AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2022 - 43

Flying Eyes
Designed to be worn with headsets or flight helmets
BY DAVE HIRSCHMAN
I T 'S EXPECTED THAT a pilot who owns an airplane will, at some point, get a pair of sunglasses.
But general aviation flyer Dean Siracusa got the normal order backwards. He sold his airplane, a
vintage Meyers 200, in order to buy a sunglasses company: Flying Eyes.
" I'd been a pilot for 25 years and was just tired of the headaches, the pressure points, and the noise
leaks that came from wearing a headset over traditional aviation sunglasses, " said Siracusa. " I'd done
the R&D and knew there was a better way. So, I took a risk, sold my airplane to finance the purchase
of the specialized equipment I needed, and started a new company. "
Flying Eyes was founded in 2013 and the Texas-based firm now has eight employees, and Siracusa
says it's expanding rapidly. Happily, he now owns another Meyers 200, and he says it's an even more
pristine example than the one he owned a decade ago.
" Our breakthrough came in 2016 with a strong, flexible material that makes our frames thin enough
to work with modern, ANR headsets, " he said. " Pilots could see that our products really were different
and provided unique advantages in the cockpit. "
Siracusa expanded the company's presence at aviation events so that pilots could try on different
models and make sure they fit properly. Flying Eyes best-selling models carry retail prices of $190 to
$230, and prescription versions are about $300.
" We've always offered free exchanges and money-back guarantees on our website, but giving people
the opportunity to try on different models is key, " he said.
Flying Eyes sunglasses are designed to be worn with headsets or flight helmets, and pilots are far
and away the company's largest market.
Siracusa said most Flying Eyes sunglasses components are made in the United States, and he's
exploring ways to bring all production in-house.
" We cut our own lenses in Texas right now, " he said, " and we're doing more and more of our
own injection molding [of frames], too. About 90 percent of our growth has been in aviation because
pilots recognize that our products aren't just fashion, they solve real problems. "
dave.hirschman@aopa.org flyingeyes.com
AOPA PILOT / January 2022
43
CHRIS ROSE

https://flyingeyesoptics.com/

AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2022

Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2022 - Intro
AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2022 - Cover1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2022 - Cover2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2022 - Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2022 - 2
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2022 - Cover3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2022 - Cover4
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