Retirement
Great Thread,
My experience is different from the rest. I rode Dad's J/S on his retirement flight from LHR to MIA in the 747. He had started 38 years earlier flying the mail across Florida. He saw it all in aviation! He hated the thought of age 60 retirement, was an early fighter against it, and cried while making his last landing at MIA. After that 10 hour flight across the pond, we went to out to the local field (OPF) and flew his Comanche around some to wind down. He was dead at 62, probably from a broken heart. He hated retirement.
Having witnessed that, my voluntary retirement came suddenly without warning at age 45. Lorenzo had bought the company and offered early retirements to get rid of seniority. Figuring where the company was eventually headed, I departed with my A & B plans and really retired. (Real estate investments kept me in milkshakes all these years). When I approached age 60, I had already been gone 14+ years, but the realization that I could not go back even if I desired was a disappointing realization.
Looking back, I could have gone to FedEx or UAL and started over. I would have re-retired as a wide body Capt. at either airline at age 60. But I have no regret that I walked away. I miss some layover cities, takeoffs, and landings. Mostly I miss the camaraderie, which is augmented by an active reirement group of EAL pilots. I restore antiques and fly my own planes, which mostly enable me to avoid going to an airline airport and being treated as a leper by some government lowlife. I guess in the long run, I'd advise to cherish what you had and walk away without regret.