Looking for recommendation - RV pilot knowledgable optometrist

Hi there
Ok, I'll admit this is stretching the "RV relevant" aspect a little, but I'm sure many on this board have come across the same issue.

I am trying to find a competent, optometrist who is knowledgeable about the needs of pilots, particularly our need for sunglasses that can work with a prescription while being suitable for the large variations in light etc. of the RV cockpits (large canopy, lots of sun, EFIS with a lot of detail on the screen).

My last optical office was closed after the owner was arrested for insurance fraud, and they didn't have an aviation knowledgeable doctor either.

I am in Prescott Az, which means I'll probably have to travel to Phoenix to find someone qualified.
Any help would be much appreciated.

Thank you!!!

Darkest tint possible, trifocals if you need them, no polarization (won't be able to see some instruments).

Give this to any optometrist:

https://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pilotsafetybrochures/media/sunglasses.pdf

Lens recommendations will depend on your prescription; if you require distance and near correction, make sure to fully explain distance from your eye to the efis etc. Be prepared to pay for a quality pair of glasses - you very much get what you pay for contrary to what you read on the internet.

There used to be an optometrist organization that had a booth at OSH. I got a chance to speak with them and they gave me some tips when working with your local optometrist for glasses. I started with Trifocals so that I had a distance field for outside, a mid field for the instrument panel and a small near focus for reading a chart. With the advent of Foreflight where I can zoom in to see things, I dropped the near focus for reading maps.

But here is the advise they gave me. Get the frames that you want with planar lenses, untinted to get some measurements. Make sure they sit on your face where you want them. Put them on, sit in the airplane with the seat where you normally fly, and carefully measure the distance from your eye, to the instrument panel, and if you want a trifocals, the distance to where the chart is for reading. It is advisable to get someone to help to make sure you are holding your head normally and that the measurement is taken from your eye position.

Then the last thing is to determine where you want the lines on the lenses. Take a grease pencil and mark the lense where you want the break. I put this line between the distance focus and the instrument panel so it is where the glare shield is. Do the same for the reading lense. Leave the lines on the lenses and go to wherever you get your glasses. I worked online with Sheyden, because they put the lines exactly where I wanted them. A lot of the local shops will only have a couple of places where they put the lines and won?t accommodate a custom requirement.
With this information, and your standard refraction, you can get a very good set of glasses.

Brian Pham (1flyingyogi) is an RV-4 owner who is an optometrist. He's in SoCal.

You could get those stick-on reader lenses to figure out what works (strength,location) with a normal set of glasses.

I recently switched to the transitions-type glasses that change shade with light variations. At their suggestion I got the "highly active" version. I have been very happy with them. At night they have a very slight tint, but not enough to reduce your night vision. on a sunny day they get pretty dark. Sometimes I would like them a little darker, but overall they are a good compromise.

Thank you - still looking for a recommendation

Thank you to everyone for the suggestions above. I have discovered many of the tips already listed over the past 3 years of flying with prescription lenses.
I use progressive lenses for flying which help with the rapid near/far vision transitions we do when flying (inside the cockpit to outside etc).

What I'm really looking for is a specific recommendation for an optometrist practice in the PHX or Northern Az area.
I have a decent idea of what I need, but having to explain that to a practice with no aviation experience or understanding has been tricky and resulted in poorly made lenses. Living in the boonies of N Arizona, finding competent skilled people is difficult in all areas including medical.

Does anyone have a recommendation for an optometrist they are happy with?

Thank you!

Not normally what I comment on but-----2 years ago when it was time to renew my script, my DR did a mono focal lens with regular auto tint. So I flew it both with a clip on UV sunglass, and without. I likes the UV, but it did distort the screens. I found that just my regular glasses and tint were great. And it just so happens that my dead spot was about 18 -24 inches out. Her monofocal script was right on the $$.

Tom

Sparrowhwk said:

Thank you to everyone for the suggestions above. I have discovered many of the tips already listed over the past 3 years of flying with prescription lenses.
I use progressive lenses for flying which help with the rapid near/far vision transitions we do when flying (inside the cockpit to outside etc).

What I'm really looking for is a specific recommendation for an optometrist practice in the PHX or Northern Az area.
I have a decent idea of what I need, but having to explain that to a practice with no aviation experience or understanding has been tricky and resulted in poorly made lenses. Living in the boonies of N Arizona, finding competent skilled people is difficult in all areas including medical.

Does anyone have a recommendation for an optometrist they are happy with?

Thank you!

Click to expand...

I couldn't even get a decent haircut when I lived in Prescott, so I know what you mean....