pugpilot

From what I've heard, down to only 1 80 year old. The X driver had a stroke and collapsed after deboarding pax in HPN. Word around the crew room was that he knew something was wrong but flew anyway. Could have killed everyone on board.

mooneymite

Good thing younger pilots are guaranteed to never have strokes, or die in the cockpit. Makes me wonder why we even bother having two pilots. All we have to do is fire anyone over 40. Eh, 35 would be safer.

Flyfalcons

The kind of denial from Mooney is exactly why the company is pursuing a mandatory retirement age. Too many greedy old bastards continuing to fly well past their expiration date. They have ruined the privilege of no mandatory retirement for the rest of us.

Das Auto

Could someone please explain why some people just refuse to retire? I'm not trying to start a fight here, just genuinely interested as to what the reasons are. I always thought you were supposed to look forward to retirement as an opportunity to wind down, go on a cruise, spend time with the grandkids etc.

I can only assume it's the fear of boredom, or becoming a nobody at bridge club when you say "I used to fly jets" as opposed to "I fly jets?" Maybe they just want the most spectacular headstone in the graveyard?

I know there is a big argument about pay but in general I think it's fair to say that professional pilots are relatively well compensated compared to other professions.
Surely poor financial planning is not the main reason why the older guys refuse to hang up their headset?

727C47

70 would be a good limit, there should be some limit, but boy it’s like a civil war on the boards over this one, if the intent was to cause dissension then someone certainly succeeded.

mooneymite

I don't like golf.

I've been retired before. I didn't find it as fulfilling/fun as my part time (7/7) job flying a new jet around to neat places all expenses paid.

I have plenty to do on my days off. I own and maintain 2 airplanes (I like to fly), have kids/(27) grandkids all over the southeast to visit, and airline passes to go anywhere in the world, but a life without productive employment is just kind of boring self-absorption.

Everytime I go for training, I ask the sim instructors if they see any aging issues. They say they don't. If/when they do, I'll quit, but I'll probably be gone long before that becomes an issue. Some 70 year olds are old, others are not. I fly with younger guys some of whom absolutely need to fatigue before I do. My blood pressure is just as low today as the day I was hired. I always load the bags because I enjoy seeing it done right.

Ability/drive/health/vigor/fulfillment are more important than a number dreamed up by people trying to make captain at the expense of those senior to them.

Don't worry. I'm not keeping anyone from up-grading. I am a FO.

Thanks for asking the question.

FLYLOW22

There are no guarantees but the ODDS of having a stroke at an older age increase.

Science.

Jetlife

Are you willfully admitting that you lack a basic understanding that as age increases, health risks increase?

Jetlife

You try to tell guys that have had decades of "I don't care what the minimums are, I flew helicopters in the Navy I can handle it" moments in flying, to willfully retire on their own accord.

To be fair, the time to retire is a blurry subject, and it is an insidious onset. The age 65 rule came from statistical data that showed the move from 60 to 65 wouldn't post a significant risk from a health standpoint. Hell I wouldn't be shocked at all to see it go to 67 someday. The percentage of pilots that lose their medicals close to retirement is higher. United says that age 63 is the average.

Are there pilots that retire at 65 sharp as a tack, with all mental faculties and cognitive function? Hell ya there are. Does that mean that person could probably fly till 67-70? Yea maybe. But also maybe not, and that pilot may not notice the decline and not self retire. I don't care what anyone says or wants to admit, the older pilots I flew with at NJA had a higher probability of health risks, and had more trouble following SOP, making safe decisions etc. Hell some of them couldn't lift bags.

NetJets didn't solely pick to try and implement age 65 because of salary costs. For anyone to think that is fairly crazy. Training costs, healthcare costs, safety concerns, safety reporting, standards reporting etc are all metrics tracked and measured, best believe when they have to defend this decision in court, these numbers will be exposed.

GeeWizDriver

The Chief Pilot KNOWS about it. The Standards captain I recently flew with KNOWS about it. Everybody in the fleet KNOWS about it. They don’t dare fire him because they know he will sue.

Are there 70 year olds at NJ that can run rings around me? Probably. But a mandatory retirement age is an unfortunate but NECESSARY mechanism to get rid of the intellectually dishonest pilots who continue to lie to themselves and others that they can still do the job. Some CAN’T.