Increased Skin Cancer Rates in Pilots and Air Crews

I made my 6 month check up visit to my skin doctor yesterday, and in
our conversations I mentioned I was a glider pilot and was trying my
best to not have any more malignancies.
I was pleased that nothing was found that needed to be cut off (for a
change), but still had the usual substantial number of spots that got
sprayed with liquid nitrogen to kill "pre cancers".

She mentioned that a substantial increase in melanoma and other skin
cancers being found in pilots was "quite the buzz" among
dermatologists right now. It makes sense that glider pilots might
have an even greater tendency for such than the general pilot
community, as we are exposed at the airport and in the air. I went to
the physics department at the college where I used to teach and picked
up a device for testing for UV, placed it inside my canopy, and it lit
up like a light bulb...LOTS of UV coming through. The entire UV
spectrum is hazardous to our skin, along with gamma rays from space.

Most sun screen on the market does not filter out all UV, so buyer
beware. Handily, there are now some clothing products like long
sleeve shirts on the market that are claiming an SPF of 35 that should
help protect much of your upper torso, and gloves and hats, too.

Its not just mental lapses in your flying that can get you pushing
daisies, although skin cancer is not as instantaneous. Older folks
are more apt to be affected, yet all ages are elligible to be
afflicted.