New sunglasses offer pilots protection against lasers

In response to the increasing threat of laser strikes against aircraft, Revision has introduced new sunglasses that protect the vision of pilots.

Developed with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Revision’s CALI-C lens formulation offers eye protection that protects pilots against common handheld laser hazards in the cockpit.

“Each year the FAA reports a higher rate of laser strikes against aircraft, putting aviators and passengers at risk,” said Revision CEO Amy Coyne. “Over the past decade, Revision has been partnered with AFRL on laser eye protection solutions for the military. This CALI-C formulation represents a real solution that gives aviators peace of mind while operating in low-altitude operations, keeping them safe and reducing the impact of laser hazards on their mission.”

The FAA recently reported that a record number of laser strikes were reported in 2021 — 9,723, a 40% increase over 2020. Despite the threat of civil and criminal penalties plus $11,000 fines for people that shine lasers at aircraft, the number of incidents isn’t dropping. In fact, there’s reason to believe the amount of laser strikes is underreported because pilots don’t want to risk getting medically grounded as a safety precaution after reporting an in-flight laser incident, Revision officials noted.

The CALI (Commercial Aviation Low Intensity) sunglasses, which were tested by Washington State Patrol pilots, feature:

• A range of protection given the variety of laser hazards
• Lenses that don’t interfere with the cockpit instrument panel, yet transmit enough light to be worn at night when most laser incidents occur
• Frames that integrate with cockpit head borne equipment (headsets, helmets, etc).

The sunglasses are offered in two configurations tailored for either fixed-wing or rotary-wing pilots: The Aviator SF-2 frame offers a lightweight metal frame with dual lenses for the fixed-wing cockpit; and the StingerHawk frame, a single wrap-around lens for maximum coverage, ballistic protection, and anti-fog performance for rotary-wing cockpits.

Contact [email protected] for more information.