outside of the conventional 6-pack, it forces you to move your head to see the rest of the panel, which tends to be vertigo-inducing. The most comfortable one I've used, which I bought and which my DPE was okay with, was the ASA JiffyHood, and it's the one I continue to use. I don't need to move my head to see my GPS, at least not much. But if you're not careful it IS easy to catch glimpses outside the plane.

The best "hood" of all is actual IMC, but depending on where you train it can be hard to come by.
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Wow. I used a JiffyHood once, and it felt like a medieval torture device. Never again.
 
mtuomi said:
Wow. I used a JiffyHood once, and it felt like a medieval torture device. Never again.
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Are we talking about the same thing? I'm talking about this. Everyone is different, but I don't see how that thing could cause anyone significant physical discomfort.
The Francis Hood, on the other hand... :(
 
Apparantly there is a plethora of devices today. Back when I got my rating there was a "hood", and foggles were just coming onto the market.

Still, nothing beats an actual cloud or level D sim.
 
azure said:
Are we talking about the same thing? I'm talking about this. Everyone is different, but I don't see how that thing could cause anyone significant physical discomfort.
The Francis Hood, on the other hand... :(
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Yes, that thing is like a vice on my head. I guess I'm big-headed, but that thing digs into your temples and tries to drill through your skull.
 
mtuomi said:
Yes, that thing is like a vice on my head. I guess I'm big-headed, but that thing digs into your temples and tries to drill through your skull.
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Like I said, everyone's different! But that does surprise me. And it's almost exactly the way I felt sometimes about the Francis Hood.
 
azure said:
Like I said, everyone's different! But that does surprise me. And it's almost exactly the way I felt sometimes about the Francis Hood.
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My wife does call me big-headed every now and then so that would explain :)
Foggles for me.
 
Plastic safety glasses and some spray paint will take care of it. Cheap, easy and effective
 
upstateny said:
Foggles light up so much when the sun hits them that I couldn't see the instruments. I took some black contact paper, cut it to match the frosted area on the Foggles and stuck it on the inside. Eliminates the glare.
Click to expand...

That! I quit using foggles after they blanked my whole view climbing out of Craig Muni during an instrument lesson. Turned west to head out and the whole world (and panel!) went white.

I now use these and I've been very happy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VSCBSM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Asa Overcasters.
 
RalphInCA said:
If you normally wear a hat while flying, this is a great one. Got me through my instrument rating. Still works great

http://flighthoody.com/about_us.html
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I bought one but you have to tilt your head down otherwise you can still see over the panel (at least in a PA28; maybe the higher panel of a C prevents that.)

I went back to Jepp Shades, used with glasses that focus at arm's length that I use for computer work. My graduated bifocals sucked with Jepps since I had to tilt my head up in order to focus, and was fatiguing because of the narrow focal area. Downside is I have to switch peepers to go "on the hood".
 
Back when I got my rating, I bought a set of foggles. They work "ok".

But a friend of mine working on the rating at the same time had a cheaper solution. He just took common hardware store safety glasses, and fogged them with scotch tape - the cloudy kind. Worked really good, can customize it to your view angle and you have glasses that are comfortable/fit well, and best of all - cheap.
 
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