Make The Call People

[capt. megadeth]

I for one know a captain who was forced to retire at 60, guess what? No medical coverage, and his regional career and no pension (we should all be in the no pension club) made him search for a career for 5 years. So now he finds himself driving a truck in northern minnesota to pay the bills. I do not want to have to be forced to do that. So I am all for having our retirement age be 60. More pilots should look beyond the greed of a higher (QUICKER) seniortiy climb with a stalled changed age 60 rule. Yes, thats right, its your short term greed! Can other professionals work to 65? does the government give us benies at 60? No, this age 60 rule was to lower pilot costs and pilots agreed because of great pensions.........we no longer have this.

I was not happy that ALPA fought the change. Especially with euro pilots who were 65 flying in our airspace.

OMG! How about fighting for Medicare to kick in when you retire at 60, instead of trying to work longer? This is the same b.s. that started all this age 65 crap. Management takes all pensions so instead of fighting and suing to get them back from all the greedy little bastards, we try to work longer. MAKES NO SENSE WHATSOEVER!

And, no Sparky, it's not a greed thing, it's a "I don't want to work my entire life and drop dead at my retirement party" thing. Wake up.

Euro pilots are given a schedule every month instead of bidding like we do. Should we do that too? If they jump off a bridge, should we?

 

[SkiFishFly]

If we don't raise the age for US pilots to 65 then we must forbid foreign pilots from operating in the US over age 60.
I'm not willing to have my government tell me I can no longer do a job based soley on my age while it allows non US citizens to do the same job 5 years beyond that age.

 

[humuakalaka]

I just made the call. Will do it several more times.

 

[humuakalaka]

If we don't raise the age for US pilots to 65 then we must forbid foreign pilots from operating in the US over age 60.
I'm not willing to have my government tell me I can no longer do a job based soley on my age while it allows non US citizens to do the same job 5 years beyond that age.

There are some legitimate arguments for raising the limit to 65, however this is one of the most bogus arguments that the pro-65 crowd makes. If this issue were simple age discrimination, then it would be an entirely different debate. However, it's not about simple age discrimination. Age discrimination is only a small part of the larger issue involved with age-65.

Most of the folks I've talked to in the pro-65 crowd were also very much for the war in Iraq...despite the fact that the vast majority of nations were very much in opposition to an invasion. You know the guys who I'm talking about; the FOX-news-watching, freedom-fry-eating, the-WMDs-were-really-there-swearin', Al-Gore-bashing true-blue, full-on members of the me generation. In the run-up to the war, these guys didn't give a dang what France or Sweden or China or the Vatican thought. They ballyhooed about how America can't be brought under the influence of foreign nations. America has got to do what is right for America. Well guys, it's time to apply the same logic to your age-65 stance. It shouldn't matter what France or Sweden or China or the Vatican does with their rules, right? America is not held captive by the whims of foreign nations, right? America does what is right for America regardless of what other nations do. In America, the retirement age for airline pilots is 60. That's been the right age for American airline pilots to retire for a long time now. Simply because some foreign countries start doing things differently doesn't mean that we have to. BTW, where were all of you guys 20 and 30 years ago? Why weren't you raising a stink back then about age 60? Seems to me the age-65 crowd is full of hypocrisy.

 

[SkiFishFly]

There are some legitimate arguments for raising the limit to 65, however this is one of the most bogus arguments that the pro-65 crowd makes. If this issue were simple age discrimination, then it would be an entirely different debate. However, it's not about simple age discrimination. Age discrimination is only a small part of the larger issue involved with age-65.

Most of the folks I've talked to in the pro-65 crowd were also very much for the war in Iraq...despite the fact that the vast majority of nations were very much in opposition to an invasion. You know the guys who I'm talking about; the FOX-news-watching, freedom-fry-eating, the-WMDs-were-really-there-swearin', Al-Gore-bashing true-blue, full-on members of the me generation. In the run-up to the war, these guys didn't give a dang what France or Sweden or China or the Vatican thought. They ballyhooed about how America can't be brought under the influence of foreign nations. America has got to do what is right for America. Well guys, it's time to apply the same logic to your age-65 stance. It shouldn't matter what France or Sweden or China or the Vatican does with their rules, right? America is not held captive by the whims of foreign nations, right? America does what is right for America regardless of what other nations do. In America, the retirement age for airline pilots is 60. That's been the right age for American airline pilots to retire for a long time now. Simply because some foreign countries start doing things differently doesn't mean that we have to. BTW, where were all of you guys 20 and 30 years ago? Why weren't you raising a stink back then about age 60? Seems to me the age-65 crowd is full of hypocrisy.

So... You are OK with your government allowing foreign pilots to fly in and out of USA past the age at which your government tells you that you have to retire?
If France (Nigeria, Mexico- whoever) says it is OK for their pilots to go to age 70 - you think our government should allow them to continue to fly in and out of the US (esssentially allowing them to work on US soil)?


I won't even go into all the ignorant stereotypes included in your post...

 

[PCL_128]

So... You are OK with your government allowing foreign pilots to fly in and out of USA past the age at which your government tells you that you have to retire?

No, they should be prohibited from flying here.

 

[humuakalaka]

So... You are OK with your government allowing foreign pilots to fly in and out of USA past the age at which your government tells you that you have to retire?
If France (Nigeria, Mexico- whoever) says it is OK for their pilots to go to age 70 - you think our government should allow them to continue to fly in and out of the US (esssentially allowing them to work on US soil)?


I won't even go into all the ignorant stereotypes included in your post...

Let's take your argument to the extreme. If France or Nigeria or Mexico decided to let pilots fly without any kind of medical screening whatsoever, would you say that the US should also allow it here? In other words, if France or Nigeria or Mexico allowed epileptics, the mentally ill, the handicapped, the legally blind, etc to fly should the US reciprocate by also eliminating medical qualifications for flying? Should US law and policy always mirror that of France or Nigeria or Mexico? Heck, Canada and Belgium have legalized gay marriage. Does that mean the US needs to legalize it here as well in the interest of fairness to homosexuals? Since when have you been okay with other nations dictating law and policy to us?

 

[pilotss]

Safety? Really you are using safety as the reason?

Sorry bro, I am no where near 60 and that doesn't hold water to me. I know plenty of 60+ that are fine mentally and physically. I think we need some more additional testing like a Cog test above 60. People are living longer and mentally age 60 isn't what age 60 used to be. If you want to retire at 60 I understand. If you don't want people hanging around longer than 60 so you can move up I understand. But really. Safety?
If you go nuts before 60 they remove you, and if you go nuts after 60 they remove you. So is it the age or the testing system?

 

[The Prussian]

ATC retires at 56.

....and they also have a pension which allows them to do that.

 

[C180drvr]

Make the call...