Do airplane cockpit windows block UV?

Airline pilots can be exposed to the same amount of UV-A radiation as that from a tanning bed session because airplane windshields do not completely block UV-A radiation, according to research. Airplane windshields are commonly made of polycarbonate plastic or multilayer composite glass.



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Airplane windshields do not completely block UV-A radiation and therefore are not enough to protect pilots.

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The study found that flying in a cockpit for 56.6 minutes at 30,000 feet exposed pilots to the same amount of UV-A radiation as a 20-minute tanning bed session.

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The misdemeanor penalties for PC 248 shining a light at an aircraft to interfere with operations is a maximum of 1 year in jail and fines up to $1000. The legal penalties for PC 247.5 maliciously discharging a laser at an aircraft are: If charged as a misdemeanor, you could face one year in jail and fines up to $1000.

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Passengers and flight crews are exposed to radiation because the shielding from Earth's atmosphere against high-energy solar particles and cosmic rays is weaker at normal cruising altitudes than at the surface.

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Pilots can and sometimes do smoke in the cockpits of business jets. These can be as large as airliners (see BBJ), but usually aren't. Even when a country and/or airline ban smoking in the flight deck, some pilots will ignore the ban and still light up.

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Pilots have a unique viewpoint while flying private or commercial aircraft. They get an unobstructed view of stunning natural sights, such as pink lakes and rectangular-shaped icebergs. Some have reported seeing UFOs, while others have flown over swirling hurricanes.

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