Time for something slightly different again.

Given the number of flying hours to which the Formula One community is subjected, and given that frequent flyers experience elevated doses of radiation, I've made an estimate of the average annual Formula 1 radiation dose:

http://mccabism.blogspot.com/2009/10/radia...ormula-one.html

The good news is that even an individual pursuing a 25-year career in Formula One, will experience only a one-in-a-hundred increase in the pre-existing risk of acquiring a fatal cancer. However, taking the collective dose to the Formula One community into account, I estimate that a couple of people or so will acquire fatal cancers due to the flying hours they accumulate.

I've made some order-of-magnitude estimates in my calculations, and I'd like to hear from people if better figures are available. For example, based on the long-haul races alone, I've assumed that there are in the order of 200 flying hours per year. In addition, for the collective dose estimate, I've assumed that in the order of 1,000 people fly to every race.

What an odd thread!

Interesting though, something I'd never thought about.

Forgot my tin foil hat, will be back soon with it.

There are plenty of businessmen who fly a lot more than any F1 personnel do.

However, more races in Europe where people actually care about motor racing (instead of countries that can offer Bernie the most money) would help reduce the number of flights needed and thus costs.

I'm not against F1 races outside Europe, IMO F1 isn't complete without races in Canada, the USA, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Australia and South Africa.

Got to die some day.

It's 'for sure' the only thing that is certain.

'Fantastic job' for your insightful reply.
;)

interesting point. i wonder if the exposure that pit lane crew have with hazardous chemicals and fumes is a factor too.

Tin foil hats may actually help in this case.

Still didn't find mine. Someone ran thru my stuff!!!!

Is there a high incidence of pilots getting cancer?

WTF...u want bernie to give up money to keep people from getting cancer

when pigs fly.....

I remember Salo getting a lung biopsy and they discovered quite a lot of carbon particles presumably from th brakes over the years.

Yes, the occurrence of malignant melanoma for instance is significantly higher in pilots.

Death and Taxes.....

Of which there will be many more if that B'Stard Blair gets his cushy role as European President.....what a bloody racket! Jobs for the boys eh? lead a country into complete collapse then bugger off to the speaker circuit to earn millions....pass the role of PM in a shadier deal than "crashgate" to an "unelected oik" to lead the country (how this is allowed is beyond belief, if a PM wants to step down then there should be an instant election...)...all while giving other "pals" cushy jobs in Europe like Kinnock and Mandelson....why does no one cal them out on this self serving protectionist crap?

Anyway...sorry ...offtopic and a tad random ...like this thread!

Also off topic, I agree fully with you, except that you can cheat taxes *cough* *cough*...

But when the Grim Reaper calls, he does not leave empty handed.

Seems a plausible that frequent fliers would have an increased risk of cancer, but to what extent and how exposed are F1 crews compared to the regular old business frequent flier?

Interesting subject really, I heard similar concerns voiced about automotive electricians too, obviously not as a result of flying though ;)

I got off my ass and found this:

http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=9270

Radiation levels are not equal, they are highest at poles and weakest near equator. Thus radiation while flying is only an issue if you do too many flight that go over the poles or near them due to great circle routes. It is an issue for pilots and air hostesses (I refuse to call them 'flight attendants').

F1 guys are safe. They don't fly enough in the first place and barely once or twice on the 'radiation routes' per year.

Yes but all moot really as you know whats coming next????

Just like smoking ...where decades later it was proven how truly dangerous and god awful cigs are......
CELLPHONES....is truly going to be the next shocker.....
30 years from now....people will probably say....

"You did what??? You held a radiation emitting device next to your brain??? what did you think was going to happen?....invigorate brain function or something?....you idiot...."

EDIT...Ooops sorry my bad.... the above will of course be written in Chinese!!! ;)

lol, true.

Here in NZ there was tobacco advertising claiming how amazing tobacco was for your health. Mind you, this was many many decades ago.
Surely we have been flying long enough to establish some kind of safe flying parameter? A certain ceiling before the nasty effects of cosmic radiation are at their worst?
As for mobiles, I use mine daily, but I usually only txt. Still, having it in my pocket can't be a good thing eh? Next to little head, the more dominant brain

LOL...the question is....would a tumour in the little head....cause it (the head) to increase in size considerably....??

In which case many wives might be buying cell phones for Christmas with belt clips...!

Have carried my phone in my pocket for years now - unfortunately the little head has stayed little. Much to the wife's disappointment...

wifi is a bit of a concern, its a bit unsettling thinking that your body might be absorbing the radiation from the 2.4 gigs of donkey pron your neighbours downloading as you sleep. No wonder guys are supposed to think about sex every 6 seconds....

same here.....cell phone head enlargment

nothing seems to work

thinking of suin all da dastards

Funny, I have thought it might not be the radiation but the jet fuel (like more than vaporized diesel)