The US Army commissioned the first iteration of specialized flying sunglasses in 1935: the U.S. Army Air Corps D-1 Sunglasses. Though they were a dramatic step forward from large flying goggles in terms of size and comfort, continued development led to the adoption of the AN6531, also known as the Aviator, Flying, Sun, in 1941. The “AN” in this designation refers to the joint venture between the Army and Navy, as such they saw use by Air Force and Navy pilots, and sailors.

General Douglas MacArthur was famously photographed wearing aviator sunglasses upon his return to the Philippines after he was pushed out by invasion. Having been responsible for the development of the islands’ defenses and championing the United States’ obligation to liberate the islands, his return, accompanied by the Philippine president Sergio Osmeña, was seen by many as an iconic and heroic moment.

The AN6531 aviator style is characterized by large, teardrop-shaped, convex lenses designed to cover as much of the eye as possible, including allowing pilots to glance down at their instrumentation. The Real McCoy’s’ AVIATOR, FLYING SUN replicates the green lenses seen on early AN6531 models, late-war examples feature rose-colored lenses. The wireframe construction was chosen to allow the glasses to be worn comfortably under aviation headwear, and the flexible cable temples can be bent around the ears to keep a close fit at all times.

These functional developments proved very successful and the aviator style would see widespread adoption by military and commercial pilots during and after the war. In the post-war era popularity among civilians grew rapidly as dark glasses became closely associated with Hollywood stardom and “coolness”. This helped establish some of the most successful American eyewear manufacturers still producing today.

Green Tinted Glass Lens

Cable Temple

Leather Case

Made in Japan