I don't claim to be the smartest guy ever, so this might be full of holes. If it is, spare the flames. This whole age 60 debate bothered me, and I couldn't figure out exactly why. Until today. Here's the problem as I see it: Raising the age 60 rule will allow current captains more total time earning captain pay. But by doing so it will effectively stop others' upgrade to captain for that same time. So, it FORCES everyone not already a captiain to work until the new age limit in order to get the ORIGINAL number of years as a captain, while the current captains get extra years as captain. So you enable some guys now to work longer, yet by doing so you FORCE the rest of us to work longer! I know there are some unmentioned variables in this, such as the expansion/ contraction of airlines, new airlines, liquidation, early retirements, etc. I also realize that moving the retirement age enables everyone to work as pilots longer, but I think we all can agree that time as captain is more important that time earing FO wages. Thoughts? Am I on the money or out to lunch? Because I think I'll put these thoughts on paper to my congresspeople.