Old Guys Flying

Arnold

Arnold

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Arnold
Sorry couldn't resist the title.

The FAA regulations implementing the law that allows pilots over age 60 to fly as PIC in air carrier operations (with some limitations) was published today.

The Aviation Blog on my website has the text and links to source documents.

The law itself P.L. 110-135 is not very long and is interesting for its attempt to satisfy the FAA, the older pilots, the unions and the younger pilots.
 
Old farts are filling the skies. The pilot population gets more aged and grey every year.
 
Since I started flying, not so long ago, it seems that most students and single engine GA pilots are in their twenties to early thirties or they are over fifty, more like sixty. The younger ones seem to enjoy getting up in the air and the older ones seem to enjoy the FBO bull sessions more than actually flying. Understand, my exposure so far has been limited to training type airfields.

I am reasonably sure there seems to be a preponderance of "old farts" flying GA is because for the first time in our lives, we have the time, and the money.

John
 
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Dave2 said:
The 47 Rule. Nuff said ???
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Not really... that's a 1939 order regarding military flying, in machines that were a lot harder to fly than today's transports, with almost no navaids and reliable weather info, on longer duty periods. I'm always happy to see an old-timer in the left seat when I board an airliner. I'd happily accept a ruling that requires airline pilots over 60 to only fly with FOs under 60... the youngsters could use the tutelage. :D

60-and-older pilots, in GA as well as scheduled flying, don't seem to have more incidents and accidents that can be attributed directly to their age, and younger pilots don't seem to do much better, despite being "fresher". They, too, get tired and cranky, forget things, and fail to react quickly enough.

I believe that up to a point, provided they are fit enough to pass a medical, aging pilots can bring so much to their flying, due to maturity and experience, that it makes up for most normal deficiencies. Old hands know how to pace themselves, how to be patient, how to react to surprises, and how to make command decisions. They also generally have less unresolved issues rattling around in their brains (mortgages, babies, etc.)... in other words, they're "over" a lot of stuff that commonly distracts younger people.

Take a look at pages 34-36 here...just one fairly limited study from a fairly brief period, but it defies the simplistic notion that pilots just get "worse" as they age. In fact, in the case of airline pilots and, oddly(?) enough, GA pilots with over 2000 hrs, the oldest ones come out looking pretty good...


http://books.google.com/books?id=viwrAAAAYAAJ&printsec=titlepage&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0
 
John Baker said:
I am reasonably sure there seems to be a preponderance of "old farts" flying GA is because for the first time in our lives, we have the time, and the money.

John
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It could be, but FWIW, all the pilots I know or have flown with who are over 60 have been at it for a long time. I consider them extremely reliable pilots, even if they are not as quick and strong as they may have been once, or need glasses.
Speaking of glasses, I know a few older pilots who need glasses to read, but are much better at spotting traffic than I am (at 46, with 20/20 one eye and 20/30 the other).
 
John Baker said:
Since I started flying, not so long ago, it seems that most students and single engine GA pilots are in their twenties to early thirties or they are over fifty, more like sixty. The younger ones seem to enjoy getting up in the air and the older ones seem to enjoy the FBO bull sessions more than actually flying. Understand, my exposure so far has been limited to training type airfields.

I am reasonably sure there seems to be a preponderance of "old farts" flying GA is because for the first time in our lives, we have the time, and the money.

John
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Tis nothing new grasshopper. We Late Blooming AViators have been around.

I know I'm hitting 10 years because the 5 year note on my plane just came due again. (Only spotted it due to serendipity - another story.)
 
The one thing that annoys the heck out of me is when a younger pilot has a mishap that qualifies for the evening news, the mishap is covered, not the pilots age. If an older pilot has a mishap, the news coverage is about his age, then the mishap.

About a year ago an eighty plus years pilot got hit by a gust while landing at Montgomery Field (KMYF). He was blown off the runway and hit an airport sign, he did slight damage to himself and his plane.

The news went something like this: Today, an 84 year old pilot was hit by a gust of wind and collided with a sign while landing at Montgomery Field. The 84 year old pilot sustained minor injuries and the 84 year old pilot was taken to Mercy Hospital. The 84 year olds airplane sustained substantial damage to his landing gear. The 84 year old pilot had to travel above many residential homes on his flight to the airport. Several schools were near the 84 year old pilots flight path. More about this 84 year old licensed pilot tonight at eleven.

The next days newspaper account was about the same, 84 years old in almost every sentence.

John
 
...well, ...84 is pretty old. ...and I ain't no spring chicken, so I can say that. :p
 
Seems to me, if you can pass your medical, it shouldn't matter how old you are, as apparently seems to be the case. If the news keeps laying it on like they did that fellow, all that might just change. The the other worrisome issue is at what age will our news media decide we should not be flying?

My brother in law was a pilot and quit on his own in his late sixties, when he found himself not being where he should be, medically speaking, even though his medical was current. I think most of us older pilots have the judgment to know when to hang it up if we are not flying to our own standards.

John
 
John Baker said:
I think most of us older pilots have the judgment to know when to hang it up if we are not flying to our own standards.
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Some do, some don't. It's the same with older drivers. Of course there are some crappy young pilots and drivers out there too. The difference is that with young people there is always the possibility of improvement. Sadly that is not the case when you get past a certain age which is different for everyone.
 
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