Exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation in flight.

The ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure of airline pilots during flight was measured with ultraviolet-sensitive film badges. The badges were worn by flight crew on the epaulette nearest to the window of either a Boeing 737 or 767 during 18 different flights in 1989. The results showed in every case that the UVR exposure was negligible; a flight lasting several hours resulted in an exposure equivalent to no more than a minute or two outdoors. There is anecdotal evidence that pilots may be at increased risk of developing skin cancer compared with many other occupational groups. The suggestion that this is due to significant exposure to UVR, the main aetiological factor in skin cancer, on the flight deck cannot be sustained.