Quickstops
Perhaps instead we should call it an emergency stop, to remind ourselves that it does have emergency applications.
I have read countless reports, over the years, where pilots have saved themselves from a full-on wire strike by performing a quickstop in the nick of time. Or avoiding other aircraft at busy, non-tower airfields, or at events such as the Silverstone Grand Prix.
I believe that when manoeuvring low level in any sort of traffic or obstacle environment, a pilot should be "spring-loaded" to perform an emergency stop (aka quickstop).
I'd hate to think that when required to perform a quickstop, that many pilots would make things infinitely worse by overpitching, poor Nr control, VRS, poor attitude/yaw control, etc.
As for the age issue, I don't think I've ever heard a passenger's age criticised before! And as for the pilot being 63. I haven't heard so much arrogant, judgemental, ageist bull$h*t in my life. There are pilots his age flying right now; the North sea being but one example.In more minor professions, such as being a world leader, for example, this age would not be an exclusion.
These guys are not flying supersonic night combat missons behind enemy lines or even landing a 430 on the back of a superyacht. It's just Charters and Caldicot out for a pleasant day, VFR flight!
Those who talk of skills degredation are kidding themselves as to how hard this flying game is from a purely physical point of view (Some, I know, need the ego boost)
Once hovering has been mastered and one has learned how to perform a full-touchdown auto, the rest is just a head game. It's mostly about judgement, and there is no automatic degradation of mental faculties with age, unless you allow your brain to rot.
I've got 30 years to go until I'm in his shoes. I only hope that in the same circumstances that I'd be condemned just for being a tw@t and not for being an old tw@t.