On Feb 9, 11:38*am, Bruno wrote:
I know a few airline pilots and none of them have died of cancer yet,
but with all the news about airport scanners and the comments that the
radiation they put out is the same amount as a few minutes of
radiation while at cruise has me thinking.

Out here in Utah we often spend the day (4-5 hours) cruising between
14,000 and 18,000 ft. *I'm not complaining at all but it has me
wondering what kind of radiation we are enjoying. *If the aluminum of
an airliner isn't blocking the radiation then my guess is the canopy
of a glider isn't doing much either. *I'm not talking about sunburns
but good old fashioned cancer causing energy. *It would be interesting
to see if there have ever been studies done to see if airline pilots
or flight attendants get cancer at a higher rate than the general
public...Thanks in advance if anyone has anything to offer on this
subject.

Maybe there is a market for lead bucket hats for glider pilots...

Take care and fly safe,
Bruno - B4


Or you could put leaded shields all around the cockpit, including
above your head. Talk about flying a "lead sled"!! Plus, with the
restricted vision of the pilot due to the shielding, I'd sure hate to
fly in a gaggle with that guy. With the added weight, that glider
would have a good high speed glide, but would need a long runway and
good brakes.

The "radiation" you appear to be concerned about is "ionizing"
radiation, which includes Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and X radiation, along
with neutrons. No problem with Alpha and Beta as they are not very
penetrating / don't go very far. You wouldn't encounter them unless
flying through a radioactive cloud produced by a nuclear explosion -
which used to happen a lot back in the mid-20th century. If you do
hear of some country setting off a nuclear test, the air can be
contaminated with radioactive particles for a few days. There is good
historical data supporting that. And, handily, with our satellites
today, the nuclear material can be followed as it swirls around the
earth in the atmosphere, and pilots can avoid those areas. Gamma, X,
and neutrons are very penetrating and could / do cause harm.
Regardless, there's not much a glider pilot can do about protecting
himself / herself from them. Its just another of the tradeoffs of
life.