It was an article by Dr. Charles Lederer M.D. (Opthamologist), "R/C Flying and Ultraviolet Light" in the April 1988 issue of "R/C Report" that first alerted me to the potential dangers of ultraviolet (UV) light rays. UV rays are suspect to causing eye problems such as cataracts, pterygium (corneal damage), and senile macular degeneration (retina damage). These eye problems are also associated with the aging process, but there is evidence that UV's accelerate them and may also affect their severity. I don't recall reading anything about UV dangers in model magazines until I read Dr. Lederer's article, or if I did read something, it didn't register. But this time I immediately had my prescription sunglasses coated for UV protection, and have worn coated sunglasses for flying ever since.

I recently read in columns appearing in the October issue of two different model magazines (not in "R/C Report") about Zurich USA sunglasses. In both instances the writers were enthusiastic about the reduced glare and the enhanced clarity with which objects were viewed, and the maximum LTV protection afforded by these sun-glasses. They are wrap around design which keeps the wind from getting in your eyes while flying a model and standing sideways to the wind. For example, our winds are usually from the north or south. I take off into the wind and do most of my flying facing east. The temples are vented to resist fogging. Zurich's are not available in prescriptions, but they fit over most regular glasses including mine. I prefer large lenses for my glasses, so if they fit mine, I am pretty sure they will fit anybody's.

Zurich's offer a choice of natural gray, rose, or amber base lens colors. Gray is recommended for all around activities, so this is the color I chose. There is a mirror finish outer coating to reflect glare, while the base lens protects your eyes from UV. The outer coating can be in one of several solid colors, or in a single gradient. Single gradient lenses have a heavier amount of coating on the top two thirds with the least amount of coating on the bottom. This blocks glare in the line of sight, but allows more light through the bottom for better visibility of instruments, charts, gauges, and modeling activities such as assembling your model at the flying site or adjusting the engine before takeoff, while still providing 100% UV protection. The break between heavier and lighter coating coincides with my bifocals, so I can easily see what I am doing while working on my model at the field. Most of my flying buddies are now using some form of wrap around sunglasses. They got them through the mail or at a trade show. We compared our glasses at the flying site and mine seem to have a noticeable improvement in glare reduction.

While working on this column, I went flying at the Woodland Aeromodelers' flying site near Woodland, CA. A flyer there splashed some fuel in his eye while trying to start his engine. He rinsed his eye with water and said it felt better, but decided to visit the hospital emergency room as a precautionary measure. If he had been wearing some form of eye protection, it could have saved him a lot of aggravation, and the cost of a trip to the emergency room.