hyflyt560

Something I read once talked about when the age is increased, those who've retired and then would be able to fly Part 121 again would not automatically get their seat/seniority back. Any one heard anything to that effect...affect (whichever it is)?

rickair7777

Since it's never been an issue, it's an unknown. My guess is that that the unions and companies would not want to restore seniority and lawsuits would follow. It's a tough call...

CRJammin

That's correct by my understanding of the bills.

Guys who have retired and left CANNOT get their seniority numbers back with the bills' passage. They could only come back as newhires.

Randal

I joined my 1st airline at age 21 ,and have flown "airliners" ever since, i can remember looking in the mirror, in my first uniform complete with 1 stripe, and thinking "wow airline pilot" lol. Now 39 years, and 17,000 hrs later it seems like yesterday, but i`m still easily able to pass my class 1 medical, and any type rating, I`m a newbie resident of the US, and always admired the NO discriminating policies of this nation, but this age 60 rule IS discrimination plain and simple, and as for the FAA and thier BS about safety and age , they need to learn that there is NO substitute for experience.

ADIRU

An FAA class I medical as a true measure of aviation "fitness" is a .....joke.

If you want to see a real physical for the risk involved, go take an life insurance physical for a 30 or 40 million dollar policy (typical narrowbody hull replacement cost). Especially at say 63 or 64 years old. Good luck finding anyone to write coverage for you at that age. And that's for an average guy whose greatest risk day-to-day is shaving...not executing a CAT III after being up all night flying back from Osaka.

We don't fly critical parts to their failure point, they're replaced based on time in service or number of cycles because failure probability is either unknown or increases geometrically after that point, which increases risk. A pilot is a critical part, point of failure is generally unknown or variable, and this part should be replaced at a point early enough in its usable life to insure little or no increased risk to the traveling public or coworkers.

My 2 cents.

Work till you die, for all I care. Just not in an airline pilots seat.

avbug

And there in lies the crux of this problem. Those who want the age limit increased should not have it both ways. One of two ways to make this fair. Either everyone who has been forced to retire upon reaching 60, should be allowed back with seniority reinstated (not gained just reinstated) and seat awarded OR everyone who is currently 23 or older (ATP min age) should have to retire at 60 and the new age would only affect the next "generation" of pilots.

Age 65 is still age discrimination, those who truly believe and are fighting for this cause should support no less than no age limit for retirement, not just some random number. I understand age 65 was picked for social security alignment, but that doesn't make it any better than 60.

For the record, I'm for doing away with the age 60 rule, but only if it is done away with completely and one of the two above stipulations is in place.

captjns

In my opinion, since the airlines are doing with their Defined Benefit Pension Plans, they won't lobby in DC against raising the age to 65. Many countries in the EU allow pilots to fly ove age 60. France and I beleive Italy are the exceptions to the rule. Over age 60 pilots are forbidden occupying a crewmember seat when flying into their airspaces. France for sure has younger retirement ages. I think they put their pilots out to pasture at age 55.

captjns

Insurance companies don't underwrite the entire risk. They reinsure the risk with other insurance carriers... same for all types of insurance with large amounts of coverage. When an insuarnce company responds to a risk, the beneficiary receives one check from the main unerwriting carrier. Thus as many as 10 insurance companies, for example, may carry the risk one policy... in other words... spreading the risk.

Insurance companies do not rate airlines that allow pilots to fly over age 60. The rates for hull coverage, and liablility are the same.

Randal

Maybe, but i`ve had many problems with "new just changed engines" never any with well used "old engines"

Randal

I worked for B.W.I.A. (British west Indian airways) for 30 years and in all that time only 2 pilots died (god rest thier souls) one was 45 and the other was 29. so it would seem that age is not always a good judge of health and fitness. incidently both were extremly fit and and maybe 5/10 pounds light for thier weight