On Thursday, December 13, 2012 4:36:40 PM UTC-8, Kimmo Hytoenen wrote:
Reflected light can get polarized, and then filtered totally by lenses

with 90 degree difference in polarization angle. Therefore using

polarized lenses is not a good idea IMHO.

And so what? That would be an issue if specular reflected polarized light the only thing we see other aircraft with. Polarized sunglasses can also significantly darken a sky, making a white glider stand out more. There is not a single scientific study that I am aware of that properly studies all the factors and addresses the real visibility of other aircraft and whether you wear polarized glasses or not. The FAA does not offer any useful proof/research here but keep repeating this specular reflection/visibility point, and is what basically appears to be somebody's tarted up opinion.

The real issues I've run into over years of flying power aircraft and gliders with polarized sunglasses are certain instruments/displays or stress patterns in some aircraft windows. And here is the IQ test... you get to try those out on the ground before you fly and make a decision if its OK or not.

Darryl