IATA Calls for Raising Pilot Age Limit to 67
09-03-2025 | 08:59 AM
#341
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From: Engines Turn or People Swim
Also, not sure controlled rest is the move either. Ask our brothers to the north how they like doing 2-man Europe TURNS on the widebody. Had a former AC guy on the jumpseat once telling me all about taking the controlled rest, only to wake up and find the other guy asleep too and next thing you know, they're being intercepted by a foreign military.
Rather a means to mitigate the natural circadian challenges we experience.
09-03-2025 | 09:18 AM
#342
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Multi-crew ops already have rest/nap breaks. This would be for two person crews. The one negative I could see is this could lead credence to single pilot ops.
09-03-2025 | 09:32 AM
#343
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From: Engines Turn or People Swim
They concluded that current technology does not support doing that safely, and have abandonded the concept.
https://www.flyingmag.com/easa-pause...ilot-research/
I don't like eMCO (where one pilot takes rest out of the cockpit, leaving only one pilot minding the store). But I like controlled napping at a flight crew station. It's a think and has been for a while in some countries, and I think many of of us have seen it action as well
It's restorative, and if the chit hits the fan you're right there in the seat.
09-03-2025 | 10:47 AM
#344
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The first hint of movement to single pilot ops was an EASA study on eMCO.
They concluded that current technology does not support doing that safely, and have abandonded the concept.
https://www.flyingmag.com/easa-pause...ilot-research/
I don't like eMCO (where one pilot takes rest out of the cockpit, leaving only one pilot minding the store). But I like controlled napping at a flight crew station. It's a think and has been for a while in some countries, and I think many of of us have seen it action as well It's restorative, and if the chit hits the fan you're right there in the seat.
They concluded that current technology does not support doing that safely, and have abandonded the concept.
https://www.flyingmag.com/easa-pause...ilot-research/
I don't like eMCO (where one pilot takes rest out of the cockpit, leaving only one pilot minding the store). But I like controlled napping at a flight crew station. It's a think and has been for a while in some countries, and I think many of of us have seen it action as well
It's restorative, and if the chit hits the fan you're right there in the seat.As for single pilot ops, every version of that includes a control from the ground and it’s all hackable. Until the hacking problem is solved - not sure that’s even possible - there can be no override from the ground without a serious compromise in safety.
09-03-2025 | 10:59 AM
#345
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From: Engines Turn or People Swim
09-03-2025 | 11:43 AM
#346
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From: Aircraft & Seat: old & hard
When I worked in the EU it was all time in uniform, not time in motion. Longest trip I did was 9 days, 4 legs per day, all over 2:15 hours. I am sure subpart Q changed some of that, but I do know Virgin does the whole easy coast with 2 man crew. AFAIK naps are allowed, but not required to be given to make the flight legal.
09-03-2025 | 12:00 PM
#348
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I'd hazard a guess that the general population is more readily accessible to study, just by virtue of being numerous.
And in many cases the study data already exists, and the aeromedical folks just have to parse it.
The benefit of doing a pilot-specific study is that it would account accurately for our specific circumstances, health benefits of socioeconomic status and lifestyle, and also any potential detrimental affects from job environment, circadian disruption, etc.
If the government is going to set boundaries on our livelihood, they owe us an accurate number, not just something that evolved over time. Might even be a lower number, in which case you can move up and FIRE even faster.
And in many cases the study data already exists, and the aeromedical folks just have to parse it.
The benefit of doing a pilot-specific study is that it would account accurately for our specific circumstances, health benefits of socioeconomic status and lifestyle, and also any potential detrimental affects from job environment, circadian disruption, etc.
If the government is going to set boundaries on our livelihood, they owe us an accurate number, not just something that evolved over time. Might even be a lower number, in which case you can move up and FIRE even faster.
09-03-2025 | 02:18 PM
#349
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From: Engines Turn or People Swim
Include them in the study, identify them as such. Maybe their situation is so much worse that they need different (better) rest rules and a different retirement age.
Yes I know their rest rules are currently not 117.
But the reality is that the retirement age is about pax safety, not cargo or crew safety. Yeah they might crash into a building, but so might many other non-121 airplanes.
Yes I know their rest rules are currently not 117.
But the reality is that the retirement age is about pax safety, not cargo or crew safety. Yeah they might crash into a building, but so might many other non-121 airplanes.
09-03-2025 | 04:30 PM
#350
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From: Window seat
My guess is they're genetically similar to other airline pilots. Pan Am's BK process put their pilots medical records into the public eye because the company provided the physicals in house. BK? The records became available. The records were used to look at life expectancy, longevity, etc. Same stuff despite the long haul/night flying operations they did - they lived longer than the average person. Researchers loved it because they had medical records of a select group (pilots) going back decades.
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