Hope my subject line follows proper etiquette.
My BIL is a retired Marine Corp pilot 1985-2005. I'm considering xmas gift possibilities such as sunglasses. His preference appears to be standard aviators style. What ye all suggest? Is there something I need to make sure about the lens color and should they be polarized? Any suggestions to where I could purchase, so that he could return if fit is an issue.

Non polarized, polarized don't play nicely with lcd screens or scanning for traffic. Aviators would probably do nicely, or anything else with a thin earpiece. Thick earpieces always tended to interfere with my headset.

https://www.randolphusa.com
They are USA-made, and are worth every penny.
If he is still flying, get non-polarized so the glass panels don’t look funky.

Thank you Gents.

Another vote for Randolph. I have these.
JP

If he's former military, chances are nearly certain that he had Randolph, or has them.

When you say retired USMC pilot, is he retired as a pilot, or just retired from the corps? Is he going to be flying with these glasses, or does he still fly?

I haven't found any cockpit displays that are blanked or that I have difficulty seeing with polarized lenses. I do find that one some aircraft, especially with windshield heat engaged, polarized can interfere with vision through the aircraft canopy or windscreen.

Randolphs are tempered glass, whereas most all manufacturers today use polycarbonate lenses. There's a difference.

Dark grey G15 lenses are often the preferred lens for minimal color distortion. Green is also popular. I like brown lenses and find they give me good contrast. He may have a preference.

Find out if he wears prescription lenses; that changes everything.

Back in the day, I got Randolf USA sunglasses at the exchange for fifteen bucks. They were about a hundred (then) anywhere else. I used to strongly prefer the Randolf, (small square lenses), but considered them throw-away glasses because I could buy them inexpensively at the exchange. If someone is used to buying them with the military discount, they may not fully appreciate them, even when you've paid the full retail price (he may also have a drawer full of them. I used to).

Guys tend to have preferences on their sunglasses. For Aviators, the classics are Ray Bans.

I don't wear aviators, but I like Oakleys. I'm wearing prescription these days, but like the Oakleys, or second choice are Raybans, and I have a preference for glasses that prevent light at the periphery by curving around the side, as opposed to flat lenses. I say this because everyone is different, and sunglasses are personal; see if you can find out the specifics of what he likes (and doesn't). I'm very particular, and won't use anything that doesn't meet my specific preference, gift or not. He may be, too.

Definitely non-polarized.

I was dead-heading back from The Bahamas in a client's airplane. ATC gave me a re-routing, I copied it, then dropped my pencil. Bent over to retrieve the pencil, glanced up at the instrument panel, and every LCD screen was dead.

"Nice," I said to myself. "Out here over the Atlantic and the navigation systems are all dead."

As I sat back up, the LCD screens gradually faded back to life.

Polarized sunglasses, polarized LCD screens. Not a good combination.

BTW Randolphs are expensive. I got mine half off at a Black Friday sale.
I am very happy with them. Sadly, I think sleepy Joe wears them although I do not know for sure. I am pretty certain he gave Putin a pair.

Anything with thin ear frames so over the ear headsets (like Bose) still seal up. Another vote for non-polarized lenses,

I fly with Dual sunglasses. I need readers, and they incorporate them. Not sure if that's an issue for him though...

Dual Eyeware

For another unique gift idea, get him an aviation sectional map shirt. You'd need to know his favorite aircraft and which airport/base he flew out of. I have a couple of these shirts and really like them. Fast delivery, too.

Custom Aviation Shirts

Todd

quote:

Originally posted by phxtoad:
I fly with Dual sunglasses. I need readers, and they incorporate them. Not sure if that's an issue for him though...

Everyone is different. I use prescription bifocals. I had the bifocals. I had the lower bifocal portion done with the least change to normal vision as possible, as I see the instrument panel well enough. I had them made taller, reaching the middle of the eyeglass, to ensure plenty of panel coverage, then regular prescription above that.

I tried the single vision lenses, but having to turn my head to look at something was a no-go; a prescription single vision upper allows me to keep my head still and move my eye, and have peripheral use, too.

I know guys that run trifocals; with an upper lens cut for viewing the overhead panel. I just pull the glasses down slightly.

With earphones, I hate glasses under the ear seal, I whatever I wear, rests on top of the ear seal, with the glasses angled up. That also impacts what type of glasses are worn, earpieces, etc.

Presently I mostly use Bose Proflight, which don't interfere with glasses.

until i retired from flying i wore, still wear the high contrast, non polarized rayban/equivalent brown b3 lens.

Appreciate all the responses here!
Yes, he still enjoys flying. Started with CH-46 ? and then moved to EA-6's. For years he flew a 1948 V-tail, Just recently acquired a 64 Beech H18. Last visit, I didn't notice his eyewear as anything pricey, maybe keeping his dollars for that new fuel consumption . No prescription lenses yet, and headsets are Bose.

Randolphs are crazy expensive for what you are getting. I agree that they used to be throw aways. My favorite glasses and lenses for flying are the Serengeti Drivers. They are just about perfect. They getting gradually lighter at bottom so that you can see the instruments. I have a bunch of pairs and one is always a perfect part of my flight bag. Get the frames of your choice but the brown(?) drivers are perfection.

Being a freight dog I don't use sunglasses that much.

I use fairly cheap Oakleys, would wear them on layovers more than the flights honestly. Cheap in case I lost or broke them. Definitely not polarized though.

My company doesn't use the intercom so we have lightweight headsets and leave one ear uncovered anyway so regular sunglasses work fairly well.

With him wearing a headset those metal frame sunglasses would be advisable.

The original pilot sunglasses were AOs as in American Optical.

https://aoeyewear.com/product/..._pa_lens-color=green

Even a couple of years ago a friend was getting these out of the PX cheap.

I almost fell off my chair at the price on the website.

If you are looking for other aviation related ideas, check out Sporty's Pilot Shop.

quote:

Originally posted by sig2392:

The original pilot sunglasses were AOs as in American Optical . . . I almost fell off my chair at the price on the website.

Are you saying that these are expensive? Check the Maui Jim website. Be prepared for sticker shock.

The prices on the AO website are pretty close to similar products on the Ray-Ban website.

I get my regular glasses at the Costco optical department. Prescription bi-focal or tri-focal sunglasses there would be around the same price as non-prescription AO, but I don't like Costco prescription sunglasses, as they are all Polaroid, so I go to a local mom & pop optical shop for sunglasses. They cost a little more than Costco, but they are non-Polaroid.

For those who are accustomed to paying a few dollars for AO products at the exchange, then retail price IS expensive.