ALPA Age 60 Survey

[pilotyip]

LJ ABX, that is amazing, I once saw a new hire in his 20's, with a college degree do the exact same thing.

 

[LarryinTN]

b757driver,

Your message didn't address any of my arguments.

Did you know that in the medical community it is common practice for surgeons to stop performing surgery at about age 60? They may continue to treat patients but they stop performing surgery because errors in skill or judgement can have immediate and life altering or threatening consequences.


PilotyIP,

Presumably a new-hire can learn. If he can't then that's what the probationary period is for. This guy was a 58 year old Captain who had spent his entire adult life as a pilot. He was well known within the F/O ranks for making those same types of mistakes flight after flight after flight.

Do both of you deny that we all lose cognative ability as we age and that some people lose it sooner than others?

 

[pilotyip]

LJ-ABX, I agree that is why some sort of cognitive testing, say at starting about age 45 should be instituted to continue flying beyond that age. We all know there are great differences in capabilities that are not age dependant.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

This guy was a 58 year old Captain who had spent his entire adult life as a pilot. He was well known within the F/O ranks for making those same types of mistakes flight after flight after flight.

So then your age 60 rule does absolutely nothing to help this problem. The answer is to wait around till he's 60 to do something about it? That's ludicrous. If anything, this is an example of how having a rule based on age is ridiculous. If this is such a well-known problem flight after flight after flight, your pilot group has a lot bigger problems than an age law.

Do both of you deny that we all lose cognative ability as we age and that some people lose it sooner than others?

YES! That's my point entirely. It's the meat of why a rule based on an arbitrary number is outrageous and unfair! How can you come to this conclusion and then point to a number and smile and say "don't change that age 60 thing, though!" Absolutely amazing.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

that is why some sort of cognitive testing, say at starting about age 45 should be instituted to continue flying beyond that age.

That's just as silly (and discriminatory). You make all commercial pilots, regardless of age pass the same test.

 

[Freight Dog]

Hugh, I love ya man! But your a$$ better retire off to PI with a lifetime stash of viagra when you turn 60.

If ALPA's answer to the current state of the industry is to up the retirement age, we have WAY worse problems than I ever thought.

I voted NO!!! I want to retire at 60. I don't want to be forced to work til I slump over during a V1 cut in the sim or a real life engine failure.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

If ALPA's answer to the current state of the industry is to up the retirement age, we have WAY worse problems than I ever thought. .

FD, my brothah, the current state of the industry is irrelevant to this issue. In 20 years, the state of the industry in 2005 won't make a hill of beans. Not even germane.

I voted NO!!! I want to retire at 60. I don't want to be forced to work til I slump over during a V1 cut in the sim or a real life engine failure.

Well, that's what YOU want, bro. If you want to retire at 60, then do so! If you want to retire at 53, by all means do so. If I want to retire at 63, who's to tell me that I can't? I'm looking more at 58 myself, but if a guy (or old bag) wants to go longer, then nobody should stop them based on a meaningless figure. Off to waikiki to look for that moron with buck-ass teeth at Threes.

 

[b757driver]

I voted NO!!! I want to retire at 60. I don't want to be forced to work til I slump over during a V1 cut in the sim or a real life engine failure.

Good for you! But, no one is being FORCED to work. It is about FREEDOM of choice. You are LUCKY if you are able to choose when you WANT to retire - many more people do not have that choice. I also suggest that the "state of the industry" has little to do with retirement age - it goes far deeper, my friend. So, why don't you retire @ 60 like you want and let others decide what they want, rather than dictate what they should do. FREEDOM OF CHOICE!!!

 

[Freight Dog]

FD, my brothah, the current state of the industry is irrelevant to this issue. In 20 years, the state of the industry in 2005 won't make a hill of beans. Not even germane.

Bruddah Hugh... our profession is going to sh*t. ALPA lost its backbone and we're bickering over age 60 while our pay, work rules, retirement, etc. all going/gone to sh*t. All the while the management is laughing their asses off. With thousands of ALPA pilots still furloughed, and who stand to remain furloughed even longer should this pass, this is a highly-divisive move at this time.

Off to waikiki to look for that moron with buck-ass teeth at Threes.

Good luck finding him... I think someone drowned his ass already..

 

[Freight Dog]

Good for you! But, no one is being FORCED to work. It is about FREEDOM of choice. You are LUCKY if you are able to choose when you WANT to retire - many more people do not have that choice. I also suggest that the "state of the industry" has little to do with retirement age - it goes far deeper, my friend. So, why don't you retire @ 60 like you want and let others decide what they want, rather than dictate what they should do. FREEDOM OF CHOICE!!!

Ahhh... freedom of choice. Well, it's not exactly freedom of choice if retiring before MANDATORY retirement carries a financial penalty, now is it?

Why is it that ATC mandatory retirement age is 55? It might be for safety reasons..