Yesterday, I read an online article on AFAR Magazine – How to Keep a Flight from Wreaking Havoc on Your Skin.
Though the reminder is always helpful, I already knew how important it is to moisturize your skin and drink plenty of water when flying. I also knew about the germs on planes and the need to wash ones hands and use sanitizers.
But when I got to this paragraph, I did a double-take:
Protect from the sun
. . . “A study showed that UV exposure on airplane pilots over a one-hour flight was equivalent to lying in a tanning bed for 20 minutes! So, if you are lucky enough to get a window seat, remember to wear sunscreen or a moisturizer with SPF . . .
WHAT? I had no idea, did you?
Of course, I googled, and AFAR wasn’t the first to report on UV exposure in airplanes. See, for example, these articles in Travel & Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler.
So, don’t pack away your sunscreen if you’ve got a window seat on a sunny day! And don’t forget the kids – you know how they love to gaze out airplane windows!
gobluetwo says
Intriguing, so I did a little more research. The study they appear to be referencing (not citing, as there is not citation given in the article) was done in 2015 on a general aviation turboprop (Socata TBM850). The results indicate that UV-B is effectively blocked, but that UV-A is allowed through the acrylic windshield at a rate about a third that of lying in a tanning bed. The findings are interesting, but needs to be taken with a grain of salt, as commercial airliner windshields can be around 2-3″ thick and weight upwards of 100+ lbs.
I believe side windows, however, are primarily polycarbonate or acrylic, so it would seem that the warning for passengers is not without merit.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4476387/
Will Run For Miles says
thank you for looking into this. One question that came to mind was how effectively the window dimmers in planes such as 787s can block the UV rays.