Method Seven Offers Guide to Choosing Prescription Aviators Eyewear

Santa Cruz, California -

Method Seven, a company based in Santa Cruz, CA, has issued a guide on choosing the best prescription aviators eyewear. Finding the best aviation sunglasses is vital for military, commercial and general aviation pilots as vision is obviously a key factor in flying. The pilot’s eyes are at risk of excessive sun exposure, especially at high altitudes where they are exposed to more ultraviolet radiation that can penetrate eye and skin cells. The brightness alone can result in weakened eyes, eye fatigue, and radiation damage. Thus, the US Department of Defense has developed specifications for eyewear that have to be worn by military pilots.

There are a number of factors to take into account when choosing the appropriate eye protection for pilots. These include the material used, coatings, filters, visible light transmission (VLT) percentage, compatibility with helmets and other headsets. VLT is the amount of light that is transmitted through the lens and reaches the eyes. A lower VLT for flight glasses for pilots means the lenses have a tint that blocks a percentage of the light before it reaches the eyes, while a higher VLT means less tint to allow more light to reach the eyes. For example, a 9 percent VLT lens only allows 9 percent of the available light to pass through while a mid-range 18 percent VLT lens allows 18 percent of available light.

The lightest VLT lenses range from 24 to 30 percent VLT and these are most appropriate for darker cockpits, or for pilots who need more light. Thus, pilots who usually don’t require sunglasses are suited to using light VLT glasses. Furthermore, weather conditions will affect the kind of aviation eyewear needed. Pacific Northwestern pilots will typically require higher VLT lenses because of the frequent fog, while pilots in the Southwest will usually prefer lower VLT lenses because of the intense light.

Meanwhile, for ultraviolet light protection, pilots will require lenses that can block both UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays are long wave radiation that make up 95 percent of the UV radiation while UVB rays consist of the remaining 5 percent but they are the ones that cause sunburn. It is important to note that UV exposure increases with altitude and polarized sunglasses tend to interfere with the UV coatings on windscreens, resulting into visual distortion. Method Seven’s non-polarized flight glasses to block both ultraviolet light and infrared heat energy to ensure the eyes remain cool and focused during long flights without distortion.

In addition, notch filtering technology is customized for Method Seven flight glasses for aviators who need prescription lenses, whether single vision, bifocal, or progressive. Also, the proper coatings for flight glasses can help with clarity, color balancing, and glare reduction, which are all critical elements when selecting aviator sunglasses. The Method Seven FLT proprietary formula employs 13 different coatings in order to help with visibility, acuity, and the capability to do visual tasks.

Method Seven was founded by a collaborative group of scientists, problem solvers, and engineers, who desired to master the spectrum of visible light for the purpose of optimizing human vision. They began by developing eyewear solutions for those who work in the most extreme visual conditions, such as pilots who are flying at mach speeds or farmers who are exposed to high-wattage lights for several hours a day. It was not long before they realized that the eyewear they have designed for extraordinary conditions may also be useful for people in regular situations. The result is an eyewear product created using the best Italian, German, and Japanese engineering, in combination with American inventiveness. Not only do the eyewear they have designed enhance vision but they also make the person appear more fashionable because they believe that function is fashion. People can rest assured that they will continue to develop better frames, better vision, and better lenses.

People who would like to know more about the eyewear and glasses for flying available from Method Seven can check out their website or contact them through the telephone or via email. They are open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, from Monday to Friday.