As someone who's approaching 65 in July, and who absolutely loved his Police, Air Ambulance and Lighthouse Support work, I am pleased that others may be allowed to continue where I was not. I'd have cheerfully continued flying public transport up to now; fortunately for me, a benevolent employer allowed me to continue as an instructor and then another, even more benevolent!, allowed me to join their Part-SPO operation where I can enjoy 4-5 hours daily, operating at heights I've not used since my exchange days with the Army.
I wonder what the British Airways Line Pilots Association contribution to this most recent process might have been? I remember feeling utterly let down when our union co-ordinator in PAS tried to get their assistance in our efforts to overturn the ridiculous JAA age limit. After several tries, he was sent a typo-riddled email stating that their position was to have 2 pilots in every cockpit and mandatory age-60 retirement. The uptake of larger HEMS machines with all their associated landing-site issues may well have been driven by other factors - 2-aircrew NVG ops primarily - but when your own union goes against the wishes and intentions of their membership you realise very quickly how their motives and those of their fee-payers are irreconcilable. I'm not convinced that aircraft of the size of the Agusta 169 (does it REALLY take 6 minutes to start?) are as versatile as the 902/135 in their choice of HEMS landing sites but fortunately I don't have to make those decisions any more.
Oh, and I've chosen to retire at 65, even though under the transitional arrangements I don't get my state pension for another 9-10 months. This is mainly because I no longer consider myself to be as effective a pilot as the job requires - I'm getting tired, and my eyesight (although still adequate according to the medical) is no longer as good as it once was. There are some motivated, talented youngsters who will take the role forward and develop ways of operating with the new sensor kit that's being fitted over the next few months - may they have as enjoyable a time as I've had.