Flying Gloves- What to Buy?

Jaybird180

Jaybird180

Final Approach
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Jaybird180
The outfit that I'll be flying with requires that pilots wear gloves as a COVID prophylactic. They leave it up to the pilot as to the style, type and I presume material to be used. While most people (I presume) will go with latex as the least expensive option, I think that's a bit silly especially considering that warmer weather is coming; I'd like my hands to breathe, "thankyouverymuch".

On the other extreme, Nomex aviator gloves while designed for the activity, may be solving a $5 problem with $25-50, considering I don't plan to fight a Cessna fire with my hands. I do like the grip aspect of some of the types I've seen, and I don't have especially sweaty hands.

I'm soliciting suggestions. My priorities are comfort/ price followed by durability, comfort, style and price...in that order.
 
Eh? You said comfort and price twice and widely different points in your ordering.

You want something comfortable and cheap, get white cotton gloves (such as people wear when handling silver, etc.).
As far as emergencies (aviation, not invented COVID surface contamination nonsense), barring nomex, any natural fiber will do (wool, cotton, etc..). You don't want things to melt to your skin in a fire.
 
I use gloves constantly in the work that I do because of contamination issues and chemicals that are sometimes required.

I would recommend some type of disposable gloves. I use these (or something similar for work - not flying):

https://www.amazon.com/Innovative-H...ves+nitrile&qid=1592172067&sr=8-8&tag=mh0b-20

Another thing to keep in mind is that once you put the gloves on they are now your skin. If you touch a contaminated surface with a gloved hand and touch your face the gloves have done nothing to help you. If you contaminate the gloves and then touch your personal items i.e. headphones, sunglasses, hat, car keys, etc, with the gloves on, once you take the gloves off and touch the contaminated item the gloves haven't protected you.

We are taught to wash the gloves (as you would your hands) before removing them. Then wash your hands. Be sure to decontaminate anything you have touched with the possibly contaminated gloves.

I have my own opinions about their requirement but mom said if I didn't have anything nice to say ... :confused:
 
flyingron said:
Eh? You said comfort and price twice and widely different points in your ordering.

You want something comfortable and cheap, get white cotton gloves (such as people wear when handling silver, etc.).
As far as emergencies (aviation, not invented COVID surface contamination nonsense), barring nomex, any natural fiber will do (wool, cotton, etc..). You don't want things to melt to your skin in a fire.
Click to expand...

Thanks for simplifying to the absurd, but relevant degree. I think I'll scope out a set of machine-washable mechanic's gloves.

Daleandee said:
I use gloves constantly in the work that I do because of contamination issues and chemicals that are sometimes required.

I would recommend some type of disposable gloves. I use these (or something similar for work - not flying):

https://www.amazon.com/Innovative-H...ves+nitrile&qid=1592172067&sr=8-8&tag=mh0b-20

I have my own opinions about their requirement but mom said if I didn't have anything nice to say ... :confused:
Click to expand...
Is nitrile breathable?
 
Jaybird180 said:
Thanks for simplifying to the absurd, but relevant degree. I think I'll scope out a set of machine-washable mechanic's gloves.


Is nitrile breathable?
Click to expand...
No. Same situation as Latex - your hands sweat.
 
Don't bother with nomex. Get thin unlined leather gloves, check the box, move on.
 
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original-wwii-german-luftwaffe-flying_1_023135f5dd17e77662fe5168d8daddc8.jpg


wd164-0.jpeg
 
Jaybird180 said:
The outfit that I'll be flying with requires that pilots wear gloves as a COVID prophylactic....
Click to expand...


In order for that to even mean anything, you'd have to wash your hands with soap and water for 40 seconds, immediately don gloves. Then, you do not touch your face, or any other supposedly clean surface, for the duration of the flight. Upon exiting the aircraft, you then de-glove using proper glove doffing technique, and immediately wash your hands for 40 seconds with soap and water.

So, the only thing that makes sense is the blue nitrile gloves. Or, you might as well just go ahead and buy the sexy ones that @Half Fast recommended, they're the least ridiculous of any other option.
 
Jaybird180 said:
The outfit that I'll be flying with requires that pilots wear gloves as a COVID prophylactic. They leave it up to the pilot as to the style, type and I presume material to be used. While most people (I presume) will go with latex as the least expensive option, I think that's a bit silly especially considering that warmer weather is coming; I'd like my hands to breathe, "thankyouverymuch".

On the other extreme, Nomex aviator gloves while designed for the activity, may be solving a $5 problem with $25-50, considering I don't plan to fight a Cessna fire with my hands. I do like the grip aspect of some of the types I've seen, and I don't have especially sweaty hands.

I'm soliciting suggestions. My priorities are comfort/ price followed by durability, comfort, style and price...in that order.
Click to expand...

Just wiping down the yoke should be sufficient. Gloves make sense when you are handing shopping carts and door handles in a public place.
 
Cheapest things you can find. Six seconds out of sight of the FBO, everybody is shedding them off I would assume.
 
wilkersk said:
In order for that to even mean anything, you'd have to wash your hands with soap and water for 40 seconds, immediately don gloves. Then, you do not touch your face, or any other supposedly clean surface, for the duration of the flight. Upon exiting the aircraft, you then de-glove using proper glove doffing technique, and immediately wash your hands for 40 seconds with soap and water.

So, the only thing that makes sense is the blue nitrile gloves. Or, you might as well just go ahead and buy the sexy ones that @Half Fast recommended, they're the least ridiculous of any other option.
Click to expand...
I'm conscious about what I touch and tend to not touch my face after touching an untrusted surface. I've done it long before COVID.
 
So, as the previous post pointed out - wearing gloves does nothing to prevent the spread of COVID. A doctor wearing gloves touches nothing but sterile instruments, does the operation, and then throws the gloves away. A pilot will touch things in the cockpit, charts, bags, etc. None of which are sterile.

So the point is to follow the rules so you can fly the plane and get a paycheck. Get a pair of cotton gloves and carry on.
 
GeorgeC said:
Don't bother with nomex. Get thin unlined leather gloves, check the box, move on.
Click to expand...

:yeahthat:

Go to Cabela's or any sporting goods store and buy thin leather shooting gloves. I used a pair to preflight in January and February. No they are not warm gloves but they are warm enough to touch the freezing metal/ice/snow on the plane, and give enough dexterity to adjust the radio and transponder knobs as necessary. Also Covid protection.

Those of you with hangars need not read this! :biggrin:

-Skip
 
I see AF style nomex gloves for under $20 on google shopping and apparently there is a summer weight. That's probably what I would go with.
 
WDD said:
So, as the previous post pointed out - wearing gloves does nothing to prevent the spread of COVID. A doctor wearing gloves touches nothing but sterile instruments, does the operation, and then throws the gloves away. A pilot will touch things in the cockpit, charts, bags, etc. None of which are sterile.

So the point is to follow the rules so you can fly the plane and get a paycheck. Get a pair of cotton gloves and carry on.
Click to expand...
Exactly this. Virtue-signaling. Play the game and drive on.
 
I'd use my summer motorcycle leather gloves. Lots of vents to prevent sweating, and as an extra bonus will protect your hands if you crash.
 
Mittens!

fly to the scene of the incident, or be recovered at the scene of the tragedy
 
Interesting that the TSA guy didn't want his face in the photo but his ID (with his face) is shown. :facepalm:p
 
That's the wrong technique for either gloving up or removing gloves, which probably isn't surprising given the agency involved.
 
steingar said:
I'd use my summer motorcycle leather gloves. Lots of vents to prevent sweating, and as an extra bonus will protect your hands if you crash.
Click to expand...
Thought about that. But what about the need to work a touch display / I pad?
 
I’m pretty happy with these. They check off a lot of boxes.

Breathable - check
Provide good dexterity - check
Available in masculine black color - check
Up my jazz hands game - check

upload_2020-6-15_12-20-44.jpeg
 
Are you flying alone? If so, have a pair of whatever kind of gloves you own now in your flight bag. put them on until you taxi away from the hangar and throw them in the back seat until you are taxiing back from the runway. This is one of the more ridiculous and useless "safety precautions" I have heard of and would take it about as seriously as what I have described.
 
Arm3 said:
I’m pretty happy with these. They check off a lot of boxes.

Breathable - check
Provide good dexterity - check
Available in masculine black color - check
Up my jazz hands game - check

View attachment 86735
Click to expand...


Yes - but make sure and get the TSO approved version.
 
WDD said:
Thought about that. But what about the need to work a touch display / I pad?
Click to expand...
That's easy. I would have "remove gloves" as the last item on my takeoff checklist.
 
Since we are being silly ... boxing gloves. Also useful if ramp checked.
 
Do you have to wear two? What if you just wore one?

upload_2020-6-16_8-44-20.jpeg
 
steingar said:
I'd use my summer motorcycle leather gloves. Lots of vents to prevent sweating, and as an extra bonus will protect your hands if you crash.
Click to expand...
What are the gloves of which you speak? My gloves have ram-air ports.
 
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