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Jeff Saylor writes:
If you are a pilot who uses both a headset and eyeglasses, what IFR trainng device works and fits best for you? The generic foggles, like Sporty's sells? The Jeppesen JeppShades Flip-Up hood? A particular model of hood? I've tried most of the above and some others. Here are my views on several of them... 1) If you are using David Clark or compatible design headsets the _Hoodlamb_ is excellent. I leave mine permanently attached to my DC headset, always ready for use. It works great with glasses, goes on and off easily, and is not a hassle. A few minor problems with this otherwise excellent device I have older DC headsets with full-width stirrups, which is what this is designed to work. It works well. Newer DC headsets have narrow stirrups, and the manufacturers of the hoodlamb don't provide a narrower "shoe" for these headsets. It is more difficult to adjust it. As I grow older I've found the nearness of the device to my eyes to be somewhat intrusive. This really shows up in that it is I no longer get a "crisp" seperation between my eyeline and the panel. It is easy to get the hoodlamb cocked a bit and delete portions of the panel from view from one eye. It is also difficult to adjust the field-of-view because it is molded plastic. Because it blocks your _downward_ vision it makes using checklists and reading appoach plates in your lap or on a kneeboard an exercise in head movement which is bad in instrument flight. Or, makes that manuever uncomfortable. All that being said, I'd still be using my hoodlamb, and miss it and its convenience ..but I'm using headsets it won't fit on. 2) The Jepp Shades are a great idea for a compact hood. Unfortunately they don't allow wearing glasses -- they are much too close to one's face. Also, when "unhoooded" the "visor" doesn't rotate upward enough to remove itself from your peripheral vision. I find that annoying. It might work ok with "small" glasses. 3) Super Hood. This is what I picked up to use on my noise-cancelling headset. I find it does a good job of being a hood. Because it doesn't block downward vision, it doesn't interfere with checklists, charts, approach plates, and other such items. You can readily modify your field of view by cutting the hood to include things which should be in your field of view. It is also easy to _add_ obstructions to the hood to block things (such as the corner of a window) you would prefer not to see. Because the "lip" is farther from your eyes it creates a crisp transition between the hood and the panel. It is also quite easy to position the "holder" on your head to keep exactly what you want in view. The "hood" slips off easily for conversion to VFR flight. It takes more effort to put back on than the hoodlamb. I've managed to leave it in the airplane a few times when "throwing" it into the backseat when transitioning to visual from an approach. Out of sight, out of mind. Because of the size of its "snoot", my safety pilot(s) have commented that they have more work to do to look around it to get a good view past me. That is unfortunate, and something you might want to consider in a higher-traffic area. When I loaned it to people I fly with, it didn't seem worse than normal to me... but if the "energy" ran out of my traffic watch , the reduction in vision, esp peripheral, would be not great. I like this thing, but I miss the hoodlamb for its readiness, and convenience. 4) Foggles. I use these from time to time on an emergency basis. I've been thinking of buying a pair for my students to use, since they are more convenient to carry continuously than a conventional hood. They don't work well with glasses -- at least the larger size glasses I use. A friend who uses smaller "reading" type glasses for looking at instruments seems to have no problem using them. I don't like the gap in the headset seal they create. And the extra noise which results. That has been my experience with a variety of hoods over the last several years. Hope it helps. Bolo -- | Josef Burger U of WI-Madison Computer Sciences | "No matter where you go, | "Bolo" uwvax!bolo | There you are" | http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~bolo/ | -- Buckaroo Banzai |
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