Uhh... No that's not at all what I'm arguing. If it were up to me ATP minimums for the purpose of 121 command would be significantly higher than they are today.

My point about the Buffalo crash still stands. Both pilots had well above the mins, especially (obviously) the Captain. The problem is the status quo regional model, period. It needs to go.

They got the Age 60 rule because that is what the CEO of AA told the head of the FAA to make the rule. They were friends. Before the Age 60 rule, there was no age limit. Canada, and several other countries, now have no age limit, and Japan just changed to age 67.

I read, several years ago, that the FAA did a study, and the age 60+ pilots had the least problems.

Actually, there were a lot of studies that went into the age 60 rule. It was originally going to be 55, but the board went with 60 based on studies. And there were going to be even tighter age restrictions on transitioning from piston to jet engine aircraft.
The friendship between CR Smith and Quesada was due to working together during WWII and Quesada did not make the decision on age 60; an independent board did AFTER evaluating quite a bit of data/studies. But a bunch of studies isn't as intriguing as a conspiracy theory.

Not a single fact in that whole post.

We are all dumber for having read it, I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

I think I saw the same chart ... Air Facts? ... An issue from the late 50s or early 60s? Based on DC-4 and similar types? Lol

I think he's referring to a series of studies published by CAMI (in the 1970s or 80s). Over 60 data was based on pilots flying smaller regional aircraft ... this was back before the age 60 restriction applied to all 121 ops.

I grew up in an airline household in the 60's and remember well what the captains who were approaching 60 years old looked like then.. most of them were rung out, whiskey drinking, Viceroy smoking, and could barely walk a mile without braking a sweat.

It was a much harder life, flying the line in the 40's, 50's when they all started. There were a few exceptions. A neighbor, who was a Delta pilot in '68 could be seen regularly jogging in the mornings in the neighborhood. People would actually ask, why is he running? Usually the reply was, "he was a Marine", and everyone would knowingly nod yes, as if that explained the oddity.

Remember, the average life expectancy of a male in 1960 was 66.

The silly part about all those that want to dump the hours requirement is that it would just buy them some time. Go ahead and scoop up every willing pilot between 250 and 1500. There won't be anyone left after that. Nobody borrows a fortune with interest for training so they can have a regional career. Young folks these days have wised up to the scam.

That is hilarious. I was flying Twin Otters in 1990. Would have sold my sister into porn to fly a EMB-120. I actually flew to PDX and sat in the Chief Pilots waiting room all day to drop my resume of for a god at Horizon . Nothing for my efforts. Nothing for the 3 years I applied to SKW.
These kids don’t know how good they have it.

The 1500 hundred rule is the best thing that ever happened to help with pilot wages. Limit the supply, drive up the demand, wages go up. Don’t rock the boat. And for god sakes. I don’t want to work till 67. Jeez!!!