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Time to move over?

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The FAA's mandatory retirement age of 60 for airline pilots is a contentious issue, originally influenced by economic factors in 1959.
  • Major pilot unions support the rule, citing unquantifiable medical risks associated with aging, particularly cardiac health.
  • Opponents argue the rule is discriminatory, pointing to a lack of conclusive medical or statistical evidence (even from FAA studies) linking age 60 to increased accident rates, and noting that many other countries allow pilots to fly past this age.
  • Beyond medical reasons, economic factors like pensions, seniority, and career progression for younger pilots significantly influence the debate.
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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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