US trip Radiation exposure

[WhySoTough]

Hello all.

Just a random thought I had. Now departing from the Middle East, flying at latitudes of high 60s or early 70s, I understand it’s not as bad as a polar flight, but certainly can’t be good for the body.
Is it generally the polar flights that are the ones we should worry about, or are such trips equally as dangerous for the body?

I sometimes wonder if it’s very harsh on the body.
Also on that note, how is it very different from pilots living in Scandinavia / Iceland? Being situated at high latitudes as is.

[wiggy]

It's a frequent topic in this place, ( so use the search function), it's a topic that comes up fairly frequently, usually as a scare story, in the main stream media (so Google is your friend), just be careful, you need to filter out the sensationalist junk/tinfoil hat material from the vaguely objective stuff..

There are lots of variables involved in how much radiation you are exposed to on a flight, mainly tied in with state of the sun's activity, ( e.g. sunspots, solar Flares, particle events, and also the strength of the Sun's magnetic field, which protects us from cosmic radiation..).

Three simple rules:

Longer the flight - more radiation;
Nearer the north or south magnet pole - more radiation;
Higher altitude - more radiation.

IMHO there's plenty of things about flying that can be as "harsh on the body" if not more so than exposure to radiation at cruising levels - I'm thinking time zone changes, irregular exposure to daylight, lack of and disruption of sleep, irregular eating habits, possibly poor diet, dehydration..

https://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2000s/media/0316.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/aircrew/cosmicionizingradiation.html

[lomapaseo]

It all washes off to nothing compared to a full body medical CT scan

[atakacs]

What type are you flying at FL700!?

[oceancrosser]

Hello all.

Just a random thought I had. Now departing from the Middle East, flying at latitudes of high 60s or early 70s, I understand it’s not as bad as a polar flight, but certainly can’t be good for the body.
Is it generally the polar flights that are the ones we should worry about, or are such trips equally as dangerous for the body?

I sometimes wonder if it’s very harsh on the body.
Also on that note, how is it very different from pilots living in Scandinavia / Iceland? Being situated at high latitudes as is.


Yep, after 35 years of high latitude flying I am probably already glowing in dark...
But not felt anything yet. Most of my retired colleagues are living well into ripe old age.

[atakacs]

What type are you flying at FL700!?
sorry my mistake somehow thought your were referring to altitude where it latitude.

[misd-agin]

Google - CARI-6.

FAA program for inflight radiation exposure.

You’re more likely to go blind from self stimulation vs dying from inflight tradition as a passenger or as a crew member.