How do pilots deal with the sun?

Question: How do pilots deal with flying into direct sunshine? When I'm driving I sometimes simply can't see and pull over, but pilots don't have that option. Answer: Almost every airplane has sunshades for such conditions; when combined with good pair of sunglasses, the sun glare is reduced to a manageable level.



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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. Too much UV light can cause damage to the DNA in skin cells, leading to cancer.

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Sunglasses reduce the effects of harsh sunlight, decrease eye fatigue, and protect ocular tissues from exposure to harmful solar radiation. Additionally, they protect the pilot's eyes from impact with objects (i.e., flying debris from a bird strike, sudden decompression, or aerobatic maneuvers).

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Sunglasses are an important piece of protective equipment in the cockpit environment. Evidence indicates that a proportion of airline cockpit windshields transmit some ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

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Pilot Career Cons
  • You need a deep bank account. While you will earn a lot of money as an airline pilot later down the years, the first few years might cost you up to $100 000. ...
  • A steep learning curve. ...
  • Missing out on holidays. ...
  • A lot of stress. ...
  • Losing your career in an instant because of medical reasons.


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Fatigue is particularly prevalent among pilots because of unpredictable work hours, long duty periods, circadian disruption, and insufficient sleep. These factors can occur together to produce a combination of sleep deprivation, circadian rhythm effects, and 'time-on task' fatigue.

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Since the 1930s, airlines have been aware of the impact of fatigue on pilot's cognitive abilities and decision making. Nowadays prevalence of fatigue draws greater attention because of boom in air travel and because the problem can be addressed with new solutions and countermeasures.

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How much radiation does air and space crew receive? <1 mSv in a year is on average received by aircrew where all routes flown do not exceed an altitude of about 9000 metres. 6 mSv in a year is a typical radiation doses received by aircrew flying long-haul polar routes.

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The feeling of not being in control is enough to make even professional pilots feel a little uneasy during a flight. That said, understanding how the aircraft works and what the reasons are behind the events which make you nervous can go a long way in helping calm your nerves.

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I've known pilots who are scared of flying. In the industry, they are known as seagulls because you have to throw rocks at them to get them to fly and, even then, they squawk the entire time. One mate of mine who wasn't keen on flying said he coped by always taking a taxi to the airport.

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To ensure displays are visible, pilots have to wear sunglasses that are non-polarized. A lot of pilots use sunglasses to meet legal eyesight requirements. Contrary to popular thought, pilots do not need perfect vision.

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How High Temperatures Effect Aircraft. Large jets, such as those from Boeing or Airbus, can operate in temperatures more than 120 degrees. However, extreme heat does make it difficult for those planes to take off. The problem is that airplanes fly through a combination of propulsion and what's known as “lift.”

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If you have a temperature of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, you should avoid flying and traveling. Flying can intensify your fever making it more dangerous for you, but it's also a danger for the people around you.

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