EWRflyr

I know the reactor situation over there is still dynamic and unresolved and not that I wouldn't be concerned if I operated these flights myself, but I did see a news segment last night regarding radiation numbers.

Lethal doses of radiation occur at 5,000 milliSv.
Radiation sickness starts to occur at 1,000 milliSv.
The highest radiation reading nearest the reactor sites has been 400 milliSv. (Unprotected workers staying behind at the site would start to experience sickness after 2 1/2 hours of exposure.)

Tokyo's radiation levels spiked to 23 times normal on the 15th to .81 micro Sv or .00081 milliSv.

Again, I probably would avoid flying there (or at least overnighting) due to the current UNKNOWNS about the reactors and how wind patterns could change readings in Tokyo if the worst does happen.

HSLD

What dose is needed to increase your risk of illness or cancer? There are many unknowns, but I have to ask myself; "is this company worth increasing my risk for a potentially fatal illness?". Based on how the company administers the medical plan, I don't want to get sick much less "real sick".

For those of us that ONLY fly NRT, what is the cumulative effect of increased exposure to radiation of the course of a year? What was the reason that ALPA opposed it's members going through the full body TSA scanners in the security line?

A320

I feel so much better about my 11:30 layover in Bozeman

Short Bus Drive

LOL!!!! That place cracked me up. I was NOT used to overnights like that!

Botas

Need more information from my union. I fly on Friday to NRT and all the flights today went mostly on time. Is anyone watching the news?

EWRflyr

By the way, a correction to my post, thanks to the news source saying they were given the wrong information due to a "translation error" by either the Japanese government or the power plant operator (they have a history of not giving the full facts as it turns out).

According to the updated, correctly translated information provided to the media, the readings around the reactor sites should have been given as 400 microSv NOT milliSv as first released. That's 1,000 times greater than was first issued by the power company or government over there.

Watching the news reports, the government officials in Japan are not yet reporting the true nature of the problem. The head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the US testified yesterday that things are far worse than reported and that a meltdown is almost certain to have happened.

A former NRC member and nuclear expert stated based on the information and readings he has seen he feels that the situation there is at least as bad as Chernobyl at this point....no longer between the 3-Mile Island accident and Chernobyl as had first been reported (and hoped).

EWRflyr

I know on the Continental side Flight Operations put out an extensive pilot bulletin yesterday from the system chief pilot. The ORD Chief Pilot and GUM Chief Pilot are both in Narita currently helping to manage the situation with our crews. They are meeting each inbound crew at the crew hotel and holding nightly briefings with pilots and FAs with the latest information. There are also contingency plans in place with a spare 747-400 at the ready in the event our crews needed to exit the country quickly.

Cpt. Bat

Ohhh, i get nerd out on APC.... actually micro is 10 to power of -6 or 1,000,000th vs milli which is to the power of -3 or a thousanth.... i'll take the micro dose please!

Bat

sorry couldn't resist

EWRflyr

Oops. I think I got myself reversed! Darn metric system. I'm logging off here to go enjoy my 5M run.

A320fumes

You need to consult your family. No union can convince me to fly into a potential Chernobyl. Let management pilots fly those trips.