Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By stevelup
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1764832
PeteSpencer wrote:Now I'm really confused : The Serengeti website indicates that the vast majority of Serengetis are polarised, and photochromic, two of the very features that I want to avoid as neither are recommended for flying.


I though you were getting prescription lenses fitted? If so, it's irrelevant what the frames come fitted with?

It is of course worth pointing out that all the praise for Serengeti's Drivers Gradient lenses (which are brilliant) is nullified when you get prescription lenses fitted as the original lenses will be removed!

And the number of models: there's fahsends of them.


Mine are Velocity - by far my favourite style. But I think they may be discontinued. You'll find them in stock somewhere...
By riverrock
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1764835
Ones like this: https://www.essilor.co.uk/lenses/photoc ... /xtractive ?
They still don't fully activate behind a screen. However if they are dark enough for you, non-polarised and are neutrally tinted, great.
I used to have transitions (14 years ago - before learning to fly) but found they never went fully clear - in indoor photos it looked like I was always wearing slight sun glasses. Tech will have moved on since then.

I've currently got graduated prescription sun glasses in aviator style frames. Means that my eyes don't need to adjust as much when looking inside the cockpit. A lot of fashion sunnies allow light to come in from the side, causing reflections and continued glare.
#1764853
Since trying a pair of Bigatmo sunglasses at a trade show a few years ago, I have never looked at anything else. I had spent many years trying to find something that fitted well enough to not realise I was wearing them, plus didn't impact what I was seeing.

https://bigatmo.com

I needed a prescription for the first time a couple of years ago, I got them to make a prescription pair too (re-using the existing frames).

They have taken some physical abuse over the years too, still going strong.
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By Paul_Sengupta
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#1764886
PeteSpencer wrote:Could anybody help me out and stick a model name or number on a pair of Serengetis that are neutral grey, not polarised or photochromic please?


Well, you could go for a neutral grey but that would defeat the point in getting the best lenses that Serengeti have for flying, the "Drivers". They enhance contrast and let you see through haze a lot better without resorting to polarisation. Several people on the thread have said they have "Drivers", including me.

The photochromic goes from a medium tint to a medium/dark tint...it's not something you really notice changing in real life, it just adjusts itself automatically for the conditions. It works well. As HF says:

Human Factor wrote:They are also very slightly photochromic but not to an extent that it makes a difference on the flight deck.


Finally what most of us have is "gradient" where the tint is greatest at the top and thinnest at the bottom, which allows you to see the darker inside of the aeroplane, specifically the panel, more clearly while still blocking a lot of the glare from outside.

So "gradient drivers - non-polarised" is what most of us would recommend. As for the frame, that's up to you, I have aviator style frames.

stevelup wrote:Mine are Velocity - by far my favourite style. But I think they may be discontinued. You'll find them in stock somewhere...


I also like the Velocity, but as Steve says, I believe they're discontinued now so you won't be able to get them to make your prescription glasses in them. You could ask though.

stevelup wrote:It is of course worth pointing out that all the praise for Serengeti's Drivers Gradient lenses (which are brilliant) is nullified when you get prescription lenses fitted as the original lenses will be removed!


No, not if you get them ordered from the factory through their authorised dealers, they will make the lenses as prescription lenses, as shown in my "RX Program" link on page 1.
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By riverrock
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1764891
Can you get prescription "drivers"? You can get various other Serengeti lenses as prescription.
The Drivers remove 87+% of blue light.
Also our eyes mainly detect movement and contrast rather than specific colours (hence the danger of an aircraft at a constant bearing to you). Do these reduce the constrast of items, making them less likely to be seen? Do you have any issues seeing white or light blue coloured items against similar coloured sky?
Just worried as aircraft is white and blue.
NON-POLARIZED MINERAL (CATEGORY 2 TO 3)
26% transmittance lightened lens
14% transmittance darkened lens
87% blue light blocked lightened lens
93% blue light blocked darkened lens
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By stevelup
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1764894
Paul_Sengupta wrote:
stevelup wrote:It is of course worth pointing out that all the praise for Serengeti's Drivers Gradient lenses (which are brilliant) is nullified when you get prescription lenses fitted as the original lenses will be removed!


No, not if you get them ordered from the factory through their authorised dealers, they will make the lenses as prescription lenses, as shown in my "RX Program" link on page 1.


Good point!
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1764904
Some good advice there, many thanks I guess it'll be Drivers, prescription and it ain't gonna be cheap.

As I haven't had my eyes formally tested (by optician as opposed to annual AME cursory acuity check) I think an eye test is next before shelling out big bucks.

Peter
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1764905
riverrock wrote:Can you get prescription "drivers"? You can get various other Serengeti lenses as prescription.


I think so. It's what I've got. But I got mine in 1991 so it may no longer apply! But I don't see why they would discontinue something like that.

riverrock wrote:Do these reduce the constrast of items, making them less likely to be seen?


No, it increases it.

riverrock wrote:Do you have any issues seeing white or light blue coloured items against similar coloured sky?


Not that I've noticed. But then I wouldn't notice I don't expect! ;-)

However, I've no experience of either Oakley Prizm (I see from the website that Oakley do prescription glasses) or Bigatmo (apart from trying a non-prescription pair on the ground and they were pretty good for contrast) which I'm not sure you can get in prescription, so it might be worth having a browse to see if something else is available...it might be cheaper than Serengeti. I wouldn't rule out RayBan either, though as with all of these, make sure you get the official factory prescription lenses, not just some optician replacing the lenses with their own home made ones.

My cheap Chinese prescription gradient tint sunglasses I had made for under £20 are 80% of what the Serengetis are, for considerably less money (my Serengetis were £200 in 1991).
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By seanxair
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1764917
I have prescription varifocals with which I can still just read through the bottom section and wear them now 90% of the time. I've had prescription bi-focal sunglasses made for flying which worked great until the eyes got worse.
I've now had two sets of clip-ons made for my varifocals, one brown non-polarised with a hinge to lift up if required and one a bluey/grey polarised version which clips on but doesn't have the hinge. Love both and have flown with both perfectly well.

When I could still read maps and instruments before I needed any glasses I bought some Serengeti drivers but non gradient. Lovely and wish I could still use them. Lurking in a drawer here and open to offers if anyone fancies them. Bit of wear on the frame but lens are pristine.
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By Dave W
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1764920
Which comes first, the £200 sunglasses or the £5,000 watch?

Got to admit that I wear standard stargoggles and wear a Citizen. The balance is wastefully chucked away on AVGAS.
#1764921
[quote="rjc101"]Since trying a pair of Bigatmo sunglasses at a trade show a few years ago, I have never looked at anything else. I had spent many years trying to find something that fitted well enough to not realise I was wearing them, plus didn't impact what I was seeing.

https://bigatmo.com

I needed a prescription for the first time a couple of years ago, I got them to make a prescription pair too (re-using the existing frames).

They have taken some physical abuse over the years too, still going strong.[/quote]


I have used prescription BIGATMO for several years both for flying and driving in sunlight. They are the most comfortable glasses I have ever had and I can really feel that my eyes relax the minute I start wearing them.
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By Human Factor
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1764926
Dave W wrote:Which comes first, the £200 sunglasses or the £5,000 watch?

Got to admit that I wear standard stargoggles and wear a Citizen. The balance is wastefully chucked away on AVGAS.


Sunglasses. My hearing is dreadful but I can still read the bottom line of the chart with each eye aged 46. The £5k watch is still on the Christmas list....
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1764929
Human Factor wrote:
my Serengetis were £200 in 1991


Shop around. I paid US$110 for mine ten years ago from a US supplier. Don’t ask who, can’t remember.


Prescription ones though? I got mine for my 21st birthday present.

They came first, I got them in 1991. Didn't learn to fly until 1996! ;-)

Can't contemplate a 5k watch...though I do have a Seiko pilot watch. :D

seanxair wrote:When I could still read maps and instruments before I needed any glasses I bought some Serengeti drivers but non gradient. Lovely and wish I could still use them. Lurking in a drawer here and open to offers if anyone fancies them. Bit of wear on the frame but lens are pristine.


Get some stick on reading lenses.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hydrotac-Stick-On-Bifocal-Lenses-2-00/dp/B00GHRFP78/ref=pd_lpo_121_t_1/258-6074939-5770153