Randal

The following are excerps from this weeks "Flight International"

ICAO favours older pilots;
ICAO recommendations adopted last week are that pilots(subject to medicals) can fly in either seat of a heavy jet up to age 65, but the other pilot must be under 60.

Phillipines Airlines;
A shortage of pilots has caused PAL to delay taking delivery of 2 A319`s.

Aviation experts;
predict that the airliner order boom, could well continue for several years, including regional jets, a record 2312 airliners were ordered in 2005.
2004=643
2003=526.

Russia considers dropping VAT off aircraft purchases;

Airbus orders;
Airbus has secured 26 orders for its A318elite business jet. (you should see the interior of this baby wow)

India;
India`s civil aviation sector faced with a crippling shortage of pilots, ground crews, and engineers, facing a disruption in services.

Simulator sales;
simulator sales skyrocket, orders for levelD sims up from 24 in 2004 to 67 in 2005.

well heres wishing this puts a smile on some faces

Randal.

ps those of you who have the oppurtunity to buy this flt int should do so just the pictures of the interiors and cockpits of the latest big jets is worth it.

shaark92

This is about the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

Here in the states, the argument includes age discrimination & 60 being arbitrary ...

Yet some in that same circle think ICAO is the way to go ... that flying past 60 is not a safety hazard.

If flying past 60 is not a safety hazard, why does the goofy ICAO stipulate only ONE pilot may be over 60???

I appreciate the issues of those approaching 60: lost pensions, ... even carriers ... but I do not think insulating the PBGC from additional liability by making pilots fly past 60 is the right way to fix that problem.

For crying out loud, controllers have to retire in their mid 50s. I fail to see a significant difference which makes a reasonable, logical argument that a controller needs to retire before a pilot needs to retire.

I really do not see how raising the PIC limitation age is going to help this profession. As for the rest of the post ... well ... we'll see, huh?

AV

Randal

well so much for trying for a smile, another bitter young-un boy been a capt these days must be SOO fun sad real sad.

727C47

with you Randal some of these guys need to lighten up just a bit...

Roll Inverted and Pull

Back in the mid 80`s I was flying as a copilot on the L 1011. We had at that time, routes to LGW and FRA only. I flew with the 58 and 59 year old captains. About half of them could hold their own with any of the younger guys, the other half were really slipping. As a copilot, I had to really use a lot of guile to convince these "old guys' that what I wanted to do was their idea.They needed a bit of watching. As I approached retirement age, I knew that I was slipping a bit. Some of my copilots would "help' me. I guess turn about is fair play. Past 60 is dangerious, no question about it. On Chuck Yeager`s last flight in an F-15 he had the left turn blinker on the entire flight.

Randal

60 is dangerous!!! speak for yurself, anyone who was a real airline pilot, would know "exactly" thier limitations, those like u who became "dangerous" at 60 are not going to give the rest of us a bad rep. If you believe that the day after your 59+364 day you suddenly became "dangerous" i would certainly agree that u should step aside like immediatly..

Typhoonpilot

To get this thread back on track and not re-hash the age 60 arguement for the 100th time, I agree that the ball is moving over to our court. The notable exceptions remain the USA and Australia. Europe, India, China, Middle Astern countries, and most of Asia are experiencing a shortage of qualified pilots. This bodes well for the profession as supply and demand will tilt in our favor and help us to keep the pay and working conditions acceptable.

My company is having a difficult time finding suitably qualified pilots. They gave us a 10% raise last year, which wasn't enough to keep/attract pilots. We'll see what they do this year, hoping for another 10% minimum. That is movement in the right direction.


TP

remlap

Typhoon,

I was at the Atlanta Roadshow. I suspect that in order to attract the type of people that EK seems to want they will need to do a number of things.

First, that 10% is a start. Second, they need some duty rigs with some reasonable limit to the amount of flying expected.

Money is good, but its not everything. They must provide a limit to the amount of flying required. There comes a time that you have to have rest or you are not longer the type of aviator that they want to attract.

I am hesitant to explore EK as an option because I take my health and the health of the people in back seriously. I am not sure EK understands fatique or takes it seriously.

Randal

you are absolutly right Typhoon, my apolagies also to 727c47, i fell into the "need to lighten up" catergory.Its just that remarks like that don`t enhance our profession,

I see your on the 777 did you know that Emirates is offering direct entry 777 capt if you have 10,000 hrs ,bit far from home but about 12,000 tax free.

baynard

I dont have a problem with guys over 60.....just need to install a relief tube under their seats.