Age 65 ICAO Rule – You Might Be Surprised

[PropPiedmont]

PropPiedmont, If 10 out of twelve were unsafe, did you do anything about it? If they can do the job, let them stay. If not, get rid of them. Flying airplanes is not an entitlement.

Maybe at some point you, or I, will have to do something about it.

I didn't say unsafe. I said, "Of that twelve, ten of them required way too much of my time and attention." There's a fine line between uncomfortability and safety. Flying with some of these older pilots just seems to put me on that line more often.

Lastly, it is not my decision to "let them stay," or "get rid of them."

 

[Kalifornia]

They should have raised it to 70 while they were at it. Then we would not have to go through this again in 2012. BTW Who would you rather have in the right seat of Q400 going in BUF on an icy night, a 66 year old 13,000 ATP or a 20’s something low time former CFI?

And you are prime evidence why all pilots should be banned from a professional cockpit above 60 let alone 65. And after the JFK scare from a 69 year old experimental retired navy pilot, maybe GA limits need to be put into place? You are indeed the same guy who proudly proclaimed he's fine with high school drop outs (probably a close relative of yours) handling an airplane, and now you have severe dementia trying to make the argument a 70 year old has his brains in order. Plus with your signature, you certainly go out of your way to encourage the shiny jet syndrome crowd.

 

[Chest Rockwell]

Of the last 12 "under 50" pilots that I have flown with, 10 of them required way too much of my attention.

 

[Grandpa +65]

Stop complaining, I fly with over 60 guys all the time and they do just fine. This is ONLY an issue because it came on a bad economic time, if airlines would have been hiring 80 pilots a month like pre 9/11, none of you would be saying a peep about it

agreed:beer:

 

[N1VIBS]

Maybe at some point you, or I, will have to do something about it.

I didn't say unsafe. I said, "Of that twelve, ten of them required way too much of my time and attention." There's a fine line between uncomfortability and safety. Flying with some of these older pilots just seems to put me on that line more often.

Lastly, it is not my decision to "let them stay," or "get rid of them."

10 out of 12 pilots you fly with have problems?? Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, they aren't the ones with problems???

 

[Mr.B]

There’s little debate on how the Age 65 ruling has devastated the careers of the lower ¾ of the pilots across the industry as our industry continues to shrink and consolidate. Due to inability or lack of foresight of not even administering a simple phase-in of the new Age 65 retirement age (which would have made for a more sensible change), the ruling has stopped any progression for the next three and half years industry wide.

As the industry continues to shrink and consolidate during the current difficult economic times, the junior pilot has paid a high price for our senior pilots to remain in the highest paying seats an extra five years. This has resulted in additional furloughs, backwards career movement, loss of career earnings, and massive stagnation across our industry. It has force many to leave the career for good due to the lack of upward opportunities and low rates of pay. Ask yourself; has Age 65 really increase the safety factor across our industry or was this just a money grab by our most senior pilots?

Now we find that not only did we lose our seats to these pilots and forced to endure lower rates of pay for much longer, but are forced to have to baby-sit them up in the cockpit under 10,000. If Age 65 is so safe (as we know it isn’t), why the following rule?

This today from AA management:

RE: AGE 60 COCKPIT SEAT RESTRICTIONS.
PILOTS OVER AGE 60 ARE REMINDED TO REVIEW ICAO RESTRICTIONS GOVERNING SEAT OCCUPANCY WHEN FLYING IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

SPECIFIC GUIDANCE IS LOCATED IN FM PART I, SECTION 17, PG 1, PARA 2.2. IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES, DURING PHASES OF FLIGHT AT LESS THAN 10,000 FEET AGL, THERE MUST BE ONE PILOT UNDER AGE 60 IN EITHER THE LEFT OR RIGHT PILOT SEAT. DURING FLYING BETWEEN THE US AND ANOTHER COUNTRY, A PILOT MUST BE ASSIGNED TO THE FLIGHT DECK CREW WHO HAS NOT YET ATTAINED 60 YEARS OF AGE.

THANKS FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE.

MANAGER FLIGHT OPERATIONS QUALITY CONTROL

The senior pilots pulled a major coup with Age 65. It serves as major reminder of why the junior pilots must get involved. Our careers and safety depend on it.

AA767AV8TOR

Excellent summation of the travesty to our careers. A money grab indeed.

 

[instructordude]

Age 60 rule change was carefully crafted by the powers that be and it was a windfall for only a small segment of active airline pilots.

I don't see how the folks who advocated this rule sleep at night, let alone the pilots that actively fly past age 60, most of whom are wealthy, while thousands of pilots on are on the street in dire circumstances.

Get you use to it already. Its Federal Law.

 

[pilotyip]

Maybe it should be age 45?

And you are prime evidence why all pilots should be banned from a professional cockpit above 60 let alone 65. And after the JFK scare from a 69 year old experimental retired navy pilot, maybe GA limits need to be put into place? You are indeed the same guy who proudly proclaimed he's fine with high school drop outs (probably a close relative of yours) handling an airplane, and now you have severe dementia trying to make the argument a 70 year old has his brains in order. Plus with your signature, you certainly go out of your way to encourage the shiny jet syndrome crowd.

Sorry you are so unhappy in my chosen profession. Did we never have an-in-flight incapacitation prior to the age 65 rule? Was anything done then to reduce the age of a pilot? How about a rule we lower the retirement age to the age of the last pilot whom had the in-flight incapacitation. If he was 58 years old then that will be the new retirement. If the next guy is 45 that becomes the new retirement. That would really be the safest way to do it. Wouldn’t it? Age 60 was forced on the pilots back in 1958. ALPA was still fighting to get it repealed up until about 1970. This rule had nothing to do with safety; it was a deal between two W.W.II USAF Generals, AAL's C.R. Smith and Pete Quesada (sp.?) the first head of the FAA. It was to get rid of high paid pilots at the top of AAL the seniority list. It was done in the name of safety, because who can be against safety. It is like motherhood and patriotism and in your case a grab for more money by kicking those old guys out of your seat. BTW2 Neat tag line, always nice to be recognized

 

[SRJ]

The minority of the group being subsidized by the majority. Just like Obama recipients.

 

[list2002]

The greatest generation begets the greediest generation.