Camp Freddie: It's got nothing to do with the pension providers or the national governmental pensions rules. It is controlled from without - by ICAO and then EASA who stipulate that a pilot who flies SINGLE PILOT ops MUST either fly with a 2nd pilot who is younger than 60 or NOT fly. (Twin pilot ops takes you to 65+).
Take that aviation rule and place it within a system that (a) requires single pilot ops only and (b) pays a final salary scheme where the scheme matures at 65 and not before and there is your dilemma.
Who takes possession of the problem: The police don't really want to know: "Simply get another pilot to replace this one , your aviation rules are your problem guys". BALPA don't want to know: "Police air ops - a drop in our bureaucratic ocean". The CAA simply regulate.
So the individual is left with the problem of leaving the police (civilian) scheme atleast 5yrs early, incurring a 25% deficit in their pension returns forever. Rock and a hard place comas to mind.
