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Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The article examines the contentious FAA mandatory retirement age of 60 for airline pilots, questioning its 1959 origin as potentially influenced by economic and seniority factors rather than purely safety concerns.
  • While major pilot unions support the age-60 rule citing medical deterioration with age, opposing pilots argue it is discriminatory, lacks statistical proof of increased accident risk, and is inconsistent with international aviation practices.
  • Although FAA studies have not conclusively linked increased accident rates to pilots over 60, the author emphasizes that changing the rule involves significant economic implications, such as impacts on pensions, seniority lists, and career progression for younger pilots.
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My simulator instructor grinned, “So, your captain has gone unconscious. It looks like he just had a heart attack. You’re flying. What do you do?”

I knew it was a trick question, but I was a probationary pilot with less than a year at the airline. I felt obligated to give him a by-the-book answer. “You declare an emergency and land the airplane at the nearest suitable airport?” I asked.

Les Abend

Les Abend is a retired, 34-year veteran of American Airlines, attempting to readjust his passion for flying airplanes in the lower flight levels—without the assistance of a copilot.

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