Originally Posted by FSDO

Let Experienced Pilots Fly

NOTAM #16

“EXPERIENCE MATTERS”

September 8, 2025
This update includes:

· Meeting with Senator Kelly’s office

· Safety claim by some unions

**Senator Kelly is a co-sponsor of the LEPF bill. On Friday, September 5th, we had a meeting with Senator Kelly’s office. We thanked the Senator for his unwavering support and re-confirmed his continued support of the LEPF Bill when it gets re-introduced. We discussed, among other things, the current status of ICAO WP349and the nominee for US Ambassador to ICAO. Senator Kelly’s support is significant because it highlights the bipartisan nature of eliminating/raising the age.

**While some unions are waving the safety flag, at the end of the day it is an empty claim. We have plenty of data that supports raising the age. We have pilots that on day one after retirement are flying for NetJets and other Part 125 and Part 135 operators with no age limit. The exception is NetJets which has a contractual retirement age of 70. These pilots are often flying the same type aircraft as the airlines in the same airspace. The data exists in the 60-65 age range as well, since 2007. At the end of the day, the safety claim is a red herring.

Senator Tammy Duckworth, a veteran pilot herself, established that there is no safety issue on this topic. Multiple FAA aviation medical examiners (AME) have written letters to Congress advocating for the elimination of the ageist, discriminatory law and supporting medical science, as the determining factor for pilot retirement.

The burden of proof should be on the agencies that restrict the pilot license privileges at a certain age, to justify why they do so.

Experience Matters!
LEPF