Closer to 60 then you think
I can empathize completely with where you guys are coming from: 'we need the ol' guys to move on so that we can have a piece of the pie.'
Do me a favor though -- after you get furloughed a couple of times (or lose your job completely because the company went down the toilet and they never called you back) and you reach your early- to mid-forties as an FO at a national, regional or major carrier, you're running two marathons a year, your doctor says you're in great shape, and you absolutely LOVE what you do -- drop me a line expressing your view about mandatory retirement at age 60. Better yet, drop me a line when YOU ARE 60, in peak physical condition and at the peak of your knowledge and experience in air transport aviation, when they're kicking your sorry ass out the door to go play at Home Depot.