Senator Santorum's response to S. 65

[Oh-ryan]

Man this thread is going ugly early. Let's change the topic in the hopes that we can cool some tempers out there. How bout religion. I'll start:

My god is better than your god.

 

[climb2slow]

sound familiar?

This was the response I got from Mel Martinez on the issue.....

Thank you for contacting me regarding age restrictions and retirement benefits for commercial airline pilots. I appreciate hearing from you and would like to take this opportunity to respond.

The Age 65 Act (S. 65), which was introduced by Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) on January 24, 2005, seeks to amend federal aviation law to increase the mandatory retirement age for commercial airline pilots from 60 to 65. This measure would in effect tie the commercial pilot retirement age to the social security retirement age, prohibiting the Federal Aviation Administration from requiring commercial pilots to retire before they are eligible for Social Security benefits.

S. 65 was referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, where it was amended to allow pilots over 60 to fly if accompanied by a co-pilot who is 59 or younger. The committee approved this amendment pending its adoption by the International Civil Aviation Organization, which is set to meet on this issue in November 2006. S. 65 now awaits a vote before the full Senate.

A similar measure (H.R. 65) was also introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Jim Gibbons (R-NV) on January 4, 2005, and was referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

S. 65 would protect workers’ rights both by rescinding an outdated, discriminatory regulation, and allowing thousands of pilots to continue to pay into their pensions and into Social Security. This particular economic advantage cannot be overlooked, especially considering the current fragile state of a number of airline pension programs.

The Senate’s major pension reform bill, the Pension Security and Transparency Act of 2005 (S. 1783), was passed with my support on November 16, 2005, by a vote of 97 to 2. During Senate floor debate of S. 1783, Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) offered the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Pilots Equitable Treatment Act (S. 685) as an amendment (S.Amdt. 2583) to this bill. Both S. 685 and its related amendment would require the PBGC to offer airline pilots, who are required by the FAA to retire at age 60, the maximum pension benefits allowed on terminated pension plans. S.Amdt. 2583 was adopted into S. 1783 by a vote of 58 to 41. Differences between the House- and Senate-passed pension reform legislation must now be reconciled through a conference committee before further action can be taken.

Again, thank you for sharing your views with me. If you have any further questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me. In addition, for more information about issues and activities important to Florida, please sign up for my weekly newsletter at http://martinez.senate.gov.

Sincerely,

Mel Martinez
United States Senator

 

[Tejas-Jet]

Man this thread is going ugly early. Let's change the topic in the hopes that we can cool some tempers out there. How bout religion. I'll start:

My god is better than your god.

I believe that God really wants the Dallas Cowboys to win....

Tejas

 

[IAHERJ]

I believe that God really wants the Dallas Cowboys to win....



Then why did he allow Jerry Jones to own the team?? I hope he continues to get what he deserves with TO.

Anyway, to get back from the thread drift. I've got 30 years left. I'm here to tell you all that when I have only 5 years left, I'm going to push for the age 65 limit to be repealed and changed to age 70. I hope all you young guys jump on my bandwagon in 25 years. Screw all the other pilots junior to us who signed on to this career knowing that the retirement age was 65!! It's my turn!! I think limiting a pilot to age 65 is a form of age descrimination!! Therefore 70 sounds better.

Okay the above was tounge in cheak but you get my point. We all signed up for this gig knowing that we needed to get our affairs in order and ready to walk out at 60. I'm sorry of our guys at CAL(especially those with "super seniority") who got to fly in the left seat for 20 years due to the rapid retirements in the early 80's feel that they are not ready to leave. Hell, most still have the lump sum!! This is the same selfish "me" attitude that caused so many to come to work here in 1983/1984. Sorry, but it is time to go.

IAHERJ

 

[stonewall]

70 is the new 60!!

 

[luckytohaveajob]

Congressman Jim Gibbons in serious trouble

If Congressman R-Nev. Jim Gibbons gets prosecuted on criminal charges age 60 is in serious jeopardy. H.65 is not out of the House of Rep. Transportation committee yet and with the author of H.65 facing charges this could all come to a screeching halt.

Looking forward to the DA pressing charges!!!!!!!!

http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=5610655&nav=15MV

 

[Andy]

I do not disagree with what you are saying Falcon, however the senator is correct. This rule (age 60) came about not thru any scientific studies, but
literally from an agreement between the FAA and the head of an airline back in those days....maybe AA....Kind of like a deal so to speak......

If anyone has the full details of how age 60 came about that would be great....

Contrary to the urban legend that the age 60 rule was some backroom deal between Quesada and CR Smith, the committee formed by the FAA did actually look at scientific studies along with other data prior to recommending the age 60 rule.
Here's a link that mentions the origins of the FAA, why it was formed, and Quesada's safety mandate from Eisenhower: http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Government_Role/FAA_History/POL8.htm

If you dig a bit deeper, you'll find that Quesada took a number of steps to improve aviation safety. One aspect of safety that was address was the maximum pilot age. CR Smith did provide some data to the FAA, but I suspect that many other airline execs also provided information.
One of the people that Quesada asked to be a committee member was Rev. Hesburgh, the president of Notre Dame. In a letter to CR Smith, Rev. Hesburgh said that he thought that the maximum pilot age should be 50 due to safety concerns. Quesada responded that there would be no predetermined maximum retirement age for pilots. I'm not sure if Hesburgh sat on the committee or not; there were several distinguished medical doctors on the committee. They recommended a maximum age to transition to jet aircraft of 55 and a maximum pilot age of 60.

It will take you quite a while to find references to all of this, but they are out there on the internet.
As for current scientific studies, the CAMI reports show a definite U shaped curve where the accident rate per 100,000 hours flown starts to rise at the age of 55.


I find it interesting that many letters from Senators state that the rule was made without any examination of scientific studies. That's a bunch of BS.

 

[Andy]

If Congressman R-Nev. Jim Gibbons gets prosecuted on criminal charges age 60 is in serious jeopardy. H.65 is not out of the House of Rep. Transportation committee yet and with the author of H.65 facing charges this could all come to a screeching halt.

Gibbons is running for governor of Nevada; he is not running for reelection in the House.
The House shut down HR 65 by never allowing it to leave subcommittee; it has been there since the day after Gibbons introduced the bill back in Jan or Feb '05.

 

[luckytohaveajob]

Gibbons is the drive behind age 60 in House

Gibbons is leading the entire drive regarding age 60 in the Congress.

He is the reason the Senate took up the cause with Ted Stevens.

I said H.65 was not out of committee and it is Gibbons that has given the entire issue traction.

 

[Andy]

Lucky, you're correct. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see someone else in the House pick up Gibbons' mantle. We'll have to see who in the 110th Congress decides to make this a 'cause'.

 

[Trout]

Lucky, you're correct. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see someone else in the House pick up Gibbons' mantle. We'll have to see who in the 110th Congress decides to make this a 'cause'.

Hopefully they'll work a few more days than 109th.

 

[Andy]

Hopefully they'll work a few more days than 109th.

LOL! Ain't that the truth?

 

[CitationLover]

since santorum LOVES scientific evidence please ask him why they don't decrease the duty days for airline pilots? NASA has some wonderful studies on these subjects.

 

[lostplnetairman]

I emailed Senator Santorum to express my opposition to S. 65. The following is his response.

This has always been his position. It's not pre-election posturing.

I have to say that, as someone who regularly participates in professional lobbying in DC, Specter never grants an interview while Santorum always does. In fact he got a key piece of the immigration bill changed as a direct result of that when we pointed out that the Senate legislation required employers to check the credentials of a potential employee while the IRCA (the law that makes you complete an I-9 with a proof of ID and a proof of the right to work in the US) prohibits that! I hope you all understand that most legislation is written by 22 year olds who don't know what they are talking about!

My vote will probably be decided in the booth.

HRDiva

 

[Captain Overs]

Only one more week of Rick "Man on dog" Santorum!!