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Time to move over?

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The FAA's mandatory age 60 retirement for airline pilots is a contentious issue, rooted in historical preferences rather than conclusive medical evidence.
  • Arguments for the rule cite the unpredictable medical decline with age, while opponents deem it discriminatory, pointing to pilots' rigorous health standards and international norms.
  • Despite FAA studies not definitively linking age over 60 to increased accident rates, the debate is complicated by economic factors like pensions, seniority, and career advancement 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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