Skiing In Bright Sunlight – Winter Sports

There are 3 known weather phenomena associated with winter sports like skiing that can affect the safety of any trip, and these relate to the ability of skiers to see their environment clearly and their ability to cope with challenges to their depth perception.

Those 3 weather phenomena are:

1. Flat Light;
2. White Out;
3. Self Induced White Out.

Flat Light

Flat light is an optical illusion commonly known as sector or partial white out, a condition which can cause a skier to lose their depth of field and contrast vision capabilities. This danger is commonly accompanied by overcast sky conditions which inhibit good visual cues, and occur in fresh snow covered areas.

Flat light can completely obscure terrain features which can make it impossible to judge distance and closure rates. This reflected light can give skiers a lot of difficulty in seeing dangers ahead like trees, ice patches, boulders or other dangers.

No doubt you have seen video on the late night news showing multiple vehicle accidents during the winter, most caused by visibility problems.

White Out

This situation occurs when the skier becomes engulfed in a uniform white glow which can occur when sking through a snow shower or snow storm. Because there are no shadows in this situation skiers can not see the horizon and all depth of field cues are lost.

Because there are no visual references a white out situation can be very dangerous for skiers, therefore sking in white out conditions should be avoided.

Self Induced White Out

A Helicopter Accident Resulting From Self Induced White Out

Self induced white out is commonly associated with helicopter operations when arriving or departing a snow covered area. Rotor downwash picks up snow particles and recirculates them through the rotor system and can happen even on very bright days with good contrast and still result in a complete loss of visual cues.

If the helicopter pilot has not prepared themself for this immediate loss of visibility the results can be disastrous.

When All Visual References Are Lost

When all visual references are lost skiers should first and foremost trust their instincts and pull over to the side of the trail followed by finding a way to exit the white out area and find outside visual cues. Getting caught in a no visual reference situation can be fatal.

Physical awareness may tell you that you are sking straight; however, you may actually find yourself rapidly approaching other unseen hazards that may cause you serious injury.

How To Lower White Out Risks

• Always leave yourself an out;
• Do not continue sking when you have no visual reference left;
• Make sure you don’t lose sight of your visual references points at any time, and never turn away from your reference point;
• ski with your head straight looking forward and always be aware of your surroundings and what is in front of you.

The Proper Sunglasses Can Help

Randolph Engineering AF51612 Tan Lens Aviator Sunglasses

A good pair of sunglasses with tan lenses are excellent for conditions such as flat light, white out, self induced white out and haze or low visibility light conditions. Tan lenses will improve contrast and help with depth perception, and therefore are a great choice for winter driving.

For skiers polarized lenses are best because they will reduce or eliminate the glare off of the snow.

You can find a great pair of sunglasses with tan lenses here: Randolph Sunglasses

Summary

When dealing with flat light or white out conditions while sking always remember that there are many factors to consider. Your sing instinctive responses must be immediate and based upon a well thought out plan of action.

These unique visual conditions are insidious and sneak up on you without warning and at any time making the environment a real challenge to completing a safe time.

Most important of all: STAY ALERT!

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Winter Snow Storm Seen Through A Windshield

There are 3 known weather phenomena associated with winter driving that can affect the safety of any trip, and these relate to the ability of drivers to see their environment clearly and their ability to cope with challenges to their depth perception.

Those 3 weather phenomena are:

1. Flat Light;
2. White Out;
3. Self Induced White Out.

Flat Light

Flat light is an optical illusion commonly known as sector or partial white out, a condition which can cause a driver to lose their depth of field and contrast vision capabilities. This danger is commonly accompanied by overcast sky conditions which inhibit good visual cues, and occur primarily in snow covered areas. This condition can also occur in blowing dust conditions, over sand, mud flats and water as well.

Flat light can completely obscure terrain features which can make it impossible to judge distance and closure rates. This reflected light can give drivers a lot of difficulty in seeing dangers ahead like stopped vehicles, road obstructions, curves or other dangers.

No doubt you have seen video on the late night news showing multiple vehicle accidents during the winter, most caused by visibility problems.

White Out

This situation occurs when the driver becomes engulfed in a uniform white glow which can occur when driving through snow, dust, sand, mud or water. Because there are no shadows in this situation drivers can not see the horizon and all depth of field cues are lost.

Because there are no visual references a white out situation can be very dangerous for drivers, therefore driving in white out conditions should be avoided.

Self Induced White Out

A Helicopter Accident Resulting From Self Induced White Out

Self induced white out is commonly associated with helicopter operations when arriving or departing a snow covered area. Rotor downwash picks up snow particles and recirculates them through the rotor system and can happen even on very bright days with good contrast and still result in a complete loss of visual cues.

If the helicopter pilot has not prepared themself for this immediate loss of visibility the results can be disastrous.

When All Visual References Are Lost

When all visual references are lost drivers should first and foremost trust their instincts and pull over to the side of the road followed by finding a way to exit the white out area and find outside visual cues. Getting caught in a no visual reference situation can be fatal.

Physical awareness may tell you that you are driving straight; however, you may actually find yourself rapidly approaching other unseen vehicles that may be going slower than you or completely stopped.

How To Lower Flat Light Risks

• Always leave yourself an out;
• Do not continue driving when you have no visual reference left;
• Make sure you don’t lose sight of your visual references points at any time, and never turn away from your reference point;
• Drive with your head straight looking forward and always be aware of your surroundings and what is in front of you.

The Proper Sunglasses Can Help

Randolph Engineering AF51612 Tan Lens Aviator Sunglasses

A good pair of sunglasses with tan lenses are excellent for conditions such as flat light, white out, self induced white out and haze or low visibility light conditions. Tan lenses will improve contrast and help with depth perception, and therefore are a great choice for winter driving.

You can find a great pair of sunglasses with tan lenses here: Randolph Sunglasses

Summary

When dealing with flat light or white out conditions during winter driving always remember that there are many factors to consider. Your driving instinctive responses must be immediate and based upon a well thought out plan of action.

These unique visual conditions are insidious and sneak up on you without warning and at any time making the environment a real challenge to completing a safe trip.

Most important of all: STAY ALERT!

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How To Determine Frame Sizes For Aviator Sunglasses

The best, and simplest way is to use a ruler and – while looking into a mirror – measure the distance across your face temple to temple. In the image on the left we demonstrate exactly how to do this. Of course if you can get the assistance of a mate or friend it might be easier.

But it will help if you understand the language used in determining frame sizes. First you need to know the parts of a pair of aviator sunglasses frames by looking at the image below:

The Parts Of A Sunglasses Frame

Now that you know the various parts of a pair of sunglasses, and what they are called, you need to understand how manufacturers decide frame sizes to advertise a particular pair of sunglasses for. Referring to the following image we can see the measurements used by manufacturers when deciding on the frame sizes for a pair of sunglasses frames:

How Manufacturers Measure The Size Of Sunglasses Frames

The most important number to take away from the image above is the one in “gold” – 54. These frames would be called 54mm sunglasses. In other words, when you see a size given in an advertisement for sunglasses frames the number is the width of the sunglasses lens.

However, to determine exactly how wide a set of frames are you need to add together the width of both lenses (at their widest point) PLUS the bridge measurement and in some cases the width of the hinges on either side of the sunglasses frame.

If you already own a pair of sunglasses then you might be able to determine their size by looking at the inside of one of the temples, and if not there look under the bridge. Here is an example of what I am talking about:

Where To Find A Pair Of Sunglasses Frame Size

Finally, when it comes to our Randolph Sunglasses you can use the following chart to determine the proper size for you:

Randolph Sunglasses Standard Frame Sizes

Now that you know how to measure yourself and how to figure out the size of a pair of sunglasses you should be confident when you choose the size you want for your very own pair of Randolph sunglasses.

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Optometrists Treat Retinal Disease In Your Eyes

One of the reasons for this increased risk of disease or damage to a pilot’s eyes is due to the fact that the strength of ultraviolet radiation increases as an aircraft moves higher up in the atmosphere, and pilots spend a great deal of time at these higher altitudes – typically 30,000 feet above sea level and higher.

It has been well established that light can cause damage to the retina. Whenever the eyes are subjected to prolonged exposure to intense light they can become injured or diseased. Today one of the risk pilots are subjected to is people on the ground directing laser beams into the cockpit windshield in an attempt to blind or at least disable a pilot’s vision.

The risks of retinal disease are not limited to pilots; anyone who spends a great deal of time outdoors in bright sunlight – like over the road truckers or landscapers – are also at risk of retina disease or damage. It is extremely important that you always protect your eyes from harsh sunlight with a good pair of sunglasses.

When purchasing a good pair of sunglasses consider not only how well it blocks visible light, but how well they absorb ultraviolet light which is out of the visible light range.

Here is a short video talking about retina burnout:

The FAA commissioned a study on the use of sunglasses by pilots and noted the risks to eyes from both uv rays and visible light. Their recommendation was to purchase a good pair of sunglasses that allow only 12-18% of visible light through the lens and which absorb 98-100% of ultraviolet radiation.

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Sunglasses For The Colorblind Help Them See Colors

Almost 1 in 10 men have some form of color blindness and inhibits their ability to distinguish colors and affects licensing for things like flying airplanes. While not nearly as serious as blindness or vision that can not be corrected, color blindness is nevertheless a troublesome issue for many.

A recent article in Cnet described a new solution: Sunglasses For The Color Blind. What follows is an excerpt from that article:

Color blindness, also known as color vision deficiency, is not an issue I’ve had to deal with. In fact, it’s not something that crops up in women much. Statistics show about 1 in 10 men have some form of color blindness, so if you’re not color blind yourself, you probably know someone who is.

That means there’s a good chunk of the population that wouldn’t mind a little assist in the color department. This is where sunglasses maker EnChroma hopes to make its mark.

EnChroma Lenses Have Special Optical Coatings

EnChroma produces lenses with special optical coatings that selectively filter the light coming through to enhance the wearer’s view of colors.

If these glasses work as advertised, it could help people with color blindness read things like traffic signals and fashion cues more accurately.

Protective Eyewear For Laser Surgeons Leads To Sunglasses For The Color Blind

The idea came out of work in developing custom protective eyewear for laser surgeons. The Enchroma Cx line comes in several different versions for those with regular sight; folks with deuteranomaly (red/green blindness); and people with protanomaly (red weakness).

A Graphic Showing How The New Lenses Help The Colorblind

Perhaps the best thing about these glasses is that they will be available with Buddy Holly frames so you can be high-tech without sacrificing your charmingly nerdy look. Pricing is not yet announced, but the sunglasses will be available this fall.

Check out this smartphone app which helps the color blind: DanKam Smartphone App

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Randolph Engineering Aviator Frame Joint

The quality of Randolph® Aviator frames is very important to Randolph® Engineering, and in this photograph you see Marcin Szymanski showing us a finished eye frame made of 18% nickel silver alloy.

Marcin Szymanski is the manufacturing manager at Randolph® Engineering and was our escort during our tour of the Randolph® Engineering factory.

Here Marcin is holding in his hand a recently formed lens holder after one of the connecting joints has been soldered it in place on the Aviator front.

Self Manufactured Solder For Joint Strength And Integrity

Marcin Szymanski Holding A Completed Randolph Aviator Sunglasses Lens Frame

Randolph® Engineering manufactures their very own solder in order to assure good adhesion to the 18% nickel silver eye wire used in the construction of their frames. They decided to manufacture their own solder after experiencing difficulty with commercially available solder products.

Because of this Randolph® Engineering offers a lifetime warranty on their frame joints, and in order to make sure the quality is there every 50th pair are twist tested.

200+ Manufacturing Stages For Randolph® Aviator Sunglasses

Each pair of Randolph® Aviator sunglassesgo through more than 200 production stages before being delivered to customers. Most all of those 200+ production stages are done by hand which accounts for why Randolph® Aviator sunglasses are world class and preferred by both pilots and non-pilots world wide.

With their contemporary style, strength and beauty Randolph® Aviators are considered world class with their owners. With lots of choices each Customer can build their very own pair of Randolph® Aviators exactly the way they want.

Be sure and check out the great selection of Randolph® Aviators here!

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The Lockeed-Martin F-22A Raptor Fighter Inspired The Ranolph Raptor Sunglasses

The Lockheed-Martin F-22A “Raptor” fighter aircraft inspired Randolph® Engineering to design their Raptor Sunglasses which are worn everywhere, whether navigating the skies inside your cockpit or winding your way down a mountain trail.

With their unique curved spring temples and sleek style these Raptor Sunglasses not only deliver distortion free visual acuity, but a comfortable fit and feel combined with incredible strength and durability.

Randolph Raptor Sunglasses 59mm Matte Black Frame Skull Temples AGX Polycarbonate Lenses

Each pair go through more than 200 manufacturing processes right here in the United States, most by hand performed by world class craftsmen using world class materials.

The AGX (slight green tint) polycarbonate lenses provide exceptional distortion free visual acuity making everything you see in sharp contrast and clearer than you ever thought possible.

At only $ 129.00 with FREE US shipping (flat $ 30.00 Non-US Shipping) these Raptor sunglasses will keep your eyes protected no matter what your adventure!

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Soldering Stations At The Randolph Engineering Plant

In an earlier post I outlined how the 18% nickel silver eye wire was pulled off of a spool and sent through a lens wire machine which both cut the wire and shaped it as well. The shaped eye wire parts are dropped into a container, sorted and then sent to the soldering stations in the plant.

It is at these soldering stations

Randolph Engineering Sunglasses Front Frame Holding Jig

Once the parts are placed into the jig and conform to the desired shape the joints are soldered together to make a complete sunglasses frame front into which the lenses will be slipped during a later stage of the process.

Randolph® Engineering Lifetime Solder Joint Guarantee

In order to make such a bold guarantee Randolph® Engineering must make sure that the solder joints will be extremely strong and can withstand the kind of use pilots will put the Randolph® Aviator sunglasses through.

Because commercially supplied solder was not good enough to meet Randolph® Engineering standards, Randolph produces its very own solder for joining the parts together. In this way Randolph can be certain that the sunglasses frames will remain intact even under extremely heavy use.

The “Infamous” Randolph® Aviator Twist Test

Randolph Engineering Aviator Frame Twist Test

Every 50th pair of Randolph® Aviator sunglasses are subjected to a “twist test” where the frame is twisted 180 degrees upon itself in order to insure solder joint integrity. In this way Randolph® Engineering can be sure that the product will meet the durability and strength requirements demanded by their Customers.

While there are many other aviator sunglasses sold in the U.S., these Made in the USA Randolph® Aviator sunglasses are far superior to their competitors for fit, finish and performance. And in addition, no one stands behind their products better than Randolph® Engineering – no one!

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Randolph Engineering P3 Sunglasses 23K Gold Skull Temple Gray Glass Lenses

The Randolph® P3 sunglasses were originally designed for use inside of submarines, and are standard issue to submariners in the U.S. Navy.

However, over time the look caught on in the 60′s and were preferred by the likes of John Lennon and Elton John in the entertainment industry.

Randolph P3 Sunglasses 23K Gold Frame Cable Temples Gray Lenses

These Randolph® P3 sunglasses are Made in the USA using the finest materials available in the world today, and each pair goes through over 200 production stages, many by hand. Those hand operations are performed by extremely skilled craftsmen, and the end result are a pair of outstanding sunglasses that not only are beautiful but deliver exceptional performance combined with incredible durability.

Randolph P3 Sunglasses

The 18% nickel silver frames are not only durable and extremely strong, but hold the finish so well it should last a lifetime.

You can purchase your very own pair for just 109.00 today with FREE Continental US Shipping (just $ 30 for non-US shipping).

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