Originally Posted by preludespeeder
I have one question for some pilots on hear. Why is it that when you talk to people in other industries one of the big topics I hear is that they are planning early retirement but when you talk to an older pilot all they complain about is that they have to retire at age 60. what do you think the numbers would be if you asked a large random group of Americans if they would vote for a rule dropping the retirement age to 60. I would guess somewhere around the 90 percentile would say yes. Just my thoughts though. Why do pilots complain about early retirement, maybe they have nothing else to complain about.
What you have to realize is that after a full career of being an airline pilot guys who are nearing 60 normally have no home, friends, family or hobbies left to retire to. Who are they going to scream at after they retire? Who will take them seriously or care about what they have to say unless they have the four stripes on? What kind of life is there for retired airline pilots who have developed obsessive compulsive disorders and have become socially inept due to the command system? Lets not forget the raided retirement accounts and decades of multiple alimony and child support payments. After a lifetime of these kinds of assaults these guys are unable to function outside of the left seat anymore. Perhaps it would be more humane to let them work till they drop?
Randal is an excellent example of a 60 year old airline pilot; Lost in his own world, completely self absorbed, prepared to sacrifice all else in pursuit of his wants. Totally unconcerned about the consequences of his actions upon others. Just how is he supposed to integrate back into the real world?
SkyHigh