PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Maiximum age limit/length of career?
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Old 2nd Nov 2006, 21:18
  #11 (permalink)  
Melchett01
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Darling - where are we?
Posts: 2,580
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At 61, Terry Cairns was still flying ops over Afghanistan..... and so was his 61 year old CO, Nav Wing Commander Clive Mitchell.
As a holding bod back in 2000-ish I was given the chance to go off to Gioa with 39 for a month as they did their thing over the Balkans. As well as Terry, we had Brian Cole with us and IIRC, he was coming up to 40 years in the RAF whilst we were out there. He had been in the RAF longer than I had been alive!!!

The cummulative age of Terry, Brian and the aircraft was staggering, but they loved what they did and knew they would be around as long as the aircraft was flying even thought they were already at and likely to go on well past the retirement age. They were an absolute delight to be away with. Both consumate professionals, and increasingly rare in this climate - perfect gentlemen.
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