Flopgut said:It could matter less what the origins of the rule are. It has been the rule for 50 years and has been applied equally through the years. You may call it discrimination, but what is interesting about your position is that you would be happy with another equally discriminating age limit as long as it is greater. (that paints you quite selfish) I'm defending parity in the profession. I don't want a windfall that another did not, or will not, get. Pay and benefits have changed, so we need to change them back! Not work longer. Age 65 is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
Sure, none of us are entitled to advancement. I can partially agree with that. But retirement attrition has worked pretty darn well for the likes of you! Hasn't it? You just want a break on this because timing happens to work for you. Frankly, a person with the "entitlement" type attitude you have, is the last person I want to keep around.
If you can pass the PC, the Oral, the Recurrent, the Line Check, and the Physical requirements, I say you remain competent to work. I don't care how many birthdays you've had. Is that selfish? I have what I have because I worked hard for it. I'm not pointing my finger at anyone else for my position, and I never will.
Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. I think it matters a whole lot where this rule started, why it started, and why it's still in place. It's a real crime that any pilot has worked an entire career only to be shown the door because of this assinine law.
Why don't you go ahead and get all those pensions restored? No one would argue about that on this board. Go ahead and put the seniority lists back the way they were. You can't make this stuff go away. None of us can right all the wrongs or bring back the past.
Do you want to retire on your terms, or on someone else's? I vote that you get to choose. You don't seem to mind letting others choose for you. The right thing to do is to align pilot retirement with the rest of the world. It will affect my career too, because senior pilots work longer at the top.
You're just afraid to do what's right because you percieve it as a personal setback. That's selfish.