pa42
30th Jan 2003, 16:00
What kinds of operations have you seen that hire grey-haired grandfathers who are casualties of the FAA's mandatory-retirement-at-age-60 rule?
If seized-wing flying is boring (been there, done that) and helicopters are still fun (like 1000 hrs heli peasure flying & still going strong), which industries truly don't mind hiring Old pilots?
The obstacles are, I suppose, mainly medical unknowns--even with 1st class medical, the employer has no assurance the pilot won't (a) suddenly quit the job to enter hospital for some geriatric problem, or (b) keel over in flight from heart attack & (sob!) prang that expensive fling-wing. And any passengers.
Who collects success stories for the surplus-birthdays-crowd? Or, perish the thought, instances of very senior pilots who should have quit flying before their senior-moment-accident?
If seized-wing flying is boring (been there, done that) and helicopters are still fun (like 1000 hrs heli peasure flying & still going strong), which industries truly don't mind hiring Old pilots?
The obstacles are, I suppose, mainly medical unknowns--even with 1st class medical, the employer has no assurance the pilot won't (a) suddenly quit the job to enter hospital for some geriatric problem, or (b) keel over in flight from heart attack & (sob!) prang that expensive fling-wing. And any passengers.
Who collects success stories for the surplus-birthdays-crowd? Or, perish the thought, instances of very senior pilots who should have quit flying before their senior-moment-accident?