Foggles vs Hood: Choosing a View Limiting Device for IFR Training
Quick answer: Foggles are training glasses with frosted upper lenses that block your view out the windshield while keeping the instrument panel in clear focus. Instrument students and rated pilots wear them to log simulated instrument time in a real airplane, because 14 CFR 61.57(c) requires that simulated work be done using a view-limiting device. For most pilots, the glasses style is the one to buy. If you wear prescription glasses full time, get a clip-on style instead.
Every instrument rating and every currency cycle runs into the same problem: you need to practice flying solely by reference to instruments, and the weather rarely cooperates on your schedule. A view limiting device solves it. Put one on and the outside world disappears while the panel stays sharp, which is exactly the condition the FAA calls simulated instrument flight.
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Shop IFR Training Products âWhy view limiting devices exist
Three regulations create the demand for these devices, and it pays to keep them straight. These citations reflect the rules as of August 2026.
14 CFR 61.57(c) is the currency rule. To act as pilot in command under IFR or in weather below VFR minimums, you must have performed and logged, within the preceding 6 calendar months, six instrument approaches, holding procedures and tasks, and intercepting and tracking courses through the use of navigational electronic systems. The regulation lets you do that work in actual weather conditions, under simulated conditions using a view-limiting device, or in an approved full flight simulator, flight training device, or aviation training device. The phrase "view-limiting device" comes straight from the regulation itself, and it does not name any particular style. Foggles, a hood, and a clip-on all qualify.
14 CFR 91.109(c) is the safety pilot rule. No person may operate an aircraft in simulated instrument flight unless the other control seat is occupied by a safety pilot who holds at least a private pilot certificate with category and class ratings appropriate to the aircraft being flown. The safety pilot must have adequate vision forward and to each side of the aircraft, or a competent observer in the aircraft must adequately supplement that vision. The aircraft also needs fully functioning dual controls, with a narrow exception allowing a single-engine airplane with a single functioning throwover control wheel when the safety pilot determines the flight can be conducted safely and the pilot manipulating the controls holds at least a private pilot certificate with appropriate ratings.
14 CFR 61.51(g) is the logging rule. It governs what counts as instrument time in your logbook, and it has enough traps that it gets its own section below.
The three types compared
Foggles training glasses
The classic. Partially frosted polycarbonate lenses block the outside view while a clear lower portion keeps the instruments visible. Foggles fit like standard eyeglasses rather than over an existing pair, so they ride under a headset the same way ordinary glasses do. Prescription wearers should confirm fit before buying; many fly them with contacts instead. The lightweight polycarbonate construction survives hundreds of training flights, which is why so many flight bags carry a battered but functional pair. Foggles IFR Training Glasses: Click for Price
Training hood: ASA Jiffyhood
The hood is one of the most used view-limiting devices for instrument training. The ASA Jiffyhood is built from durable light gray plastic with an adjustable elastic strap that fits a range of head sizes, and it blocks outside references while allowing a full view of the panel. Its calling card is speed: the quick-release strap means it goes on and comes off between VFR segments and simulated instrument work, and it passes between pilots without any fit fuss. It also rolls up small enough to live in a flight bag. The trade is that the strap has to share the top of your head with a headset headband, so plan to adjust it with your headset on. ASA builds it to work with eyeglasses, which is the exact frustration it is designed to solve. ASA Jiffyhood: Click for Price
Clip-on flip-up: ASA Overcasters
The ASA Overcasters take a different approach: a true clip-on that attaches directly to your prescription glasses or sunglasses, with no straps and no headband. Dark lenses block the outside view, and the flip-up design lets you simulate breaking out of a cloud deck on an approach instantly, which is a genuinely useful training feature when you are working approaches to minimums. Because nothing extra goes on your head, there is no interaction with the headset at all. ASA Overcasters: Click for Price
| Device | Field of view | Comfort with headsets | Glasses compatibility | Durability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foggles glasses | Frosted upper lens blocks the windshield; clear lower portion keeps the panel visible | Worn like regular eyeglasses; sits under a headset like an ordinary pair | Fit like glasses, not over them; confirm fit or fly with contacts | Polycarbonate lenses survive hundreds of training flights |
| ASA Jiffyhood | Hood blocks outside references; full instrument view below | Elastic strap shares head space with the headset band; adjust with the headset on | Built to work with eyeglasses without crowding the frames | Durable light gray plastic with an elastic strap; rolls up for the flight bag |
| ASA Overcasters | Dark clip-on lenses block the outside view; flip up to simulate breaking out | Nothing extra on the head; zero headset interaction | Clips directly onto prescription glasses or sunglasses | Lightweight clip-on; no straps or headband to wear out |
Which one should you buy?
- You fly with contacts or need no correction: buy the Foggles glasses. They fit like a normal pair of glasses, behave under a headset, and shrug off flight bag abuse.
- You wear prescription glasses full time: buy the ASA Overcasters. Clipping onto your own frames beats trying to make a glasses-style device coexist with your prescription.
- You instruct, or the device gets shared around a flight school: buy the ASA Jiffyhood. The adjustable strap fits a range of head sizes and the quick on-and-off makes it the easiest device to hand across the cockpit.
- You are drilling approaches to minimums: favor a flip-up or hood style. Flipping the Overcasters up, or lifting the Jiffyhood, simulates breaking out at DA far more realistically than pulling glasses off your face while you fly.
Plenty of instrument pilots end up owning two: a personal pair of Foggles and a hood that lives in the flight bag for whoever occupies the other seat next.
Logging simulated instrument time correctly
The device gets you into simulated instrument conditions; 14 CFR 61.51(g) decides what you may write down. The rules that matter:
- Only solely-by-reference time counts. Per 61.51(g)(1), a person may log instrument time only for that flight time when the person operates the aircraft solely by reference to instruments under actual or simulated instrument flight conditions. Taxi, takeoff, and the visual portion of the landing are not flown solely by reference to instruments, so the clock starts when the device goes on and you are actually on the gauges.
- Record each approach. The regulation requires recording the location and type of each instrument approach accomplished. "ILS 21 KXYZ" style entries keep a currency audit painless.
- Name your safety pilot. When a safety pilot is required, 61.51(g)(3) requires logging that pilot's name. Skipping this is the most common logging bust on simulated instrument flights.
- Instructors have their own line. Under 61.51(g)(2), an authorized instructor may log instrument time when conducting instrument instruction in actual instrument conditions.
Frequently asked questions
What is a view limiting device?
A view limiting device is any piece of equipment that blocks a pilot's view outside the aircraft while leaving the instrument panel visible, which creates the condition the FAA calls simulated instrument flight. Foggles are training glasses with frosted upper lenses, a training hood such as the ASA Jiffyhood blocks outside references from above, and clip-ons such as the ASA Overcasters attach to your own frames. All three satisfy the regulation.
Are foggles required for instrument training?
No specific brand or style is required. 14 CFR 61.57(c) simply requires that simulated instrument work be done using a view-limiting device, so any device that blocks outside visual references while leaving the instrument panel visible qualifies. Foggles, a training hood, or a clip-on all meet the requirement. The phrase view-limiting device comes straight from the regulation, and the regulation does not name any particular style or manufacturer.
Can you wear foggles with glasses?
Foggles fit like standard eyeglasses rather than over an existing pair, so prescription wearers should confirm fit before buying, and many simply fly them with contacts instead. If you wear glasses full time, a clip-on device like the ASA Overcasters attaches directly to your own frames and is usually the better choice. The ASA Jiffyhood is another option, since ASA builds it specifically to work with eyeglasses.
Which is better for IFR training, a hood or foggles?
Both satisfy the regulation, so it comes down to fit and workflow. Foggles feel like ordinary glasses under a headset and suit a pilot buying a personal device. A hood like the ASA Jiffyhood adjusts to a range of head sizes, goes on and off quickly, and is easier to share between pilots, which makes it the better pick for instructors and flight schools. Plenty of instrument pilots end up owning both.
Do you need a safety pilot to fly with foggles?
Yes, unless an authorized instructor is aboard acting in that capacity. Under 14 CFR 91.109(c), simulated instrument flight requires a safety pilot in the other control seat holding at least a private pilot certificate with category and class ratings appropriate to the aircraft, with adequate vision forward and to each side or a competent observer supplementing it. The aircraft generally must also have fully functioning dual controls.
How many instrument approaches do you need to stay IFR current?
Six, within the preceding 6 calendar months, along with holding procedures and tasks and intercepting and tracking courses through the use of navigational electronic systems. That is the 14 CFR 61.57(c) requirement to act as pilot in command under IFR or in weather below VFR minimums. You may do the work in actual weather, under simulated conditions using a view-limiting device, or in an approved simulator, flight training device, or aviation training device.
When does simulated instrument time start counting in your logbook?
Only when you are actually operating the aircraft solely by reference to instruments. Per 14 CFR 61.51(g)(1), a person may log instrument time only for that flight time flown solely by reference to instruments under actual or simulated instrument flight conditions. Taxi, takeoff, and the visual portion of the landing do not qualify, so the clock starts when the device goes on and you are on the gauges.
Do you have to log the safety pilot's name?
Yes. When a safety pilot is required, 14 CFR 61.51(g)(3) requires logging that pilot's name, and skipping it is the most common logging bust on simulated instrument flights. The same paragraph requires recording the location and type of each instrument approach you accomplish. Entries in the style of ILS 21 KXYZ keep a currency audit painless and make the six-approach requirement easy to demonstrate.
About the author
Neil Glazer is a commercial pilot with multi-engine and instrument ratings and the owner of PilotMall.com, which has been serving pilots for more than 25 years. He writes the gear guides on this blog the same way he flies: by the book, with the regulation open on the desk.
