Reading bifocal glasses for night flying (and sailing) + sunglasses

Joe Della Barba

Joe Della Barba

Filing Flight Plan
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Nov 5, 2011
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Joe Della Barba
I need readers now (getting old sucks) and have had good luck finding cheap sunglasses with reader lenses. What I have not found is good NIGHT glasses, which would be clear with readers at the bottom.
I have some bifocal safety glasses that in theory will work, but they are pretty thick plastic and I really don't like them at night.
Does anyone have any links to good night bifocals?
Also who make high-end bifocal sunglasses? I would like to find some of those as well.
THANKS!
 
MauleSkinner said:
Anything wrong with plain old reading glasses?
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Do you mean the "half" glasses I have seen on old time TV? I have never seen them in the store, I should see if they still exist.
Hey - turns out they do still exist! Amazon order is in :)
 
Joe Della Barba said:
Do you mean the "half" glasses I have seen on old time TV? I have never seen them in the store, I should see if they still exist.
Hey - turns out they do still exist! Amazon order is in :)
Click to expand...
I think some states do require prescriptions for those, so they may not be available everywhere.
 
I can actually help you with this. First, do some research as to what the FAA requires in sunglasses. I ended up with a pair of Sarengetti sun glasses that met all of the FAA recommendations. Then, buy some stick on reader bifocals from Amazon for about $12-15. These come in various strengths to match your vision requirements. The ones I bought get placed on the lens using a drop of water. I repositioned mine to put the reader lenses in correct alignment to easily split between the windscreen and panel, and be even between the eyes so as not to give misaligned vision. It took a few repositions before I had everything just where I wanted it. I love them and use them every time I fly and take long road trips. All for about $120.

Hope this helps
 
Get a pair of progressives with transitions. Not cheap but you will have sunglasses in daylight with reading power and essentially clear at night with reading power, and they don’t have to look clunky. You might even like the look in a cosmetic frame.
 
You can get a pair of bifocal shooting safety glasses at lots of places. These things are great in the clouds, cloudy days, or dawn/dusk. Difference makers.

Dual eyewear is where I get mine
 
Joe Della Barba said:
I need readers now (getting old sucks) and have had good luck finding cheap sunglasses with reader lenses. What I have not found is good NIGHT glasses, which would be clear with readers at the bottom.
I have some bifocal safety glasses that in theory will work, but they are pretty thick plastic and I really don't like them at night.
Does anyone have any links to good night bifocals?
Also who make high-end bifocal sunglasses? I would like to find some of those as well.
THANKS!
Click to expand...
You can get some cheap glasses made at Zenni online. Just set your prescription to 0's, and add the +1 or +2 or whatever bifocal power you want and you can get clear glass on top, with bifocal magnification on bottom. Might run you $30 all in. I don't know if this is the same thing as a drug store reader, if so, probably not worth it, unless you want a certain style.
 
I have a pair of progressive bifocals that I use with computer work (top part is "blank" prescription) that works just fine in the plane.

For the sunglasses, I also have progressives AND gradient tinting (clear on bottom). Don't forget - sunglasses need to be non polarized. Had a heck of a time finding that - almost all are by default polarized.
 
I just had a set of prescription wraparound progressive sunglasses made with gradient (nonpolarized) tint. These are great in the sun or in unbearably bright cloud tops in IFR. (Also good for driving.) At night I use my regular progressive glasses. That way you can get exactly the amount of closeup magnification you need. I use +3.25D which you can usually only get via prescription. I think off-the-shelf stuff goes up to +2.75D.
 
I took my Sarengetti sun glasses to my optometrist and said I want prescription bi focal lenses just like these. They ordered me prescription bi focal lenses just like the Sarengettis lenses and fit them into the Sarengettis frames. They are not polarized and fade to very light at the bottom that allows me to wear them to almost dark. Then I switch to my clear bi focals for night flying. They stay in the plane so they are always there when I need them. Money well spent. They are always in my 2 dollar cup holder in the space that was designed for CD disc.
IMG_9633.JPG
 
MauleSkinner said:
I think some states do require prescriptions for those, so they may not be available everywhere.
Click to expand...
There are states where you can't buy reading glasses without a prescription???

YGBSM!

Please tell me what states so I can avoid them. No telling what else they don't allow.
 
I get my sunglasses at the flea mart,also get readers from the big box stores. Also keep a pair of both as backups in the airplane.
 
I should add that while the stick-on readers work great I don't land wearing the sunglasses with them... since I can't see anything straight ahead when landing the biplane, I look at the runway sides with my lower peripheral vision, and the reading lenses screw that up. In a more modern airplane that probably wouldn't be an issue.
 
I've been buying these in bulk for readers. Super light weight and flexible. Don't last forever but last a good long while if not abused and they are cheap. Carry a spare when they start getting loose.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P31WD3W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and I look over them all the time.
Used them the last time I knocked the rust off my pilot cert.

and I use some over the counter progressives at the office
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08JLMDYVC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I originall bought some by foster grant at Walgreens that were similar.
None of these seem to have decent frames that hold up well or in my opinion that look good, but I like the lenses for office work. Great for reading, for the computer screen at the other side of my desk. Teh top is more like for the visitor chair zone on the other side of the desk...not to infinity. I haven't really flown or driven with them so don't know how they would do there.
 
MajorTurbulence said:
Get a pair of progressives with transitions. Not cheap but you will have sunglasses in daylight with reading power and essentially clear at night with reading power, and they don’t have to look clunky. You might even like the look in a cosmetic frame.
Click to expand...

This is what I have been doing for 20 years. Before that, I had Transitions without the reader portion.
 
Pinecone said:
This is what I have been doing for 20 years. Before that, I had Transitions without the reader portion.
Click to expand...

Where are you finding non-polarized Transition lenses?
 
I have glasses with progressive lenses, and got Chemistrie magnetic clip-on sunglasses to go with them. They're cut to match the frames precisely, and the magnets are embedded in the lenses when the glasses are manufactured. I love 'em. Have a pair of dark black polarized shades for normal use, and a slightly lighter brown non-polarized pair for flying. (I notice that their website and video say that all their lenses are polarized, so maybe that's not an option anymore..?)

https://eyenavision.com/chemistrie/
 
FCAJR8630 said:
Where are you finding non-polarized Transition lenses?
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They are different technologies. While they could be used together, that actually could counteract the usefulness of the transition lenses to both serve as a minimal light blocking solution in low light situations, like night time or indoors, and then change to serve as a higher light blocking filter in high light situations.
 
Tried three or four places (Lens Crafters, Vision Works, a few other local eye clinics) to find non polarized prescriptions. The one place that could do that? Wal Mart Optical. I called, described what I needed, and the guy said "you must be a pilot". Good service, great glasses (were even able to do the gradient tinting).
 
FCAJR8630 said:
Where are you finding non-polarized Transition lenses?
Click to expand...

I have never seen polarized Transitions. And I have been using various flavors of them since about 1980.

Present lenses are Crizal with Transition. Not polarized.

Ah, seeing other posts, I get my glasses through an Optical shop. Optometrist and Optician. Not a big box type place.

Have been using the same shop since the early 80s.
 
Pincecone - do yo ever have an experience where you're flying in sunlight (lens dark) and then into clouds (less light) and the lens don't change fast enough for you?
 
Jim_R said:
I have glasses with progressive lenses, and got Chemistrie magnetic clip-on sunglasses to go with them. They're cut to match the frames precisely, and the magnets are embedded in the lenses when the glasses are manufactured. I love 'em.
https://eyenavision.com/chemistrie/
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I looked over the website. Do you send them your prescription glasses and Chemistrie inserts the magnets and cuts the sunglass to fit? Or do you buy your prescription from Chemstrie?
 
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WDD said:
Pincecone - do yo ever have an experience where you're flying in sunlight (lens dark) and then into clouds (less light) and the lens don't change fast enough for you?
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When I had Serengetis they changed slowly, but didn't get super-dark, so I never had that issue.
 
Domenick said:
I looked over the website. Do you send them your prescription glasses and Chemistrie inserts the magnets and cuts the sunglass to fit? Or do you buy your prescription from Chemstrie?
Click to expand...
My optometrist includes Chemistrie shades as one of their products. In a single visit I had my exam and got my prescription, then picked out my frames, and opted for the Chemistrie shades to go with them. Two weeks later, they called me to come pick them up.
 
WDD said:
Pincecone - do yo ever have an experience where you're flying in sunlight (lens dark) and then into clouds (less light) and the lens don't change fast enough for you?
Click to expand...

Nope. The new ones change pretty quickly.

Also, the get dark from UV, so any windows reduce how dark they get. Cold also makes them darker. Come in on a bright cold day, and I have to take them off to walk around the house.
 
I order Rayban sunglasses and my Optomiterest takes out the lenses and replaces with new ones. I always order new glass lens progressives. I have a clear pair, a pair with transitions and a pair of sunglasses. Glass lenses are heavier than plastic but I don’t scratch them up and get several years out of a pair.
There was an outfit at Oshkosh called Flying eyes that had sun and clear classes with bifocal readers and they would put the lenses in there on sight.
 
Joe Della Barba said:
I need readers now (getting old sucks) and have had good luck finding cheap sunglasses with reader lenses. What I have not found is good NIGHT glasses, which would be clear with readers at the bottom.
I have some bifocal safety glasses that in theory will work, but they are pretty thick plastic and I really don't like them at night.
Does anyone have any links to good night bifocals?
Also who make high-end bifocal sunglasses? I would like to find some of those as well.
THANKS!
Click to expand...
I have prescription bifocals with the transition lenses made especially for competitive shooting, they are excellent for flying as well.
 
William Pete Hodges said:
I can actually help you with this. First, do some research as to what the FAA requires in sunglasses. I ended up with a pair of Sarengetti sun glasses that met all of the FAA recommendations. Then, buy some stick on reader bifocals from Amazon for about $12-15. These come in various strengths to match your vision requirements. The ones I bought get placed on the lens using a drop of water. I repositioned mine to put the reader lenses in correct alignment to easily split between the windscreen and panel, and be even between the eyes so as not to give misaligned vision. It took a few repositions before I had everything just where I wanted it. I love them and use them every time I fly and take long road trips. All for about $120.

Hope this helps
Click to expand...
You should check out executive bifocals. Don't think they would much more than $120, and your vision would be perfect. In daytime, you could find a high quality polarized snap on sunglass for the same frame. The bottom half would be set for the distance to your instrument panel (24" approx, instead of the 16" used for reading glasses).
 
WDD said:
Pincecone - do yo ever have an experience where you're flying in sunlight (lens dark) and then into clouds (less light) and the lens don't change fast enough for you?
Click to expand...
I can add that I have worn transition lenses for more than a decade. They work so well compared to sunglasses that when I went back to contact lenses, I bought non-prescription ones.
 
Joe Della Barba said:
I need readers now (getting old sucks) and have had good luck finding cheap sunglasses with reader lenses. What I have not found is good NIGHT glasses, which would be clear with readers at the bottom.
Click to expand...

Take a look here. I didn't get the clear lenses but they are available. I bought three different style of sunglasses with readers and they are pretty nice for the price:

https://www.readers.com/legacy-bifocal-aviator-sun-reader.html?showid=63936

This may be what you are looking for:

https://www.readers.com/aviator-fra...iOiI1MTQiLCJzb3J0Ijoib3JkZXJieSIsInBhZ2UiOjF9
 
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