People Choose Long Distance Airline Flights During the Day But Should Take the Redeye Instead
The other day I was reintroduced to a very interesting YouTube video.
Perhaps you've seen it as well; it is a video of all the airline flights in the entire world.
Each flight represents a bright dot on the map.
You watch the bright lights move across the globe going to their next destination.
I've been intrigued by this because I am a pilot, but also because my dad flew the 747 as an airline pilot completing endless numbers of international flights.
It was amazing that as the night fell upon the globe there were fewer airline flights at night.
Okay so let's talk shall we? You see, it appears that many people like to travel internationally across the ocean in the daytime.
But in reality they would be better off to take the redeye and fly in the middle of the night.
Why you ask? Simply because as you go up in altitude the air is quite a bit thinner, so you are subjected to more solar radiation.
There is actually less radiation during the nighttime because the Earth is blocking the sun.
The Earth is also moving forward, and it disperses that radiation around the globe as well.
The trick would be to fly during the nighttime towards the trailing edge of the direction the Earth is traveling around the Sun.
That is if you wanted to receive the least amount of radiation exposure.
A long international flight during the daytime could expose you to a similar amount of radiation if you had a mild x-ray from a distance.
This can cause free radicals in your body, and although it isn't going to kill you, or perhaps cause you any harm, it would also be cumulative.
Your body is a remarkable machine and it heals itself fairly quickly, but if you are constantly bombarding it with radiation, that's not good either.
Some people are worried about going through the strip search scanners that the TSA has now at all the airports, they are worried because it could hurt their bio system.
While this is true, not very much and it is akin to flying at altitude, which people are doing of their own free will every time they get on an airliner anyway.
Nevertheless, if you are worried about the TSA strip search scanners, then perhaps you might also consider flying at night to minimize your cumulative time of exposure to solar radiation.
That's all I'm saying here.
No, you should not be too alarmed by any of this, but I thought I might bring it to your attention, so you can do some of your own personal research.
Although it's not a very big deal, the net effect is not zero.
You see that point? Please consider all this and think on it.
Perhaps you've seen it as well; it is a video of all the airline flights in the entire world.
Each flight represents a bright dot on the map.
You watch the bright lights move across the globe going to their next destination.
I've been intrigued by this because I am a pilot, but also because my dad flew the 747 as an airline pilot completing endless numbers of international flights.
It was amazing that as the night fell upon the globe there were fewer airline flights at night.
Okay so let's talk shall we? You see, it appears that many people like to travel internationally across the ocean in the daytime.
But in reality they would be better off to take the redeye and fly in the middle of the night.
Why you ask? Simply because as you go up in altitude the air is quite a bit thinner, so you are subjected to more solar radiation.
There is actually less radiation during the nighttime because the Earth is blocking the sun.
The Earth is also moving forward, and it disperses that radiation around the globe as well.
The trick would be to fly during the nighttime towards the trailing edge of the direction the Earth is traveling around the Sun.
That is if you wanted to receive the least amount of radiation exposure.
A long international flight during the daytime could expose you to a similar amount of radiation if you had a mild x-ray from a distance.
This can cause free radicals in your body, and although it isn't going to kill you, or perhaps cause you any harm, it would also be cumulative.
Your body is a remarkable machine and it heals itself fairly quickly, but if you are constantly bombarding it with radiation, that's not good either.
Some people are worried about going through the strip search scanners that the TSA has now at all the airports, they are worried because it could hurt their bio system.
While this is true, not very much and it is akin to flying at altitude, which people are doing of their own free will every time they get on an airliner anyway.
Nevertheless, if you are worried about the TSA strip search scanners, then perhaps you might also consider flying at night to minimize your cumulative time of exposure to solar radiation.
That's all I'm saying here.
No, you should not be too alarmed by any of this, but I thought I might bring it to your attention, so you can do some of your own personal research.
Although it's not a very big deal, the net effect is not zero.
You see that point? Please consider all this and think on it.