6 reviews for American Optics Flight Gear Original Pilot Sunglass, 57-mm Gold Frame with Bayonet Temples, True Color Grey Glass Lens

1. 

   Jeremy W. Galloway – July 17, 2021

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Great glasses, optical quality is amazing (colors look more saturated and cinematic), and the gold really looks great. The polarization is every bit as good, if not better, than my dad’s $200 Luxottica shades. Just as a heads up though, with these glasses, LESS IS MORE!! I got the 55s and returned them for the 52s bc the glass really is heavy, and it WILL slide down your nose, especially when you’re sweating or moving a lot. Also, the style of the frames and lenses just looks better smaller. The 55s looked a bit doofy on me, but the 52s look fly as hell. Don’t get the 55mm or 57mm option unless you are sure you have a fairly wide head. 52 is the best look for most people.
2. 

   Leonidas – July 25, 2021

   Rated 2 out of 5

   So as soon as i got these I fell in love with them because of how great they look and bc of the quality; they really do have a nice weighty feel to them and the lenses are thick.

   Right from the start though I could tell those damn adjustable nose pieces were gonna be a problem… not to mention they’re uncomfortable as hell and due to the weight of these glasses they’re gonna push down on your nose very hard, leaving goofy marks on the side of your nose as a result.

   They were the only part of the glasses that genuinely felt flimsy and low quality and sure enough a few months ago one of them outright snapped off, making the glasses basically unusable until I find a DIY way to fix them or rest on the nose comfortably. I feel kinda bad leaving 2 stars on these but man, I’ve gotten significantly more mileage out of the $12 sunglasses I got from urban outfitters (these glasses cost me almost 5 times that)

   Lesson learned, stick with the cheaper brands. Somehow these $60 “american” made sunglasses don’t even have polarization meanwhile half of the cheap <$15 chinese sunglasses you see on this site come polarized.

   Meh. Big regret buying these for me personally, $60 down the god damn drain.
3. 

   G&B – August 1, 2021

   Rated 5 out of 5

   My dad was a Naval Aviator ’69 – ’72 on USS Coral Sea. I had his original aviator sunglasses, and they were AWESOME! Unfortunately I let my “friend” borrow them when he went into the Navy. When he came home, I asked for them back, and he said they were his. Not my friend anymore… These are the closest thing I can find, since they are made by the same company that made my dad’s. They’ll never have the same sentimental value, but I’ll always think of my dad when I wear them. And I’ll wear them PROUDLY!
   PS – get the 52mm unless you truly have a gargantuan noggin.
4. 

   Jeff – August 26, 2021

   Rated 5 out of 5

   I’ve had these for about a year now and for a while wasn’t even wearing them… initially I was a little disappointed in them, but I’ve slowly come around. They’re really intended for pilot use and I don’t think they work *quite* as well for everyday wear, but I’ve been doing that lately and I’ve decided you just need to get a little bit used to them.

   They do look great, they’re definitely way more durable than the three other (cheap) pairs I’ve worn out or outright broken in the time I’ve owned these, and they’re actually a really good value among real aviator sunglasses. A pair of Ray-Bans or Randolph USA’s (which are IDENTICAL to these; I know someone with a pair) will set you back more than double the price in most cases.

   The two things you have to be prepared for and/or get used to are:

   1) The bayonet-style earpieces. If you’re not a pilot (and even if you are; not all pilots know this), you may wonder what the point of these are. Well, impress your friends when you tell them that these are meant to allow you to take off and put on the sunglasses more easily when wearing a headset. I can absolutely confirm that they work – you can pull off and push on the sunglasses from the bridge with one hand while wearing a headset. (I physically broke a cheaper pair with standard ear pieces trying to take them off while wearing my headset one day.)

   But when you’re *not* wearing a headset, ie. just doing regular stuff, the bayonet ear pieces do mean the sunglasses can more easily slide down your nose. They also pinch the sides of my head a bit. I’ve gotten used to the feeling, though, and for aviation purposes they are better. If you actually are a pilot, you probably want bayonet style.

   2) The glass lenses are heavy… but also extremely durable. Now, AO does offer these with polycarbonate lenses, so bear that in mind. Just order them that way if you want that. I specifically wanted glass because they don’t scratch as easily. But I had forgotten how much heavier they are; it’s a small amount of extra weight in absolute terms, but over a period of time wearing them, you definitely start to feel it. And it also helps them to slide down if you’re not wearing a headset.

   That said, my lenses don’t have a single scratch on them after a year of (increasing) use, whereas the three cheaper pairs with polycarbonate lenses that I was using in the meantime looked like they’d been through a war after only a month or two.

   I know one or two other, older reviews have also complained about bent or misaligned frames from the factory, but mine seems pretty straight and it hasn’t really loosened up or gotten bent through use either. It also doesn’t have any scratches on it; basically, my pair looks brand new and at this point, I am using them every day both in the cockpit and out.

   In the end these have taken over as my default sunglasses because of the four pairs of different sunglasses I started the year with, two broke outright and one is so worn and scratched that I can’t even see out of them properly anymore, but over the same time period these AO’s don’t look or feel any different whatsoever from when I bought them new. I do keep them in the case most of the time when I’m totally done wearing them (I just keep them on my shirt during the day, though), but I don’t take any special care other than that.
5. 

   Steve – August 30, 2021

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Exactly as advertised.

   These have been my standard kit since 2011.
   I have also had Randolph engineering witch is a ever so slightly refined product. if I score Randolph 💯 AO would score 97.825 lol but they can be easy 70+ doll hairs more for the Randolphs. They were both the “ originals” and share the identical original milspec for US government, one brand became Hollywood famous but pilots know they are the same glasses the “cheaper” ones have been on many NASA missions.❤️ I’ll stick with em
6. 

   jerryq1000 – September 3, 2021

   Rated 3 out of 5

   These glasses are nearly identical to those I was issued as a aircrew member on a P3. I had Rx lenses installed, and silicone nose pad installed for comfort. They were terrific for over 1 year. They were my back up pair… As I was driving home 2 weeks ago, the left nose piece/pad literally fell off into my lap. I reported the incident to Amazon, sent a photo to the seller (Silberman’s Workwear) and hoped they might just be able to replace the frames. Silberman’s declined to do anything because the glasses had been shipped over six months ago. I’ve contacted AO Eyewear and they are willing to take a look to see if it may have been a manufacturing defect.
   I understand every company has to have a return policy, but to not even be willing to inspect the glasses is really disappointing and will certianly affect my decision to purchase from Silberman’s in the future.
   I’ll let everyone know how the return to AO Eyewear works out.

   Update:
   AO sent me a new set of frames after I sent the damaged frames for their inspection. Great CS from AO; can’t say the same for Silberman.