line vs progressive lenses for sunglasses

Help. I am at that age. I wear contacts for distance vision but now my
arms are getting too short also. Causing headaches and queasiness when
trying to read my instruments, especially the PDA.

I would like to hear back from others on what decision they made on
progressive vs. lined lenses for sunglasses?

Thanks
Kevin
SGS 1-26 192

Kevin Anderson wrote:

I would like to hear back from others on what decision they made on
progressive vs. lined lenses for sunglasses?


I fly with both my progressive photosensitive glasses and with
suntigers with stick on reading correction lenses. You can get used to
either if the prescription is correct.

In general I use the progressives for power flying and the suntigers
for soaring. My next suntigers will be progressive.


Andy

I have used progressives---the area of clear visiion at any distance is
smaller--but after a while you don't notice.

I have "sick-on" (Optx) lenses on my non-prescription Suntigers. The beauty
of these is that you can move the area, and cut them down to size.
Progressives and "ground-in" line bifocals are not adjustable. You will be
surprised to find that you don't want them exactly where you first stuck
them, and you will want to experiment. I moved my Optx lower and closer to
my nose than I first thought they should be. You use the lower-outer part of
your distance visual field more than you think.

For Power--especially instrument flight--you need a much greater range of
distances to focus---from switches and circuit breakers on the lower right
panel to IAP charts.

--
Hartley Falbaum
"Andy" wrote in message
oups.com...

Kevin Anderson wrote:

I would like to hear back from others on what decision they made on
progressive vs. lined lenses for sunglasses?


I fly with both my progressive photosensitive glasses and with
suntigers with stick on reading correction lenses. You can get used to
either if the prescription is correct.

In general I use the progressives for power flying and the suntigers
for soaring. My next suntigers will be progressive.


Andy

I've been using progressives for a decade or more. Suntiger
progressives for soaring, and though they're pricey, they're worth it
on a bright day of soaring. Progressives get some taking used to -- the
first Dr I went to insisted on calling them "fuzzy focus" lenses, and
many's the time I agreed with his assessment. But you do get used to
them, to "pointing your nose at what you're focussing on," as another
Dr told me, and I don't think I could go back to lines. You'll still
trip on steps and other items on the ground -- down in your "reading"
zone -- with progressives, but you don't feel like you're bobbing in
water, half above and half below. Fred

I agree with Andy. I have been wearing Maui Jim and Ray Ban progressives
for several years and they work great. It does take a bit of getting used
while looking over the side at someone below you....if you don't tilt your
head they'll be in your "reading area" which made me dizzy the first few
tries.

I tried the stick on ones and they were a pain.....fell off at inopportune
times but they are a whole lot cheaper ($30 vs. $400) and allow you to
purchase any sunglasses you want.

Casey Lenox
KC
Phoenix

Kevin Anderson wrote:
Help. I am at that age. I wear contacts for distance vision but now my
arms are getting too short also. Causing headaches and queasiness when
trying to read my instruments, especially the PDA.

I would like to hear back from others on what decision they made on
progressive vs. lined lenses for sunglasses?

Thanks
Kevin
SGS 1-26 192

Hi Kevin,

I can understand your problem! My wife is a power pilot and wears
progressive lenses and is very satisfied. I have been wearing
trifocals for probably 30 years and find them terrific. However, I
have been told by several ophthalmologists that once you have used
bifocals or trifocals it is nealy impossible to go back to progressive
lenses. I find my trifocals perfect for everything but working on the
computer which took me some time to become accustomed. I use the same
glasses for driving, flying power and soaring and everythig else I do.
I also feel that blue blockers are a must! I believe the advantage of
trifocals, which gives a much greater field of view for a given
correction, is the best solution. If you are interested I will be glad
to give you some hints as to how to get the correction in the proper
location.

Lorry Charchian

Kevin Anderson wrote:
Help. I am at that age. I wear contacts for distance vision but now my
arms are getting too short also. Causing headaches and queasiness when
trying to read my instruments, especially the PDA.

I would like to hear back from others on what decision they made on
progressive vs. lined lenses for sunglasses?


I use both. I use tri-focal clear lenses indoors and progressive sun
glasses when flying. Neither is ideal, but I'm not going to get my 20/15
vision back, and I am used to this set-up. At first I didn't like the
progressives, especially for flying, but you learn to deal with each
type unconsciously. The lines in the tri-focals are more annoying to me
now than the progressives.

The optometrist just couldn't make up a pair of glasses that allowed me
to focus on my flight instruments, the overhead panel, the approach
chart, the center console, or the flight attendant -- using one pair of
glasses. Progressives solved that. They also made it possible to use the
same pair in my car and in my 182 and my glider, and still focus where I
needed to focus. A very versatile tool, progressives, if you are patient
with your own adjustment process.


Jack

Kevin Anderson wrote:
I would like to hear back from others on what decision they made on
progressive vs. lined lenses for sunglasses?

I've been wearing photochromatic progressives for a few years. Can't
be bothered with multiple sets of glasses.
Yes, progressive takes some getting used to. I noticed that the
peripheral vision of progressives isn't as good as single-prescription
lenses. My suggestion for getting around SOME of that:
Get the strongest prescription you can deal with in the upper (distance) lens.
Get the lowest additional magnification in the lower lens that works for you.
This seems to give the lens a wider horizontal usable area. My
earliest attempt at progressives gave me worse vision while turning
eyes to the side than if I had no glasses. So you end up as Fred says:
"pointing your nose at what you're focusing on". Not what most of us
thought the eyeballs were for.

Jim

Kevin Anderson wrote:
Help. I am at that age. I wear contacts for distance vision but now my
arms are getting too short also. Causing headaches and queasiness when
trying to read my instruments, especially the PDA.

I would like to hear back from others on what decision they made on
progressive vs. lined lenses for sunglasses?

Thanks
Kevin
SGS 1-26 192


Kevin

I am going to assume that you are between 45 and 50 years old.

First, most people who are faced with their first pair of multifocal
glasses cannot bring themselves to wear glasses with lines. Thus they
usually prefer progressive lenses. Progressive lenses are easiest to
adapt to if you have never worn conventional bifocal lenses so you will
likely do well with them. If you are closer to 45 than 50, trifocals are
not required.

An important consideration is where the top of the reading segment is
placed and it can get expensive if the lenses have to be remade if this
is not done right the first time. To help avoid this problem, select a
non-prescription sunglass that you like, buy a set of the stick-on
reading segments and experiment with the placement of them while sitting
in your glider. Then take the glasses to the optician and let them note
the placement of the segments.

If you will tell me your age, and the distance from your eyes to the
panel and the PDA, I will tell you what strength of stick-on segment to buy.

Cheers,

Paul

"Kevin Anderson" wrote in message
...

I would like to hear back from others on what decision they made on
progressive vs. lined lenses for sunglasses?

I have been flying with progressives (both powered and soaring) now for
several years. For sunglasses, I use those magnetic clip-ons. I like the
ability to instantly take off my sunlenses without fumbling and without the
temporary blindness of switching glasses.

The progressives are a compromise, but in my opinion the best compromise
short of surgery. I did find a slight problem lining up with a runway on "long
final", but it goes away with practice. You will notice that nothing looks
"square" for a few weeks(which is why the runway is a problem), but eventually
your brain will put everything together so it looks normal.

Vaughn