To be honest, I think anyone who wishes to do this job beyond the age of 65 is nuts. My opinion.
Personally, I’ve got absolutely no desire to be up all night crossing multiple time zones in my late 60s or early 70s unless I’m going on holiday. Every single pilot flying today has always known that they have to retire at 65, and that’s what I signed up for. I fail to see why promotion opportunities should be effectively closed off (for an undefined period of time) because others choose to try and move the goalposts at the end of their career, to suit their own circumstances.
The law doesn’t really come into it, as you cannot hold a Class 1 medical for commercial flying purposes beyond the age of 65. If you’ve failed to sort a pension during what is a reasonably well paid career then that’s on you. I shouldn’t have to pay for it. “Age discrimination” doesn’t cut it as an argument either, as changing the medical rules & effectively removing the CRA discriminates just as much against younger people by preventing their career advancement by ‘bed blocking’ (for want of a better expression)
If this is the way we’re heading, and people must absolutely keep flying beyond 65 then feel free, but do so as an FO in the right hand seat, on FOs money.
Last edited by DuctOvht; 30th Jan 2018 at 14:38.