Wouldn't this be happening to the passengers, too, on a much larger scale?
That's a valid point. I haven't seen anything about passengers having issues. I've been on multiple flights. I don't have the shot so I'm not worried about that happening to me.
Passengers don't have multiple pressure changes like a pilot would working full time. Twice a flight, 4-5 flights a week maybe more if they fly domestically.
A pilot might do 2-4 flights a day.
The only pilot I knew did long international flights so he did 12+ hour flight and then had to break, so it was like 2 flights every 3 days maybe 3 in 3 days. But yeah, 4 flights a day domestically with high altitude pressure changes is my best bet on the cause of it.
Jet liners are pressurized. The don't have huge pressure changes. I would like to see some numbers.
The last time someone claimed this, a total of three pilots had had strokes in the time period covered. When asked about a similar time period before covid, crickets.
But there might be enough pressure changes. Most pilots and airhostesses aren't even aware of how much radiation they're exposed to while they fly so that might have something to do with it as well.
https://aerosavvy.com/aircraft-pressurization/
Pressurization systems are designed to keep the interior cabin pressure between 12 and 11 psi at cruise altitude. On a typical flight, as the aircraft climbs to 36,000 feet, the interior of the plane “climbs” to between 6000-8000 feet.
Why not keep the cabin at 14.7 psi to simulate sea-level pressure and maximize comfort? The aircraft must be designed to withstand differential pressure, that’s the difference between the air pressure inside and outside the aircraft. Exceeding the differential pressure limit is what makes a balloon pop when it’s over inflated. The greater the differential pressure, the stronger (and heavier) the airplane must be built. It’s possible to build an aircraft that can withstand sea-level pressure during cruise, but it would require a significant increase in strength and weight. A 12 psi cabin is a good trade-off.
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