Re[2]: Typical doses for aircraft crew members?

[ja_leonowich@ccmail.pnl.gov]

I am currently running a study of USAF pilots who fly long routes at altitudes 
between 30 - 43,000 feet.  Using a 5" tissue equivalent proportional counter, 
dose equivalent rates range from 0.3 - 0.4 mrem/hr on transatlantic routes (in 
C-17 and C-5 type aircraft). The energy spectrum is fairly soft.  I will be 
flying some trans-pacific polar routes in December, as well as some to the south 
atlantic.

I plan to submit our findings in a paper to Health Physics next year.

j a  leonowich
battelle pacific nw laboratory

An interesting side note; I have almost a 1000 hours of flying time
and I was wearing a monthly film badge / TLD the entire time.  The
altitudes we were flying at ranged from sea level to above 40,000
feet.  I only received a total exposure of 16 mrem.  I know about
the minimum detectable limits for film/TLD but a couple of months I
flew over 100 hours.