There is no pilot shortage any more anywhere in the world. EASA is a pay2fly scheme, hiring is down in the US. And Middle East, Australia and Asia are not hiring as before.
Secondly, I’m really just trying to understand what the forced medical outs will be in case we enforce much stricter medical standards. My bet is that a whole lot of Americans will loose their medicals in the low to mid 50s.
We really need to understand what is required by EASA, Chinese and Japanese medical examiners. We do NOT want that in the US. Try to get a medical in Japan with a BMI over 30. I’ve been told by doctors that I will never have a BMI under 30 it’s just the way my body is built.

 

IATA apparently doesn't agree with you. Likely they are looking at long-term, there's usually a shortage somewhere and there are forecasts for significant air travel growth in certain parts of the world (the parts that don't have have a GA pilot pool).


I don't think IATA cares much. But the US airlines do care and they will certainly intervene with IATA/ICAO when it comes time to make the rules. They don't want staffing issues due to a step change in medical standards, and they don't want to pay for the LTD.

Absolute worst case, the US simply won't apply a hypothetical extreme ICAO standard to domestic ops. In that case international flying would be doen by those who can meet the higher standard. I'd expect bilat agreements with Mexico/Canada and maybe other countries in the Americas.

But I'm not concerned, Money talks, safety theater walks.

Also when it comes to medical standards, ICAO has always leaned towards lowest common denominator, not forcing astronaut standards on countries that don't want it.

 

In your short story, “Andy” is fully convinced that pilots only act in their self-interest, and that he should therefore do the same. He wants everyone to believe this so they too can “begin to laugh and not give a damn”.

Sounds like an awfully depressing journey to the bottom. No thank you.

 

Funny you say that, my EASA AME is actually one that does the medicals for pESA astronauts and Formula 1 drivers.

 

1. Oh my, look we have “thank me for MY service and keeping you safe “ live one here. You made choice. The same one myself and probably close to 50% of the airline pilots out there did. You also didn’t fork over a crap ton of money and work at regional making Pennies like those who didn’t join the military did.

2. Ironic that you want to stagnate the industry in the same manner in which you were harmed.

3. Any pilot who is counting on SS for retirement done already messed up.

4. BuH - BYe .. don’t the the escape slide hit you in the rear on the way out.

 

Let Experience Pilots Fly

NOTAM #14

“EXPERIENCE MATTERS”

August 27, 2025

Dear Colleagues,

**The LEPF Board of Directors met August 11, 2025 for a regular meeting where we continue to discuss our work and review/revise our strategic plan during the congressional recess. Our next board meeting is August 28th, prior to the Nehls luncheon in Houston, TX.

**Canadian support at LEPF is strong. Our Canadian supporters tell us they can’t understand how ALPA can oppose eliminating/raising the age when 50% of the pilot groups are Canadian ALPA members and fly over the age of 65.

The discussion continues in the same vein with IFALPA, as ten countries whose pilot members fly over the age of 65. ALPA, as a member of IFALPA, continues its opposition at the expense of their highest dues-paying, and most experienced members.

**On August 13, our lobbying firm and the Legislative Committee met with Senator Graham’s staff to follow up on re-introduction of the bill “Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act”.
As you may recall, we remain very proactive in getting the bill re-introduced as soon as possible.
Our discussion concluded with a follow up scheduled the first week of September. Remember Congress re-convenes September 2, 2025.

**Thank you to our pilot residents of Pennsylvania on signing the letter (attached) to Senator Fetterman asking him to meet with all of us, as constituents, asking him to support eliminating or raising the pilot retirement age.

**Personal testimonials from three of our recently retired members. Every day our colleagues are unjustly fired from their lifelong professional passion. We are keenly aware of the impact. We thank you for sharing your stories.

- “I’ve been recruited to fly for CBP. I’ve passed the medical, fitness, tests, and completed the background check. I’m just awaiting the next academy start dates. It’s interesting to me that DHS needs experienced pilots and they don’t have a problem with age, as long as the pilots can pass all of the tests. On the one hand our government places arbitrary restrictions on pilots while accepting forced retired pilots.”

- “I retired five months ago. I took this picture three weeks ago.” (Picture of a body builder we will not publish) “Show it to Congress. Tell the 40 year-olds they have to pass MY physical.”

- “When I graduated High School in 1979, the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 had just passed, and the repercussions to the Piloting profession were beginning to be felt. By the time I graduated from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in 1983, there were thousands of Pilots and Flight Engineers furloughed from the largest carriers and many were permanent furloughs because the airlines ceased to exist. Not a good time to be an entry level Pilot.
This began what I and many others have termed, The Race to the Bottom. Airline bankruptcies, concessionary contracts, reduced staffing and furloughs characterized this period.
My career has been spent at the commuter and then regional level. As I grew older and started a family, job security became more important to me than pursuing the dream of flying for the majors. So many of my peers left our little regional airlines to pursue these dreams only to find themselves furloughed for many years. I could not let that happen to my family. They had priority over any so called dream.

So essentially the first 30 years of my entire Piloting career was set back by this regulatory change. It has only been the last eight years that the Piloting profession has seen an uptick in negotiating power and strength due to free market forces and its powerful effects.

I and all those who chose this honorable profession deserve the chance, to continue to fly with these well-earned benefits now that they are finally here!”

Editor’s note: The meteoric path new pilots have to the regionals and majors is unprecedented. Those of us in the top 60% of seniority lists fought the battles and suffered the injustices, too many to list, so the new generation can enjoy the spoils. We are happy for them and like many at LEPF, we have given of our time as active union volunteers to mitigate the loss over the past two decades and produce the contracts the next generation is enjoying. The least we expect is for them to not fight us and understand that they too will benefit from non-mandatory retirement in their highest income years.

**AARP membership has many benefits, including the fact that they advocate against age discrimination, period! If you are not a member, please consider it, and join us in our effort with AARP to end age discrimination in our profession. We are the only non-government profession with a mandatory retirement age.
We have met with AARP legislative representative to update their support letter to LEPF. As members, we can write to AARP and join their fight against age discrimination, with a pilot specific interest.

**LEPF is hosting a private luncheon honoring Congressman Troy Nehls on August 28, 2025, in Houston, TX, as we did for Senator Blackburn. On Congressman Nehls’ general fundraising page he aptly declares himself -the “House Champion for LEPF” and calls on Congress to “Raise the Age and Let Experienced Pilots Fly”. https://secure.winred.com/troynehls/chairmannehlslepf

**Recently, ALPA implemented another dues refund. This is a great opportunity to support LEPF in helping our union brothers and sisters remain in the profession for which they are so passionate. Investing your dues refund in LEPF is an investment in your own future earnings. One thing you can be certain of is LEPF represents ALL ages and seniority, because ALL will benefit from eliminating/raising the age. An extra 5 years is estimated to be worth approximately $5M in additional income and 401kgrowth. Please consider using your ALPA dues refund to support our (your) cause. Donate here

**Keep the AME letters coming, as we continue to increase the number of AMEs that support eliminating the mandatory pilot retirement age. For some it is easiest to mail the signed letters. Send them to P. O. Box 1124 Pascagoula, MS 39568.

**Much discussion is taking place within our membership on the issue of “polling”. We are aware that, in the past, ALPA and SWA have held pilot polling regarding the mandatory retirement age. We know anecdotally that approximately one-third of pilot members support a change to the pilot retirement age.

It is not surprising that the third that supports change is likely in the senior ranks and realizing how much they enjoy their flying career, mentoring, instructing, volunteering their time doing safety work, staffing training and evaluator roles with highly experienced aviators, and leading by example, in an effort to share their experience and robust aviation decision making (AMD) skills, as a contribution to the next generation of aviators. It was in this positive environment where most of us ascended the seniority list.

Some of our members have raised the question of calling on their union leadership to conduct new polling. While we don’t have a hard opinion on this, what we do know is that if any pilot introduces/passes a resolution to their local council, it must be taken to the MEC as an agenda item. Imagine if all of your union’s councils passed such a resolution…
The unions’ claims that they have a unanimous mandate to fight against raising the age, belies the opinion/polling of their most senior members. Perhaps a simple resolution asking for the members’ polling on whether to raise the age or not. And if you really wanted to get more value, the polling would weigh each pilot for the years of union membership and the total dues to date.

If you are willing to start this effort, send us an email at [email protected] and we will assist in any way we can to help you exercise your union membership voice.

**IATA has placed on the agenda of the upcoming ICAO 42nd Assembly, WP349. It was written and submitted to the Technical Committee of the Assembly, August 1, 2025. It follows last year’s WP106 calling for a review of ICAO’s Annex 1 recommended retirement age. The difference between the two WPs is 106 called for a consideration to change and 349 is calling for a similar approach to the changes in 2003, with data. We will report with more details in the next NOTAM. We are working with IATA on this issue.

As a reminder, the first piece of legislation introduced into the House of Representatives was in the Fall of 2022 by Congressman Chip Roy (TX) and was co-written by Barry Kendrick and Chip Roy’s office. The title of that bill was “Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act”. It is the name of our organization (LEPF).

We do not engage in personal attacks or any behavior that cheapens our work. We are measured, disciplined, organized, focused, and respected on the Hill. We work diligently for our profession, and we are volunteers. We take our responsibility seriously and appreciate the vocal support of our loyal members.

We are always happy to work with any group, as we see legislation coming soon. Now is the time to focus on the prize and let our team and lobbyist do our work. Now more than ever, we need your continued support as we close in on the target of eliminating/raising the age.

EXPERIENCE MATTERS!

Thank you

LEPF

 

"Well well well...if it isn't the consequences of my own actions..."

I also served and defended YOUR freedom of speech and constitutional right to be this wrong and ignorant 🫡

You're welcome for MY service

 

This little gem was particularly interesting.

 

Lol wow, what a classic example of their mindset. I should have more say becuase I'm more important. I wonder if they think that Presidential votes should be weighted based on your net worth?

 

Yesh that’s not how democracy works. But in the oligarchy…..