Tinted (amber) Visor

[Guest Bushmaster]

What is the difference of the amber tinted one than the dark ones? Does the usage depend on the type of mission? Or are they pretty much same as what we use as "driving glasses" for higher contrast?

https://www.af.mil/media/photodb/photos/990...F-2171A-010.jpg

[Gravedigger]

I have wondered the same thing. I found this description of the amber tint- "Brown and amber reduce glare, including the glare created by the blue frequency in sunlight, which creates a hazy appearance. These tints distort colors more than gray lenses do."

My guess would be that those visors are used for missions on really sunny days, or flying above the cloud deck, but that's of course just guessing on my part.

[Guest txaggie_99]

Let me preface by saying I work in Life Support, so you're getting the right answer...The picture is actually a yellow or (high contrast) visor. As the name implies, it's high contrast for those cloudy days. There is/was an amber visor which is used for protecting the eyes from using laser guided type munitions...the gray is just like plain old sunglasses. There is also a gradient visor which has a gradual tint to it from the bottom of the visor to the top, i.e. for looking down inside the cockpit, there is less tint making it easier to function. Then of course, there's the clear one...

[Gravedigger]

So do the guys in life support pick a visor appropriate to the mission, or is that done by pilots? Also, what visor is generally used?

[Guest Bushmaster]

Wow you shot the question down before I asked, about the gradient ones...

https://www.af.mil/media/photodb/photos/050...F-4201N-026.jpg

Do all visors shield harmful UV?

I usually use amber tinted sunglasses for daily use, sometimes I get used to them, I don't want to remove them since things looks so much better with them. Blublocker has some nice driving ones also. I was wondering if that is the same reason helmets had those visors, and I found out, thank you.

[Guest Bushmaster]

Oh by the way, clear one is for night, just for protection in case of an emergency where he needs to punch out? Is that right?

[Ram]

https://www.af.mil/media/photodb/photos/050...F-4201N-026.jpg

[/QB]

I find this picture funny for some reason...

"Now, according to this TPC, I parked the jet over there..."

[Guest Bushmaster]

Man is he wearing a flak vest?? Darn how does he even move in that tiny cockpit if that is a flak vest, looks like our flak vests...

[Herk Mafia]

That looks like one of those pics where if you provide the winning caption, you can win a hundred bucks.

[Guest txaggie_99]

The clear is typically used at night, and yes it's just there primarily for protection in case of ejection. Life Support definitely doesn't pick the type of visor for the pilot. Most pilots in our squadron prefer the plain grey...in fact some don't even like the newer gradient ones. Just another tidbit, I think it's ACC wide, but if you want to use a "high contrast" yellow one you have to be on a list approved by a flight doc...only a formality though.

[Toro]

Originally posted by Bushmaster:

Do all visors shield harmful UV?

I was told yes by the LS techs at CBM - even the clear visors.

Originally posted by Bushmaster:

clear one is for night, just for protection in case of an emergency where he needs to punch out? Is that right?

For NVG qualified aircrew, you're not likely to use these much after UPT. Strike Eagle aircrew fly their first night sortie with NVG - the NVG bracket goes on the helmet instead of the visor.

All your other questions have been answered spot on by GuardAg99.

[Guest Bushmaster]

I am still wondering what that Viper guy is wearing, looks like a bulletproof vest... why? Never seen it before...

[Guest txaggie_99]

Toro you're of course correct about the NVG qualed aircrew...I left that part out. I don't know why, but we give our guys the clear in their helmet bag if flying at night...?...seems pretty stupid in my opinion

[Guest txaggie_99]

Bush-

As for the flak jacket...not sure about that one, but I think I remember this photo being from a unit during an exercise, which would also be why he's wearing his O2 mask (to simulate his aircrew chem mask)...however, we just went through an ORI and didn't do the flak jackets for the stepping aircrew...

[Guest Bushmaster]

Thanks, I know how much it sucks to wear that, especially if you are going into the cockpit.

[Hacker]

Originally posted by Toro:

I was told yes by the LS techs at CBM - even the clear visors.

[Herk Mafia]

You guys keep asking why this guy is wearing a flak vest. How about why is this guy out of the jet with his helmet, mask, and visor on, wings on his shoulder, and looking at his Falcon View printout?

[Guest Bushmaster]

This must be some sort of exercise and he must be waiting, ready to go... You can see he is sitting next to his jet, the reflection from his visor. I have never seen AF guys flying with the vest on, never seen our Apache guys either, that is why I was wondering. I thought it was mostly for people on the ground, combat arms etc...

[Hacker]

Originally posted by AFUPTstud:

You guys keep asking why this guy is wearing a flak vest. How about why is this guy out of the jet with his helmet, mask, and visor on, wings on his shoulder, and looking at his Falcon View printout?

Wait until your first Phase I or Phase II ORE/ORI...then it will allllllll make sense!

The short story is that they're simulating generating sorties while in a chem/bio attack environment. Pilots will wear the regular helmet with the mask up and visor down to simulate wearing the the Aircrew Chemical Defense Ensemble, which is basically a complicated gas mask you can fly with. It's easy to damage the real thing by wearing it in an exercise, and because the field of view is pretty poor through the eyepieces, it's safer to fly during an exercise with it simulated.

I don't think he's going to go fly with the flak vest on...it's likely just there while he's on the ground prior to getting in the jet and going.

[ 07. June 2005, 20:02: Message edited by: Hacker ]

[Guest Dirt Beater]

Toro/Hacker:

Do you guys wear your nametag on your shoulder because there's so much junk covering your chest (CE vest, harness, etc)?

[Hacker]

Originally posted by NSFW:

Do you guys wear your nametag on your shoulder because there's so much junk covering your chest (CE vest, harness, etc)?

Wearing the nametag on the shoulder comes primarily from wear of a loaded survival vest, although you'll have F-15C and Viper guys tell you it's because of the COMBAT EDGE vest. Guys were doing that long before the counterpressure vest came along, though.

The reality is, they're both good reasons -- the name can't be read under either item of gear, and also can get caught up under that stuff.

[Beaver]

I was told that NONE of the visors provide ANY UV protection. The smoke visor is only tint, which has the side effect of making your pupils dilate, letting in more UV radiation.

[Guest CBStud]

Originally posted by AFUPTstud:

You guys keep asking why this guy is wearing a flak vest. How about why is this guy out of the jet with his helmet, mask, and visor on, wings on his shoulder, and looking at his Falcon View printout?

According to our life support, the rule is you must have double ear protection on the flight line near running jets. Since we always wear ear plugs and the helmet is the second layer, they suggested wearing the helmet around the flight line. Maybe this guy had the same recommendation given to him .

[Toro]

Double ear protection is not a flat-out rule for the flightline - the only time I've ever done it was in Tweets. The guy has his helmet on for exercise purposes.

[Guest Rainman A-10]

Originally posted by Toro:

Double ear protection is not a flat-out rule for the flightline - the only time I've ever done it was in Tweets. The guy has his helmet on for exercise purposes.

I'm pretty sure it is a rule for mx guys.

I've heard the nametag on the shoulder thing is so the crew chief knows who you are when you have your chem gear on. I don't do the nametag on the shoulder thing...maybe because I'm easy to recognize with or without chem gear.

He's not going to wear that thing in the jet.

PACAF wears flak jackets when walking around the flightline for their exercises (or at least they did when I was in PACAF). That's to keep the NoDAK snipers at bay. I always thought that was stupid when I was in PACAF.

Then I got to Bagram and realized it was probably not a bad idea after I watched a guy take a round in the chow line two people in front of me. The next day a round came through the tent and went through the laptop on the desk next to me. I pulled my flak jacket out of my bag after that but I didn't always wear it. It just felt better knowing where it was.