life expectancy of ATCO
 

Hi,

Has anyone a "real" study (or a link towards) about the possible life expectancy of air traffic controllers?

greetings,

Mike.

I don't know if there are any specific to controllers but I have seen various studies which suggest that shift workers, on average, last about 5-10 years less than those who work 9-5.

Living in an area populated mostly by elderly retired folk and having to tolerate their busybody shenanigans, news of such studies doesn't bother me. I never want to get to that age!

Old controllers never die -

they just issue "delay not determined"!

:E

Some time ago I was told that the 'actuarial life expectancy' of an ATCO was 67yrs :sad:

All those over 67 ... you're winning :ok:

My first Watch Sup at Heathrow is in his 90s and he was a wartime pilot too.

Half way through my working life (I hope!!!) and lost 3 from the cadet course already:eek:

We were always told limited life expectancy was the reason CAAPS was doing rather well. These days it seems to be being turned in to a Ponsi scheme and I'm not too hopeful of being one of the lucky ones.

When i started at LATCC back in the 60s I was told nobody had made it to 65. I suspect they meant most got out early. Worryingly I saw a lot of cancer cases in the last years. Much higher than the average which is puzzling considering annual medicals. Does anyone have any stats on this

I seem to recall an investigation was launched at the Thames Radar/SVFR ops room (when they were at Heathrow) because there were an usually high number of serious illnesses, the one I knew of was terminal there may have been more? I never did hear the outcome of that investigation.

Yep, heard several stories like that... But no one can confirm it with a study or statistics...

Anyway thanks for sharing... And... If you come across a study please let me know!

Grtz

mikey

Bren - 'B'A by any chance?

oh blimey...

Oh Blimey...

OH BLIMEY... (there were three that I know of)

HD, got any of your medicine to spare...?

I'll tell 'B'A you wrote that...
He was on Javelins.

My current SATCO is aged 79, APS-valid and capable. So he's definitely winning...

Thanks chaps, thank you so very much. Keep taking the tablets....

we had one done at Maastricht almost 20 years ago and were only told, "Nothing to worry about." by a person who was known to be lying whenever his lips moved.

I suspect that it is a shiftwork thing rather than an atco thing and that is why I took the hit on the pension and "bailed out" at 51.

After four years of retirement (regular sleeping pattern and eating) I never realized how tired I was with accumulated fatigue over many years and I suspect that the employers know that but don't alert their employees to the fact.

I think it is only a problem if you do permanent nights in your shift instead of a mixture of spins.

I used to and it was only when I started mixing things up a bit that I realised how tired the nights made me - residual tiredness more than anything as I always recovered well after a nightshift (or thought I did), getting by with the sleep I got on unit plus a couple of more hours at home in the morning.

The shifts we do in NATS are, I believe, the least intrusive - two nightshifts in ten days is less tiring than going out on the razz on a Fri and Sat night when working Mon-Fri.

Working spins is easy - and I find sleep patterns are not affected.

As for illnesses and cancer - I know from friends and family not in ATC that the incidence of both is as high outside. Remember in the case of cancer, detection rates are rising which is why we hear of it more often. In days gone by, people died and then, when they were cut open (if at all - the old and infirm are usually not), the cancer was fund after the fact.

However I d agree with DC10RealMan - get out as soon as you can - any job, not just ATC must impact on you the older you get. No point in working yourself to an early grave when you can be spending your pension!!!

What do you call a 'spin'?

As a pilot something that impacts possible life expectancy.

Mike & Malcie
 

If you mean Bunny,guessing not quite 80 - as Heathrow book states he retired in '93. He was on Meteors at Odiham with 247 Sqn in '52 (according to Air Britain history of 247, which shows the very young Fg Off D R Austin in 2 photos!!).

In fact he was mentioned at LATCC C Watch 'Old Farts' reunion last week by the very spritely John Nicolson - who was on NF Meteors.
Other old stagers included soon to be 86, Pete Hazeldine, a very fit looking 82 yr old Eddie Bragg,sprogs in their 70s Gerry Broad,Colin Rivington,Dave Brown and John Munday.
Last year there was a guy who at 90 is still a hockey umpire! Mike B something.

What worries me is that seeing so many fit retirees the CAA Pension Fund may run out of dosh!!

3 of us ex NATS at the FISO unit where I do part time, the oldest is approaching his 70th, I've just turned 64 and the other got out early and is still under 60.

Get out when you can!
 

In reply to the original post-there are plenty of studies that have proved a higher than average mortality for shift workers.I remember management at LATCC getting very concerned about one years ago.Any results for pilots and controllers as a group are always skewed because of the requirement to pass a medical to remain working means on average a slightly better physical fitness,diet,not smoking etc.That and a higher than average desire to get the job done leads to statistics that show less time off for sickness than the general population.
You'll always get the odd person who lives to a ripe old age despite smoking drinking and cleaning nuclear reactors....it's the majority that would prove something.
Interestingly when I left ATC after years of 6 on 3 off and nights every cycle my overall health and sleeping improved quickly and dramatically even when having to report at 0500 some days in my new job.
Mrs LeftBlank was shocked the difference not doing nights and those early earlies led to both our lives.

Any studies about the deadly combination I'm going through now?: working on shifts PLUS having baby/small chilldren at home not letting you rest or getting a decent night sleep :bored: