What is the average annual radiation dose for an airline flight crew member?

• A. 500 (MREM/YR)
• B. 1,000 (MREM/YR)
• C. 2,000 (MREM/YR)
• D. 5,000 (MREM/YR)

Answer: (B)

Diving into how exposure works, airline crew get more cosmic radiation than people on the ground because they fly at high altitudes where the atmosphere provides less shielding. The typical annual exposure for flight crews is about 1,000 millirem per year (roughly 10 millisieverts). This figure is a common, practical average used when discussing occupational radiation exposure for aircrew.

This level is well below the occupational limit of 5,000 millirem per year, though individual years can vary with flight routes, time in the air, and solar activity. The other options would imply unusually low or unusually high annual doses, not the usual average experienced by most crew over a year.