Sunglasses for Pilots - Beyond the Image - Selecting the Right Lenses

Q: What factors influence the amount of UV radiation a pilot may encounter?

UV exposure varies with time of day and year, latitude, altitude, weather conditions, and the reflectivity of surrounding surfaces. For example, UV exposure increases by about 5% for every 1,000 feet of altitude.

Q: What UVA and UVB protection is recommended when selecting pilot sunglasses?

The American Optometric Association recommends sunglasses that incorporate 99–100% UVA and UVB protection.

Sep 5, 2026

Upload by WPS_1786070896

Sunglasses for pilots focus on protecting vision in demanding cockpit conditions while improving visual performance. The material explains how sunglasses reduce harsh sunlight, lower eye fatigue, and safeguard ocular tissues from solar radiation and flying debris. It details how atmospheric infrared and ultraviolet radiation vary by time, season, latitude, altitude, and weather, and how UVA/UVB exposure contributes to sunburn, cataracts, and macular degeneration. It also compares lens materials and coatings to guide selection.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Protecting pilot vision

Radiation (IR and UV)

Lens materials

Coatings for lens performance

Sunglasses for Pilots: Beyond the Image • Protecting a pilots most important sensory asset • Selecting the right lenses • Radiation • Glare • New materials • Frames OK-13-0170 S unglasses help safeguard a pilot’s most important sensory asset – vision. A quality pair of sunglasses is essential in the cockpit environment to optimize visual performance. Sunglasses reduce the effects of harsh sunlight, decrease eye fatigue, and protect ocular tissues from exposure to harmful solar radiation. Additionally, they protect the pilot’s eyes from impact with objects (i.e., flying debris from a bird strike, sudden decompression, or aerobatic maneuvers). Sunglasses can also aid the dark adaptation process, which is delayed by prolonged exposure to bright sunlight. RADIATION. Radiation from the sun can damage skin and eyes when exposure is excessive or too intense. Fortunately, the Earth’s atmosphere shelters us from the more hazardous solar radiation (i.e. , gamma and X-ray); however, both infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation are present in our environment in varying amounts. This is dependent upon factors such as the time of day and year, latitude, altitude, weather conditions, and the reflectivity of surrounding surfaces. For example, exposure to UV radiation increases by approximately 5 percent for every 1,000 feet of altitude. Atmospheric IR energy consists of longwavelength radiation (780 – 1400 nanometers [nm], see Figure 1) . The warmth felt from the sun is provided by IR radiation and is thought to be harmless to the skin and eyes at normal atmospheric exposure levels. More hazardous to human tissues is short-wavelength UV radiation. UV is divided into three bandwidths: UVA (400 – 315 nm), UVB (315 – 280 nm), and UVC (< 280 nm) .1 Excessive or chronic exposure to UVA and, to a greater extent, UVB can cause sunburn, skin cancers, and is implicated in the formation of cataracts, macular degeneration, and other eye maladies. The American Optometric Association recommends wearing sunglasses that incorporate 99 – 100% UVA and UVB protection. Fortunately, UVC, the most harmful form of UV radiation, is absorbed by the atmosphere’sozone layer before it reaches the Earth’s surface. Some scientists believe, however, that depletion of the ozone layer may allow more UV to pass through the atmosphere,2 making 100% UV protection a wise choice when selecting eyewear. LENS MATERIAL. The three most common lens materials in use today are optical quality“crown” glass, monomer plastic (CR-39®), and polycarbonate plastic (see Table 1) . Lenses made from crown glass provide excellent optical properties (as indicated by the high Abbe value) . Crown glass is more scratch resistant but heavier and less impact resistant than plastic. Glass absorbs some UV light; however, absorption is improved by adding certain chemicals during the manufacturing processor by applying a special coating. Glass retains tints best over time, but for higher refractive correction, the color may be less uniform, as parts of the lens will be thicker than others (see Figure 2) . CR-39® plastic lenses possess excellent optical qualities, are lighter in weight, and more impact Table 1. Properties of the three most common lens materials Figure 2. Illustration of non-uniform tints with glass lenses for high hyperopic (left) and myopic (right) corrections.. resistant than glass lenses, but are more easily scratched, even when scratch-resistant coatings (SRC) are applied. CR-39® lenses tint easily and uniformly, even for those requiring a great deal of refractive correction, but do not hold tints as well as glass. CR-39® plastic can be bleached and retinted if fading becomes excessive at some point. Polycarbonate plastic lenses are lighter than CR-39® and the most impact-resistant lenses available. Polycarbonates have a low Abbe value, indicating their inherent optical aberrations. The application of an anti-reflective (AR) coat can impr

FAQs

How do sunglasses improve a pilot’s visual performance in the cockpit?

Sunglasses reduce the effects of harsh sunlight, decrease eye fatigue, and protect ocular tissues from harmful solar radiation. They also help protect against impact from flying debris and can support dark adaptation by limiting prolonged bright light exposure.

What factors influence the amount of UV radiation a pilot may encounter?

UV exposure varies with time of day and year, latitude, altitude, weather conditions, and the reflectivity of surrounding surfaces. For example, UV exposure increases by about 5% for every 1,000 feet of altitude.

What UVA and UVB protection is recommended when selecting pilot sunglasses?

The American Optometric Association recommends sunglasses that incorporate 99–100% UVA and UVB protection.

Sep 5, 2026

Upload by WPS_1786070896