Sunglass's and Watch's

[redozbris]

I know a lot of the more seasoned guys are going to scoff at this, but this is a genuine question, in my reading I've found more and more of the veterans talking about a good watch and a good pair of sunglass's, of which I dont own (or have never owned) either.

 

I can understand the need for a watch, but they always talk analog, is this a preferance? (Analog winding watch? Sorry do not wish to offend anyone but its a genuine question) I've been looking at some pilot watches, but honestly, does anyone besides bored house husbands, purchase these expensive items (Not much of a watch person myself, I've always been able to tell the time to within 15 minutes without to much hassle 99% of the time, and not much for sunnies)

 

Any thoughts are always appreciated, and you can all wipe your smurkes off your faces please :)

 

thanks Gents, and Ladies... :thumb_down:

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Hi Redoz

 

You need some sort of accurate time piece in the cockpit purely for the nav side of things. Part of the nav is knowing where you are at pretty much exactly what time you need to be and if not why. Some use watches some use a clock in the dash others use a clipboard with a watch/stopwatch on it. You NEED some sort of time teller. As far as sunglasses go I fing they are a must purely for the glare besides you will damage your eyes eventually if you dont. My eyes are not much chop nowdays and I just got a special set of sunnys made for my flying. I need perscription glasses anyway, I have a stigmatism that gives me 2 images sort of like a ghost and also blur for long distane also my short distance is crap as well so my sunny are actually bifocal. The top of course id for my long distance and the bottom section of the bifocal is set to 500mm which is just the distance the sav dash will be from my sitting position so I can just move my eyes and be in focus at any view angle. 99.9% of pilots always have sunglasses

 

Mark

 

 

[rdarby]

A digital watch is easier if you want an exact time. You set it to UTC. With digital you can also get a stop watch for use in navigation. And a second time zone. I bought a basic Casio. i've never met anyone who says a pilot watch is better than a whiz-wheel, especially for the price.

 

Don't get polarised sunglasses, they filter out glass cockpits and fine lines on water showing you wind direction.

 

Sunglasses and a fancy watch are part of the image, but the reality is that I fly with glasses that work but look stupid, a simple watch, old clothes and i usually spill fuel on my shoes. Which have a hole in the one.

 

 

[Jayz]

I love gadgets and things that move with dials and things that light up. I have a tag watch and love it. The other week I was in Sydney and i have heard off this watch that has a flight computer that rotates around the outer clock face. Straight away I was like hhmm got to get me one of those I think the brand is a Breitling. I found the shop at darling habour that sells it and had a look at it. I have pretty good eye sight and be buggered if I would be able to use it while flying let a loan being able to read it. I was very quick to hand it back when asking the price as the gentle man smiled and said with today's 30% sale it would be $9 999. I think it is just more of a show and anytime I have flown I have just used the clock in the cockpit.

 

Ps I am not seasoned or done many navs yet so I am interested to see what is said aswell.

 

 

[ahlocks]

.... they always talk analog, is this a preferance?

I went back to an analogue watch so I can tell the time without having to wear glasses. Could explain why 'the veterans' are biased toward analogue...

 

 

[eastmeg2]

Polarised sunnies are out, for all the reasons mentioned above and because of the interference patterns they create with the plastic windscreens most U/L's and Trikes use which can impact your ability to "see and avoid" as well as your general viewing pleasure.

 

I wouldn't go for a watch for the simple reason that it takes your hand away from something else it could be doing each time you need to read it. So go with a time piece on the instrument panel, or anywhere else that the pilot can easily see it while flying with one hand and holding the map with the other (no 3rd hand for a watch there). Most CFI's could probably recommend something that can quickly switch between clock and stopwatch or timer without interrupting either function.

 

Cheers,

 

Glen

 

 

[redozbris]

Evil Post there eastmeg2 (666, judge dredd fan?) Thanks for the info guys, Was about to get a pair of polorised sunnies, but that makes sense!

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

I think that if you check the VFRG, you will find that it is required for a pilot to have a time piece that has been set within 30 seconds of the correct time and must show hours, minutes and seconds.

 

I wear a watch that is usually never more than a few seconds different to local time. My GPS provides local and UTC in hh.mm and additionally I carry a timer that has three count down timers and one count up timer as well as a clock. All show hh.mm.ss. the timers alarm at zero, but continue to count, showing the duration past zero. This is what I use for Navs, as do a number of other pilots.

 

I wear prescription sunglasses that are polarized. They are a minor annoyance in that you do get some interference patterns with the windscreen, but only in peripheral vision. The SkyDat is polarized in the correct direction, so not an issue. The Garmin Aera GPS is also not an issue. I'll not get polarized ones next time, but as the lenses alone were $600, I won't be changing them till I need to. That said, if I felt they were increasing my risk during flying, I'd replace them.

 

P.S. Sunglasses are wraparound, multifocal, UV filtered, Anti-glare coating, fixed grey tint and polarised.

 

 

[tvaner]

Sunglasses & prescription sunglasses was discussed some time ago here. There are a lot of new members around here since this discussion took place who may also find it an interesting read.

 

 

[Guest turnbase]

Sunglasses are always conditional. Being short sighted I naturally wear glasses all the time but have found the magnetic clip ons brilliant in high sun conditions and when there isn't glare just unclip and I've got transition lenses on my glasses. These transition lenses don't go dark when I'm in the aircraft so hence why I need clip ons. Something to think about anyhow.

 

 

[facthunter]

The timepiece thing is covered. It is a REQUIREMENT. (Short comment) Stopwatch function is used in instrument procedures and I am used to it in circuits as well.

 

If you use sunglasses that are darkened to any degree the iris of the eye opens to compensate and can admit more U/V so ensure a U/V filter and they should be wrap around to stop light from the side. Glasses are more important at high altitudes and above cloud. I tend to wear a brimmed hat and don't bother with the glasses,.( like Leighton Hewitt but the other way around). Nev

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

here[/url]. There are a lot of new members around here since this discussion took place who may also find it an interesting read.

Thanks Keith. Most informative.

 

... but have found the magnetic clip ons brilliant in high sun conditions and when there isn't glare just unclip ....

Probably good in a closed cockpit, but may blow off in an open cockpit. Just something else to go through a pusher prop. Even with a windscreen, you can get a good blast of air during yaw and in some turbulence.

 

Just goes to show that there are probably multiple answers to "what is best?" depending on your situation, both optically and in terms of the flying environment.

 

 

[dazza 38]

I wear a Anolog watch at work.I wear a Casio G shock Digital watch when i flying.It has dual time zone, etc.Its easier to read.I wear polarize glasses when driving,sometimes flying if it is not a a/c with glass instruments (Like my avatar picture which are Bolle polarized).Normaly though I wear Ray Bay Aviators, two reasons A- They are not polarize and B- the lenses are glass.

 

 

[foxy]

all the things have already been said about polarised sunglasses. i never fly without sunnies...or do anything else without them for that matter.......i'd rather have a slight change of colour in the vision, than to have to squint my eyes...'did i see something in the distance there, or didnt i??'

 

as to the watch...yes, an accurate timepiece is needed when in the aircraft. i chose a chronograph watch, which was the old jewllers however many % off sale, bringing it to $70....unfortunately i never found a female chronograph watch that had time, where the other dials were, hours, minutes and seconds...so opted for the gents one. it never leaves my wrist. Great for nav's, as u can reset the timer to count the minutes, whilst still having the outer clock as per usual.

 

everyone has their own preferences....mine being the analogue over digital watch.

 

 

[kaz3g]

You can't get direction with a digital watch,

 

My personal preference is an analogue set on local time with a small added digital screen showing UTC. And I wear photochromatic multifocals although my Class 2 only requires me to have them with me when flying.

 

kaz

 

 

[DarkSarcasm]

I always wear sunnies when flying, the glare gets me otherwise.

 

When I started navs, I wore an old watch I'd had for years but it wasn't accurate enough because it didn't have each minute marked, only every 5 minutes. I used a digital watch for the rest of my navs.

 

I have to admit, for Christmas I got a limited edition Red Arrows Citizen watch which has a flight computer around the outside *looks embarassed* So yes, I have one of those huge watche :augie:s (tis a blokes watch too) But I wear watches as jewellery (I have over 15 watches of varying types) so it was more of a 'cool Red Arrows watch!' purchase than 'oooh pilot watch' purchase