The Skinny on the Age 60 Rule

[Snapshot]

Read some posts from last week about the age 60 Rule. Seems people are in the dark as to the basic facts of this issue important to all of us.

Two Bills were introduced last year, one in the House and one in the Senate. The bills propose raising the mandatory retirement age for pilots to 65. The bills are titled H.R. 65 and S. 65. (Clever Senators!).

S.65 made it through committee and was approved for a general floor vote on 11/17/05.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN00065@@X
http://commerce.senate.gov/newsroom/printable.cfm?id=249035
H.R. 65 seems to still be in the House Trasportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee. If you have an opinion on the matter, I urge you to contact the members of the committee.
http://www.house.gov/transportation/

While this issue may never die, it seems in a better position to pass than ever before:
57 out of 60 Cosponsors of the Legislation are Republicans.
In his floor speech introducing the bill, Senator James Inhofe invoked testimony by the Chairman of the 4400 pilot strong Southwest Pilots Association that they favored changing the rule. He failed to mention that Both the 63,000 strong ALPA and the 11,500 Strong APA membership voted AGAINST changing the rule.
The Retiring Baby Boomers are an immense voting bloc.

If this issue has any effect on you, don't just complain about it. Contact your representatives. For whatever reason, they have decided to appoint themselves the champions of Our profession, don't let them make decisions without your input.

 

[abxaviator]

Actuall, these bills are written to raise the flying age to coincide with the SOCIAL SECURITY retirement age, not just 65. For me this would be age 67, no thanks! Definitely write your Representatives and let them know how you feel.

 

[Snapshot]

Info time over, on to opinion......

I am in favor of killing the bill in Committee in the House.

Every single Airline Pilot working today has known since the first day of Indoc that the chips get cashed in at 60. I've got a couple of decades before it's me, but I know it's coming. Changing the rules late in the game and screwing the guys coming up behind you is poor form. I know the rug got yanked hard with pensions, and I think it's a disgusting injustice, nothing short of crime. Please don't take that out on us. Not our doing. Management screwing pilots is nothing new, but stealing five years from our hire date or upgrade is pilots screwing pilots. All we want to do is be able to retire from a decent carrier at 60. Personally, I'm furloughed, and the number one factor to me getting back in the game is attrition. All my friends are new hires that would like to upgrade some day. The majority of Airline pilots have voted on the issue and are in favor of keeping it the way it has always been. This seems to be on the Republican's agenda, and regardless of your political affiliation, they simply do not have a track record of looking out for Organized Labor over the Company. Not being in Management, it makes me nervous........

No, I've never paid for a job. I know times have been bleak before, and it's going to have to turn around. I don't think I'm entitled to anything more than a fair chance with the same rules the guys before me played by.

 

[NoJoy]

Very true. Pilots know when they are hired into a 121 carrier that retirement age is 60. Getting hired into an airline and growing with it is based on growth and attrition. Everytime I have a chance to vote to increase the age of retirement for the airlines, I vote no.

 

[pilotyip]

Actually what they are going to do is redefine part 135 up to 250,000# airplanes with 6 or less seats across, then you can fly narrow bodies until you die. Hopefully in your sleep and not screaming all the way to the ground like your passengers LOL

 

[Stan]

I would like to suggest that those of you against the change to the age 60 rule take some time to write to the members of the house transportation committee. Their address’ can be found under the members area of the transportation committee website.

http://www.house.gov/transportation/

Write up a well thought out email and then cut and paste it to all the members, use the subject line HR65. This will take some time but if you don’t want the change it is worth it.

I happen to feel it is a safety issue, having flown with guys approaching retirement that no long had “it”. They were in the very small minority, however changing the rule to 65 or 67 there will be a bunch more.

There are numerous reasons though. Safety, Financial, or Congress shouldn't be overiding FAA rules. Or for our Republican friends, why are we letting Europe and the ICAO use congress to change a safety rule of this country. Use what you want just please write and encourage anyone you know to write also.

 

[Flash]

I have 20 years left and I support the repeal of this rediculous rule. From what I have read, there is no basis for it other than airline execs back in the 50's or 60's that wanted to lop off the senior folks. Yes, it may delay my upgrade a bit, but guess what, it's not all about me! Give people the option to work past 60. From senior pilots I have spoke with, most say they would still probably retire at 60, some said they might stay to 62 and that's about it.

While every pilot has known that the retirement age is 60, many have gone through several furloughs, family emergencies or things outside of their control that take their plan for life and turn it upside down. If you want to retire at 60 then go, but give others who may not be as fortunate as you the option.

 

[JD2003]

I agree...it is apparent to me that I will need to work past 60 since airline executives will be enjoyiong my retirement.

 

[pilotyip]

JD, how did management get into your IRA's?

 

[G4G5]

I have changed my opinion, I now am for the age 65/67 pilot retirement. Unfortunately the latest trends in retirement (IBM, Verizon, USAir, UAL and now NWA) have shown that it will not be their when we retire. Plan on having a 401k not a traditional retirement. Plan on contributing out of your diluted pay checks monthly in order to have something to retire on.

Verizon not only pulled the plug on their retirement, they canceled retirement health care for anyone not retired by 8/2006. So now you can plan on having to cover you and your spouse (out of pocket) from age 60 to 65 for health care.

Where are the grand pay raises coming from. For most of us our quality of life has peeked. Most airlines will be paying COL % and not much more. Airline contracts with 20% raises over 4 years have gone the way of the dodo.

I would have loved to retire at age 60 but the reality is that I need the option to go beyond it if necessary. Nothing is stopping me from going out at 60 but I don't want to be in a position where I need to go down to Walmart after retiring from an intl wide body. For many of us the reality is we will need to go beyond 60. Iam 39