Originally Posted by
Aurora8
I always look up front when I board an airliner, and am always happy when there's a 'gray hair' flying; no substitute for experience in this business (and no, I'm not close to 65...).
My AME told me at my last 1st Class that I am 'way ahead of [my] cohort' i.e., in better shape, and she's very thorough. So age is relative - one guys 35 is another's 50 - that's what medicals are for.
Gray hair has nothing to do with experience.
How many gray hairs are newer hires?
Maybe he has sat mindlessly in that seat for 20+ years and never had a real issue.
Maybe he is older and slower now and couldn't handle the "issue" like he could in the past.
Caution letting your AME get too thorough.
Let you regular doc get thourough and find any problems.
That way they get fixed and aren't reported immediately to OKC.