Originally Posted by Brillo

This take is completely and utterly flawed in a safety driven industry. Your argument states that you should be able to fly until either a doctor or a check airman tells you that you can’t anymore. By definition, unless you just happened to crap out the EXACT day of your medical or check ride, it means you’ve been flying for some time in a state that you shouldn’t have. This assumes by the way a perfect medical/check ride system that 100% accurately assesses physical condition and capabilities. It doesn’t even account for Santa Claus medicals or check rides, and ignores the pandora’s box of unfit pilots using the union/lawyers to fight what they considered to be “unfair” check rides.

The entire argument of “they forced me to retire when I was still good to go” is a flawed premise. Taking 121 pilots out of the cockpit when 99.999% of them are still good to go is THE ENTIRE POINT of a mandatory retirement age. If it waited until some percentage of pilots weren’t good to go, the system wouldn’t be working.

Simply answer this question: “Should a 121 pilot be able to keep flying until someone finally says they objectively aren’t fit anymore, or should they call it quits while they can still do the job?” If you think it’s the first one, I question your judgment.