I started my professional flying career in 1960. The accepted retirement age for the next 20 years or so was 65 so everything was based upon that.
Suddenly, someone decided that we should all retire at 60 unless we flew aircraft of less than 20 tons. I did not want to retire at 60. I loved my flying and my job too much.
Luckily, we went back to 65 and I flew right up to my 65th birthday. It was the right time to go for me. I still had a Class One medical and my last LPC was just as bad as the first one!
My company then asked me to continue teaching and examining in the simulator. Believe it or not, in order to keep an SFE qualification, the CAA insist upon a Class One medical (not so for SFI) and an LPC/OPC and LOFT as per the usual proforma every six months.
I did this quite happily for another three years and it was actually an idiot in the Human Remains department asking me to sign a totally ridiculous contract that stopped me in my tracks and made me ask myself whether I really wanted to do this any more.
I didn't.
So, for me, it all ended at about the right time and I had a wonderful professional flying career.