KC10 FATboy

"Can be" is not the same as "will be more exposed".

Tuck

Ernst - are you actually reading what you are writing? How in the world do you come up "night flying has more exposure." and why is it in quotes when it is not quoting anything? Read again what you posted - the answer to the question says quite clearly (at least to someone who reads and understands English) that night radiation is not less than day radiation and that it can be greater in some circumstances - nowhere does it say that is is greater.

727gm

And most certainly not "exponentially" greater...!!

rickair7777

Night flying will not significantly reduce radiation exposure (except for UV-A to your skin).

Cosmic radition (including some nasty high-energy stuff) comes from deep space and has nothing to with day/night.

Solar radiation is highly distributed by the earth's magnetic field but without going to the trouble to look up the relevant research I'd bet that you get more solar radiation when you have a direct line of sight to the source. But probably not orders of magnitude more.

You definitely get more UV-A during the day unless you wear sunblock (yes, I do).

jabr800

Ernst,

Let's dumb this down a bit, and leave out the few studies that have "been published", and much of the so called facts.
That stuff is probably right on target, and I actually believe what they are saying, but I'm not sure the "true hard facts", will be let out for a long time, because of the probable major changes the Airlines would have to make to schedules, to show that they have a human side and care about their employees, and to keep the public safe.
It's all about the money, when you are a big corporation as many know.
I loved my 35 year career in the FAR 121 business, 20++ years of it in a Big Brown Jet!
Like many before me, and probably many after me, I can only believe "the job", is what wore out my body before it's time.
Call it radiation, Circadium Rythum and mostly back side of the clock, lousy food choices because of often limited availibility, etc. etc..
I won't try to back this statement up with any kind of published facts or footnotes except to say, that in the Freight business, you have a better than average chance of a career ending medical event before your time.
I do know this from conversations with the Union Office people, from my case history, and if you think that's bad, the divorce rate is sky high too, but I know you already knew that!
Many people in the business enjoy the career, as I did, and some will say this is just my opinion but I think it will hit you harder than the daytime side of the clock type flying!

rickair7777

I'm sure it's a combination of factors (radiation is not one of them...less UVA is actually a bennie), circadian rhythm being the biggie.

satpak77

this thread spun off track pretty quick......

Lab Rat

Why does everyone always pick on us cargo pilots?

Stress is something that needs to be taken into consideration as well. I have many friends who fly for the PAX carriers that have been through furloughs, threats of furlough, chapter 11 filings, mergers, concessions, loss of pensions and more threat of furloughs. Though fatigue and back side-of-the-clock flying is part of my job, I think the stress faced by many on the PAX side of the field is MUCH more detrimental to one's overall life expectancy than simply flying at night. Combine that with early morning wake-up calls and long days and I think PAX pilots have it tougher than us cargo rats.

IAHDFW

I don't need a study to tell me that flying night freight and being away from my family for two to three weeks a month is harmful to my health. It's obvious.

Over 300 divorces at my company last year in 2012

satpak77

300, jeez

Care to mention company. Is this representative of most carriers.