Sun Protection While Soaring - UPF 50+ Clothing

While looking at the UV damage done to the gelcoat on my glider, it reminds me how much UV radiation we are exposed to while soaring. Particularly out west!

Coolibar (no affilation) is in the Sun Protection Clothing business. Take a look at their website. They are making some great products with innovative materials.

I particularly like their Andros Shirt and fingerless long gloves.
Both with UPF50+ protection.

Good to see a one-stop shop in USA for skin protection.
Much like what you'd find at Cancer Council shops in Australia.
Jim

OK, thanks will do....
On the subject.....experiencing multiple mohs surgeries....I was curious and purchased a UV meter to check levels under canopies. The meters are made by a physics professor/engineer who does consulting work on light transmissions. He educated me that UV does not transits mediums to any concerning levels.
His meter proved him correct after checking levels under new thru 40 year old canopies. I found another source with numbers and his meters seem to be correct.
So, watch out when in direct sunlight. No worries under cover. The heat you feel is IR, both UV and IR reflects. I was surprised how much leaves block..
I would be interested in reading any info that counters my understanding.
Lets see what’s new in Colibre fashions.
Cheers,

R

On Friday, April 19, 2019 at 11:10:53 AM UTC-5, wrote:
OK, thanks will do....
On the subject.....experiencing multiple mohs surgeries....I was curious and purchased a UV meter to check levels under canopies. The meters are made by a physics professor/engineer who does consulting work on light transmissions. He educated me that UV does not transits mediums to any concerning levels.
His meter proved him correct after checking levels under new thru 40 year old canopies. I found another source with numbers and his meters seem to be correct.
So, watch out when in direct sunlight. No worries under cover. The heat you feel is IR, both UV and IR reflects. I was surprised how much leaves block.
I would be interested in reading any info that counters my understanding.
Lets see what’s new in Colibre fashions.
Cheers,

R

Do you know if the meter measured both UVA and UVB?

The meter was designed to check the intensity in the Ulta Violet range of the spectrum. The professor gave me a rather detail lesson of radiation energy in the IR thru UV section of the ‘spectrum’ and it’s ability to transit a medium. He stated that the UV amount was insignificant in the hundreths (sp) of a percent and the meter confirmed it. I could differentiate no difference in value between canopies. UV is very reflective, even off concrete. Angle of sun , time of day, winter/ summer made a big difference.
No harm in doing your own research, but can anyone recall landing with a sunburn. I wonder if standing out on the grid waiting allows one to be expose to high level of reflected UV from all the polish wings. A hat may not be enough. I need to do some more sampling.

R

A 2mm acrylic sheet has a fairly sharp cutoff between 375 and 400nm, so transmits about 17% of all UVA (315 - 400nm). The skin has a spectral response that is highest for the UVB but drops significantly in the 375-400nm region, so you'll have to try pretty hard to get a tan in the cockpit. If you think of a glider canopy as an SPF100 layer, you won't be far off.

Acrylic blocks practically all UVB (280 - 315nm) so you won't be making any vitamin D while under perspex.

Glass is worse; typical float (soda lime) glass has a 50% cutoff around 340nm so lets through around 60% UVA and no UVB. My grandmother spent most of her last years sitting in a warm sunroom and got a pretty good tan.

As previously stated, your biggest danger is in hanging around on a sunny airfield, especially in the southern hemisphere. European pilots are only in trouble if they fly above the inversion which caps the pollution layer ;-)

DH
TX

On Saturday, 20 April 2019 02:18:13 UTC-4, David Hirst wrote:
....SNIP...
If you think of a glider canopy as an SPF100 layer, you won't be far off.

....SNIP....
As previously stated, your biggest danger is in hanging around on a sunny airfield,
....SNIP...
DH
TX

Is that really the case David? It is the first time I have heard about this..
I recall being told that the plexiglass was doing nothing to protect against
UVA & UVB. This is still what I preach at the X-country lecture that I give at
my club. If what you claim it true, I'd have to change my storyline and workflow.

Having been more than once incommodated by an aweful mix of sweat and solar cream in my eyes while airborne, I would really like to get away from "buttering" up before a flight. I can see the point of protecting our skin while running around the airfield but right now my routine seem reversed: I wait
until the last minute to layer the sunscreen on my face, hands, neck and ears just as I climb in the cockpit for my XC flight

Can anybody challenge David's claim here?

On Friday, April 19, 2019 at 10:29:27 PM UTC-6, wrote:
The meter was designed to check the intensity in the Ulta Violet range of the spectrum. The professor gave me a rather detail lesson of radiation energy in the IR thru UV section of the ‘spectrum’ and it’s ability to transit a medium. He stated that the UV amount was insignificant in the hundreths (sp) of a percent and the meter confirmed it. I could differentiate no difference in value between canopies. UV is very reflective, even off concrete. Angle of sun , time of day, winter/ summer made a big difference.
No harm in doing your own research, but can anyone recall landing with a sunburn. I wonder if standing out on the grid waiting allows one to be expose to high level of reflected UV from all the polish wings. A hat may not be enough. I need to do some more sampling.

R

Interesting. My son has transition glasses, which don't transition/turn dark in his car. However, he still got a blistering sunburn on his arm when he drove from Utah to California last August to start his Sophomore year (windows up). Does the plastic canopy protect more than auto glass? Thanks,
Rick

On Saturday, April 20, 2019 at 1:55:13 PM UTC-4, Richard DalCanto wrote:
On Friday, April 19, 2019 at 10:29:27 PM UTC-6, wrote:
The meter was designed to check the intensity in the Ulta Violet range of the spectrum. The professor gave me a rather detail lesson of radiation energy in the IR thru UV section of the ‘spectrum’ and it’s ability to transit a medium. He stated that the UV amount was insignificant in the hundreths (sp) of a percent and the meter confirmed it. I could differentiate no difference in value between canopies. UV is very reflective, even off concrete. Angle of sun , time of day, winter/ summer made a big difference.
No harm in doing your own research, but can anyone recall landing with a sunburn. I wonder if standing out on the grid waiting allows one to be expose to high level of reflected UV from all the polish wings. A hat may not be enough. I need to do some more sampling.

R

Interesting. My son has transition glasses, which don't transition/turn dark in his car. However, he still got a blistering sunburn on his arm when he drove from Utah to California last August to start his Sophomore year (windows up). Does the plastic canopy protect more than auto glass? Thanks,
Rick

windshield likely tinted, side windows, not.

On Saturday, April 20, 2019 at 11:55:13 AM UTC-6, Richard DalCanto wrote:
On Friday, April 19, 2019 at 10:29:27 PM UTC-6, wrote:
The meter was designed to check the intensity in the Ulta Violet range of the spectrum. The professor gave me a rather detail lesson of radiation energy in the IR thru UV section of the ‘spectrum’ and it’s ability to transit a medium. He stated that the UV amount was insignificant in the hundreths (sp) of a percent and the meter confirmed it. I could differentiate no difference in value between canopies. UV is very reflective, even off concrete. Angle of sun , time of day, winter/ summer made a big difference.
No harm in doing your own research, but can anyone recall landing with a sunburn. I wonder if standing out on the grid waiting allows one to be expose to high level of reflected UV from all the polish wings. A hat may not be enough. I need to do some more sampling.

R

Interesting. My son has transition glasses, which don't transition/turn dark in his car. However, he still got a blistering sunburn on his arm when he drove from Utah to California last August to start his Sophomore year (windows up). Does the plastic canopy protect more than auto glass? Thanks,
Rick

I should also add that my dad would get sunburned on the left side of his face and has sun damage on that side from years of flying his Cessna 421. Do glider canopies offer more protection than the windshield in a Cessna?