So you headed out to the fly field ready to fly that new radio control model you just built. It’s a perfect day, no clouds, bright sunlight and a calm wind. Perfect.
As you arrive at the fly field you see that there are already some other club members there. The runway is busy with aircraft taking off and landing on a regular basis. As you walk up to the apron you look up to see which rc aircraft is flying, and you suddenly realize that the bright sunlight won’t let you see anything.
You stroll to the car, grab your sunglasses and walk back to the fly field apron. With your sunglasses on you can see despite the bright sunlight, but you have trouble spotting the aircraft, particularly when they fly near where the sun sits on the horizon.
It doesn’t make sense, you have your sunglasses on, and you should be able to see the circling aircraft no matter where they are in the pattern. You check with your fellow pilots and discover that your sunglasses are polarized.
Polarized sunglasses may work OK for driving, but when it comes to spotting aircraft in the air they don’t work so well. The reason is that the polarization of the lenses is designed to reduce or eliminate the glint, or glare, of sunlight off of metal objects like airplanes. Same applies for fabric covered airplanes with a metal motor.
You love your hobby, so you want the best sunglasses you can get to work your model. After a bit of research you discover that the world’s best non-polarized sunglasses are Randolph sunglasses. They are non-polarized, made in America, and come with a lifetime warranty on the solder joints.
The lenses are made of polycarbonate material which is highly impact resistant and very lightweight while still providing 100% distortion free clarity with ultraviolet protection. The U.S. military makes them standard issue for their pilots, so they should work great for you.
They come with various lens tints, frame colors and temples, but the best temples are the Bayonet temples. These are like small paddles which slip easily over year ears and underneath your ball cap. The shape of these Randolph Engineering aviator sun glasses is perfect to provide great eye socket coverage, and are comfortable enough that you forget you even have them on.
You can find these Randolph aviator glasses at All Things Aviation, a website by pilots for pilots.
About the Author
John M. White, publisher of All-Things-Aviation.com, is an ATP pilot and aviation enthusiast. He started, built and sold his aviation insurance business after 30 very successful years in 2004, and has always been intrigued by the possibilities of the internet. He lives in mid-Michigan with his wife Betty (also a pilot), and often times with several of their grandchildren. His hobbies are flying, sailing, cross country skiing and photography.
You can find a great selection of aviation products for pilots on his website like and information on the best aviator sunglasses in the world.
