Originally Posted by
Burj
How much of a concern is radiation? Do pilots make it a point to wear sunscreen/sun block when flying? I don't have the numbers in front of me, but remember seeing a report explaining how being at cruising altitude increases your radiation exposure quite a bit since you have less "atmosphere" to deflect it. For most pax not an issue, but for pilots and FAs who are in the air all the time, is it a concern?
Commercial jets fly mainly well below the ozone layer, which is contained within Earth's stratosphere between about 15-30 km. It is this layer (and those above it) which is primarily responsible for absorbing otherwise harmful radiation from reaching altitudes lower than this.