Controllers Retirement Age 56

[HoserASA]

The FAA rule on not hiring anyone over 30 as a controller is crazy too! I retired as a USAF Controller, took the FAA test (scored very high), but was eligble only for a Flight service position, which I was offered.

Of course, the FAA didn't care about how old we military controllers were during the '81 strike when we were deployed all over the country. Oh well, there was always ASA.

 

[Stan]

Look, there has to be some mandatory retirement age. 60 is as good as any because that is what it has been for 46 years.

How many of you have had an 80 year old working in the cockpit. I have, and also a lot of guys in their late 60's and 70's. Most of them were great guys but well past their prime and I would not have wanted them as the PIC. They all were able to obtain at least a 2nd class medical and in some cases a 1st. Most were hard of hearing a few had trouble walking up the steps to the jetway.

Changing to age 65 is just a step along the way to doing away with the retirement age altogether. In my opinion this would hurt safety.

 

[smellthejeta]

there are retired FAA controllers working in Contract towers for private contractors WELL into their 60's my friend

I know that What I asked was to be shown a controller who WANTS to work past 56. Seriously, working out of financial necessity and working because one wants to are two different things. I know several guys who want to retire before 56 (acceptable after 25 years in with the FAA regardless of age) but can't because of financial reasons. As for going contract at age 56, if you need to work, your skill set is as narrow as a pilot... what else are you realistically going to do?

I do suspect that because of the same financial reasons, there WILL be an increase in the mandatory pilot retirement age, as those pensions that were there can no longer be counted. That income has to be supplemented our replaced.

To the guy who says that 121 pilot should be required to retire at age 60, as a fare paying pax, I could care less how old the guy up front is as long as he can do the job..

 

[K. Marx]

Look, there has to be some mandatory retirement age. 60 is as good as any because that is what it has been for 46 years.

How many of you have had an 80 year old working in the cockpit. I have, and also a lot of guys in their late 60's and 70's. Most of them were great guys but well past their prime and I would not have wanted them as the PIC. They all were able to obtain at least a 2nd class medical and in some cases a 1st. Most were hard of hearing a few had trouble walking up the steps to the jetway.

Changing to age 65 is just a step along the way to doing away with the retirement age altogether. In my opinion this would hurt safety.

Just go through any aircraft transition class with people in their late 50's and you will be even more convinced it will hurt safety. Most pilots toward the end of their career will admit it is much harder for them to learn anything new. But they don't seem to recognize their skill in the aircraft is also slipping. I have flown with numerous older ca's that say they want to go past 60 because they are as sharp as they ever were. I think they actually believe it. If there truly is no difference then 64 yr olds should be able to fly with 64 yr olds. Clearly their is some sort of acknowledgment their that there is an issue with older pilots. Funny thing is they wouldn't be able to fly with other 60+'s but could still fly with newhires (and even be checkairmen?). Great combination there, old guy who can't hardly fly anymore with a new guy that is unlikely to question him. One thing is for certain though, my workload is much higher when I am flying with a 58yr old with many thousands of hours in the plane than with a 48 yr old with 100 hrs in the plane. I believe the older guys just can't or refuse to see that they are slipping. It seems to be a pretty steep slide from around 55 to 60 in my experience. Can't wait to see how much of one it is from 60-65. This may not be pc, but it is how just about every fo and even most Captains I know feel after years of flying with different age groups. This is just an accident looking for a place to happen.

 

[Spooky 1]

Look, there has to be some mandatory retirement age. 60 is as good as any because that is what it has been for 46 years.

How many of you have had an 80 year old working in the cockpit. I have, and also a lot of guys in their late 60's and 70's. Most of them were great guys but well past their prime and I would not have wanted them as the PIC. They all were able to obtain at least a 2nd class medical and in some cases a 1st. Most were hard of hearing a few had trouble walking up the steps to the jetway.

Changing to age 65 is just a step along the way to doing away with the retirement age altogether. In my opinion this would hurt safety.

What kind of outfit were you working for that had an 80 year old flying? Must'a been a ROPE? Your profile would not indicate such experience. As long as we want to be arbitrary, why not make it as say, 50. Works for me.

 

[BLUE BAYOU]

Here's the big one-- and what kind of retirement plan are they looking at (I bet a pretty good one!!!) Firefighters and policemen as well-- they retire early, but again generally have great retirement plans...

 

[Stan]

What kind of outfit were you working for that had an 80 year old flying? Must'a been a ROPE? Your profile would not indicate such experience. As long as we want to be arbitrary, why not make it as say, 50. Works for me.

50 works for me too.

I was at UAL, before they parked them all the 747's and DC10's had all the FE's over age 60. And like I said at least one was 80 and many were in their 70's. Great guys but they were not as sharp as they should have been.

 

[B6Driver]

I worked with many "ROPES" and many were not my favorite people to be around but a few were as great as could be.
Seems like yesterday.