I had never failed an RAF FT until, at the age of 52, I was directed by the doc to do the bike test due to osteoarthritic knees. Part way through the test, the muscle mechanic told me to stop (even though I felt fine and was happy to continue) as my heart rate was too high and it would be ‘unsafe’ for me to continue. When I enquired what precautions were taken during my previous beep test sessions to ensure my heart rate remained within ‘safe’ levels, he was unable to answer.