Gettin Older

Editorial Staff

Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The pilot population is significantly aging, bringing valuable experience but also challenges like slower reaction times and increased medical conditions that can affect flight safety and certification.
Pilots are personally responsible for proactively maintaining their long-term physical and mental fitness through healthy lifestyle choices, as FAA medical exams are basic screenings and not comprehensive health reviews.
Comprehensive self-care, including diet, exercise, adequate rest, addressing chronic health issues, and continuous flight training, is crucial for pilots to ensure continued safety and proficiency into older age.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Concerns about pilot aging are just as important for the younger pilot as for the more silver-haired among us. The US population is getting greyer, and it’s plain to see when looking around any airport, so too is the average pilot. This aging brings numerous challenges and a few rewards that should be important to all of us.

Trending Older
Of the more than 650,000 US certified pilots, nearly 10%, are over the age of 65 and more than 4700 are over the age of 80, and this aging of pilots overall will almost certainly continue. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in a 2008 press release, by 2030 nearly one in five U.S. residents is expected to be 65 or older, and by 2050 this age group is projected to more than double.