Age 65

[J3guy]

so i take it no one has any good info on legislation regarding this?

As to all the back and forth going on here, I fly with a lot of 65+ even 70+ now. These folks were fortunate to fly for a living during what I think was the best time this industry will ever know. Somehow they weren't able to sufficiently save up for retirement. Hell most of them can't even answer a basic question about a 401k plan or remember what freq center just gave us. They are where they are because of the lousy choices they made all their lives. Of course there are always a few that work hard, have a great attitude and do well. If the only thing you're good at is cashing the check, its time to GO! While i'm young yet, i will retire before 65, most likely 60. I have diversified in my retirement strategy and will always have the same wife. I have always lived within my means, even as a regional FO. Not bragging here, but there seems to be a scarcity of common sense.
Fire away

 

[FLYLOW22]

Is age 65 coming to the fracs? I haven't heard much about it lately, but was under the impression that it is on the agenda. Anyone's guess?

Frax don't rely on crude federal law to deal with issues like cognitive and physical ability of pilots.

We have committees for this sort of issue.

No age 65 coming here...

 

[glasspilot]

That's interesting...

What sort of committee and how's it work? I'm serious, I've never heard of that before and it sounds impossible yet necessary.

 

[pilotyip]

so i take it no one has any good info on legislation regarding this?

As to all the back and forth going on here, I fly with a lot of 65+ even 70+ now. These folks were fortunate to fly for a living during what I think was the best time this industry will ever know. Somehow they weren't able to sufficiently save up for retirement.

could it be they are flying because they like to?

 

[BuckMurdock1]

could it be they are flying because they like to?

Due respect to the 65+, 70+ crowd for whom this may be true;
GO BUY/RENT A PLANE AND LET THE NEXT GUYS TRY TO MAKE A LIVING-- you've had your shot.

 

[pilotyip]

Due respect to the 65+, 70+ crowd for whom this may be true;
GO BUY/RENT A PLANE AND LET THE NEXT GUYS TRY TO MAKE A LIVING-- you've had your shot.

So it has nothing to do with safety, as per above it is all about "Get out of my seat"

 

[J3guy]

could it be they are flying because they like to?

No, most have little to no savings. Paying on your house at 71?? cmon man

 

[BuckMurdock1]

So it has nothing to do with safety, as per above it is all about "Get out of my seat"

Not true; if you re-read the post, I was referencing someone's argument that these folks are doing it because they "just love to fly"..inferring that for some in this demographic, there is not longer a financial necessity to fly professionally..just a 'hobby job' to keep them busy during what should be retirement years (and are for almost every other profession...Supreme Court Justices excepted).

Now as for safety; would you want to 70+ cardiologist cracking you open? Given: he has about as much wisdom in his profession as one can have, just like similarly aged pilots. Both professions, however, require a steady hand with fast reflexes. They also require good short-term memory, and above average cognitive ability.
I'll be the first to admit: when I near my 70th decade on this ball of mud, I don't expect to meet the above physical standards (father time usually doesn't allow it), and will be enjoying my family and free time.

Granted, with the proliferation of automated flight decks in the last 50+yrs, a pilot can still maintain a minimum level of proficiency into more advanced age ranges. Father time, however, doesn't miss anyone. He may get to some earlier than others, but he maintains a 100% completion factor.

 

[jtf]

No fractional would have a guy on the street if it did....

NetJets has about 250 pilots overall (about 100 or so of them are FOs) that will be age 65 or older in the next 5 years. NetJets has nearly 500 on furlough. The math doesn't add up for no furloughs if the old pilots were forced out. Sure we all see older pilots from time to time, but the vast majority of pilots flying for the fractionals are in their 40s and 50s (more in their 40s at that). The only way we are getting the furloughed back is growth and/or younger FOs bailing for the majors when the age 65 pilots are forced out there and hiring really ramps up. There is a reason management at NJA told the furloughed it would be many years before recall.

I would like the ability to fly as long as I want or need (provided I can prove I am really safe to do it). I've got nearly 30 years before 65 would push me out, ready or not. I hope to retire well before 65, but even maxing out the 401K probably won't be nearly enough. People live longer and longer, health care is more and more expensive, and if all the younger pilots truly believe they will have enough to retire at a similar standard of living without saving roughly half of everything they make their entire career they are kidding themselves. That doesn't even include how much more screwed up things will likely be do to total governmental mismanagement by both political parties. Watch what you wish for in case you accidentally get it. What do younger guys plan on doing to make money after age 65 because probably over 90 percent won't be ready to stop working at that time? There isn't anything else I want to do (outside of porn, but that has rather limited opportunities for retirees).

 

[rettofly]

Not true; if you re-read the post, I was referencing someone's argument that these folks are doing it because they "just love to fly"..inferring that for some in this demographic, there is not longer a financial necessity to fly professionally..just a 'hobby job' to keep them busy during what should be retirement years (and are for almost every other profession...Supreme Court Justices excepted).

Now as for safety; would you want to 70+ cardiologist cracking you open? Given: he has about as much wisdom in his profession as one can have, just like similarly aged pilots. Both professions, however, require a steady hand with fast reflexes. They also require good short-term memory, and above average cognitive ability.
I'll be the first to admit: when I near my 70th decade on this ball of mud, I don't expect to meet the above physical standards (father time usually doesn't allow it), and will be enjoying my family and free time.

Granted, with the proliferation of automated flight decks in the last 50+yrs, a pilot can still maintain a minimum level of proficiency into more advanced age ranges. Father time, however, doesn't miss anyone. He may get to some earlier than others, but he maintains a 100% completion factor.

I retired from a desk job at age 56 to fly full time after many years of part-time flying. Took a huge paycut and never looked back. Retired again when I reached 68. All done with the weekly airline hassles, long duty days, etc. Additional factor was the recognition that I was working harder on the checkrides. In other words, Father Time was creeping up on me. Figured I owed it to the profession to move on (and open up a move-over slot for a young'un).