House Bill Extends Pilot Retirement

[Patriot328]

Lovely, getting closer...... uke:


http://www.townhall.com/news/us/2007/12/11/house_bill_extends_pilot_retirement_age

House Bill Extends Pilot Retirement Age
By JIM ABRAMS
Tuesday, December 11, 2007



The House voted unanimously Tuesday to extend the retirement age for commercial pilots to 65, changing a 1960 Federal Aviation Administration regulation forcing pilots to leave the cockpit at age 60.
The bill, if approved by the Senate, would put the U.S. retirement age in line with international standards. The International Civil Aviation Organization adopted an age 65 retirement age in November, 2006. The measure passed on a 390-0 vote.
"Each day that passes without raising the retirement age to 65, approximately five of our senior, most experienced pilots will be forced to retire," Transportation Committee Chairman James Oberstar, D-Minn., said.
The retirement age provision was originally included in a larger bill to reauthorize FAA programs that the House passed in September. But with the FAA bill unlikely to see action in the Senate this year, Oberstar and his Republican counterpart, Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., agreed to move the retirement bill separately in hopes of winning quick Senate approval.
The bill would require pilots who reach age 60 to have a medical certificate renewed every six months, to continue to participate in FAA pilot training and qualification programs and be administered a line check every six months.
Following international practices, flights out of U.S. airports for foreign destinations would have to have at least one pilot under age 60.
The legislation is not retroactive, and airlines would not be required to hire back pilots who retire before the measure goes into effect.
___
The bill is H.R. 4343.

 

[LJDRVR]

According to my sources, HR 4343 was discussed today at about 3 eastern and the vote was postponed. It was brought up again a 709 Eastern and looks like future discussions will occur later this week.

 

[Fit59]

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1144.xml

 

[minrest]

Gotta love the title of the bill, "Fair Treatment for Experienced Pilots" They should call it, "Screw the Junior Guys" or "F... the Furloughed Pilots Awaiting Recall"

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Overall, what percentage of 121 pilots will actually ride it out to 65. Flying all your life takes a toll on your body whether you want to believe it or not. Random schedules, ultraviolet radiation, pressurization, breathing in that air, stress and pressure of the job, circadian rhythms, crappy diets, sedentary work, etc.

I'm guessing that a small fraction will actually take/make it to 65.

On a side note, how have 91 jet ops faired with 65+ captains?

I personaly think that competentcy at 65 is a generalization. Some guys are quite sharp and can provide safe transportation, but my feeling is that this is more an exception.

 

[FoxHunter]

According to my sources, HR 4343 was discussed today at about 3 eastern and the vote was postponed. It was brought up again a 709 Eastern and looks like future discussions will occur later this week.

I watched CSPAN this afternoon around 2:45 as Oberstar introduced the Bill. Then again on CSPAN just after 7:10 this evening. It passed YAYS 390, NAYS 0, that is ZERO.:beer:

 

[aircowboy]

I don't want to work till I am 65. I have read research where for every year over age 50 you work your life expectancy is decreased significantly. I seem to remember 65 being the place where the two charts met...... Oh well. Power to the guys that have to!

 

[XJTAv8r]

It looks like ALPA helped push for this:

House Approves Change to the Upper Age Limit
Language reflects ALPA Executive Board Resolution. December 11, 2007 - The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation this evening that would raise the pilot mandatory retirement age to 65 by a unanimous vote of 390-0. The measure, introduced by House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.), is identical to the language already included in the House and Senate Transportation Appropriations conference report, which is now ensnared in the larger, unrelated fight over completing this year’s spending bills.

“I salute Chairman Oberstar and his colleagues for this bold step,” said Capt. John Prater, ALPA’s president. “The legislation passed by the House of Representatives is consistent with ALPA’s Executive Board resolution that is designed to protect the interests of airline pilots and this Association.”

Instrumental in achieving passage of the legislation were House Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) and committee members Rep. Robin Hayes (R-N.C.) and Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.).

The Fair Treatment for Experienced Pilots Act, H.R.4343, was introduced this morning and placed on the House suspension calendar, which is a special procedure used to speed up action by setting aside the regular rules of order and requiring a two-thirds majority vote for passage of legislation.

In addition to allowing Part 121 airline pilots to fly up to age 65, H.R.4343 will clarify non-retroactivity, provide sufficient liability protection for unions, prohibit unilateral changes to labor agreements and benefit plans, eliminate the over/under split for domestic operations, and make the rule change effective as of the date the legislation is enacted.

The Senate will now have to decide whether to bring the measure up under their own procedural motion, known as unanimous consent, in which a legislative matter is considered agreed to if no Senator on the floor objects. The Senate has already once before unanimously approved the language of H.R.4343 in the form of the Stevens amendment during debate of the Transportation Appropriations bill on September 11.

 

[BoilerUP]

The legislation is not retroactive, and airlines would not be required to hire back pilots who retire before the measure goes into effect.

What a tarnished silver lining that is...

 

[cactusboy53]

The good news..........The four year fence will be negated in the Nicolau Award.