Airline pilots to fly to age 65

[trof]

Source: NBC Nightly News

Just announced on NBC Nightly News
Airline pilots have been fighting for years about the age 60 mandatory retirement rule.

One inequity: The law says you MUST retire at 60, but you still can't collect social security retirement benefits until age 62 at the earliest.

Bush** just signed an 'order'(?) raising the limit to age 65.


No link yet.

---

I'm a retired airline pilot.
Some have been fighting the 'Age 60' rule for decades.
I wasn't one of them.

The job is incredibly stressful. I hung it up at age 55.
I'd had enough.
I seriously think I extended my lifespan by quiting early.

The point has been made, over and over, that the Age 60 Rule was 'arbitrary'.
The FAA agreed, but said that ANY age based rule would be arbitrary.
So they settled on 60.

Now they've upped it 5 years.
How do you feel about that?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear trof...

I have no problem with that, not one little bit...

I think that the age pilots retire is really up to them...

So now pilots can retire at age 65 and they have the freedom to retire sooner if they wish...

It's all good.

Thanks for reporting this.

[trof]

3. I'll dig up this thread and reply tommorrow.

There's a bit more to this than meets the eye.

[Karenina]

24. Looking forward to your posts, Trof.

I used to LOVE flying and always preferred, mature, avuncular, well-paid, happy pilots due to my first experience. The forced retirement thing always bothered me a bit as I tend to trust others and myself to sense when another run down the slope isn't necessary...

[enlightenment]

2. I don't have an issue with it, either.

I believe commercial pilots still have to have annual medicals and all that, right? If they are healthy, then why not? At least the option is there and they're not being forced to stay on if they don't want to stay.

Personally, as a passenger, I'd rather have an older, experienced pilot than a younger guy (or gal) with fewer hours on the stick.

on edit: naughty me - all gender biased and such! (and I'm a girl!!)

[0007]

4. I have the up most respect for Commercial airline pilots.

I do feel that most airlines have screwed their help for self profit.

I hope this is a winning move.

[Aviation Pro]

7. It won't be....

...Kit Darby, the CEO of AirInc, ran the numbers and there are at most 3400 pilots who will extend their careers. This will not offset the pilot shortage which is reaching crisis proportion.

[tularetom]

5. I quit flying at age 55

My vision was getting blurry after a couple hours. In the 11 years since then it has not gotten any worse but I never felt like I wanted to take a chance by flying again.

My reflexes are reasonably intact for a 66 year old but I wouldn't feel comfortable flying. On the assumption that most pilots are not in that much better shape at my age I'd be opposed to raising the age ceiling to 65.

Edit to clarify: private pilot

[Aviation Pro]

6. The title should read....

...Airline Pilots, who bought three houses for three wives, got screwed out of their retirements and have nothing for retirement because of bad lifestyle decisions, to fly to age 65.

I'm with you trof, a full career to age 60 should be quite enough. I work with a gentleman who had enough seniority at United that he decided to "downgrade" to DC-10s in his final three years because he didn't want to fly long haul on the 74s anymore and wanted better bids. (Don't feel for him, he made some good decisions and leads a relatively prosperous life).

[trof]

8. One who knows, AP.

I'm into the 4th (or 5th?) Scotch, so I won't wax eloquent right now.
And you should see how many times I had to retype that last line.


I'll have more in the a.m.
Keep checkin' your 6.

[customerserviceguy]

10. I'm on my 4th beer myself

but don't the planes have a lot more equipment on them to help the pilots than they did when the age 60 rule went into effect? If it's quick reflexes that are still needed, by all means, make sure there's a co-pilot under that magic age, but I have a feeling that quick decision making in a crisis is probably more important, and an experienced pilot would have the necessary "right stuff" in that area.

[Aviation Pro]

14. Roger...

...

[October]

9. I agree with your comments

I'm married to a pilot. He's now 50. It's a very stressful job, as you said, and I'm sorry they added the 5 years. His friends all look so unhealthy and unfit. Most of them can't pass a medical after a certain age. My husband runs, skis, surfs -- whatever he can do to stay fit and pass his required medicals. The hours are horrific and the job really takes a toll on their bodies.

[THUNDER HANDS]

11. wasn't there a thread a couple of days ago about standards going down

for airline pilots?

I'm sure those these stories are connected.

Shortage of people becomming airline pilots, so the age of retirement gets increased.

[Morereason]

12. self delete,wrong thread

[Gormy Cuss]

13. I'm thinking you retired too soon.

Would you have stay on as a pilot until 65?

[bmbmd]

15. My son-in-law is ticked.

He is in his second year as a first officer for a regional carrier.
Says this will delay his promotion to captain. I said nothing. I kind of like a pilot with a little gray hair.

[Boojatta]

19. Imagine if we had the technology to achieve immortality.

Then he'd be really ticked.

[bmbmd]

26. If we were truly immortal,

It wouldn't matter who was flying the darn plane. We could walk away from a crash as easily as we walk away from a roller coaster.

[Boojatta]

27. I guess that depends on how you define "truly immortal."

My understanding is that some single-celled organisms are immortal in the sense that they have no maximum life-span, but that they can still be destroyed, such as by adverse environmental conditions, chemicals, viruses, etc.

[santamargarita]

16. I just got my email from the FAA

This is a good thing for us 121 operators who stay in good shape. I do see other pilots that don't look like they could pass a 1st class medical.

[harmonicon]

17. I think it's 1/2 a good thing

Has nothing to do with pilots, but a friend of mine who was one of my important teachers in grad school moved back to the US after decades teaching at a university in Canada, because of a mandatory retirement age. He worked for several years afterwards up until a few months before his death. He loved his job and didn't want to stop for anything, and I think as long as someone wants to do the job, they should be able to if they're capable and there's no danger involved. I'll have to talk to my cousin who's a commercial pilot about this though.... he always has interesting things to tell me about the airline industry and the life of a pilot. If he feels otherwise, I might change my mind.

[Boojatta]

18. Isn't there a hazard if it's impossible to measure competence to fly...

and it is necessary to instead rely upon age? For example, isn't that hazardous for people who travel by air and for people who live where an airplane might crash? I suppose that some people live in concrete bunkers deep underground to reduce the risk.

[MilesColtrane]

20. Expect to see a lot more planes with their blinker signals on throughout the whole flight. n/t

[BearSquirrel2]

21. Oh gee ...

Guys with 100k+ jobs are forced to retire two years early and draw from their 401ks. I cry for these guys as much as I do for NFL stars who often have to retire after two years.

[trof]

22. Q & A from the FAA:

http://www.faa.gov/news/updates/age_rule/pilot_age_faq/

[cboy4]

23. I think my dad, who is a UAL Triple 7 captain, has had

enough and will happily call it quits at 60.

I will now insist he stays until 65 so I can clean up with the travel benefits.

[Skittles]

25. I want an old pilot and a young pilot co-flying the plane

yes INDEED. I guess I see nothing wrong with someone piloting to age 65 but their health better be stellar!

[merwin]

28. I... Can't... Fly.... (i'm) Sixty-Five!!

OK, very bad play on Hagar... I apologize.