I always wondered why some guys I work with smoked, then a friend explained it to me....

.... "You get such a good deal on cigarettes down in the Falklands that if you don't smoke you are financially missing out! Think of all the value for money you get if you smoke in the Falklands. The more you smoke the more money you have saved. Non smokers back home won't feel the benefit :} ".

I would be interested to see some statistics for longevity comparing military and civilian aircrew. Say a specialist aircrew pilot who retires at 55 and a civilian pilot who retires at 55. Like many on this forum I have flown in the military and with the airlines. I think that we will find a huge difference in life expectancy with the civilian pilot croaking way before his 'sell by date'.

2040, but if Mrs PN gets her way, and I drop my weight so my BMI drops by to normal then it is 2029????????

It seems to settle around 8-12 years less if I keep clicking and vary the BMI.

At least one bit of good news, I am not a sadistic b^stard or I would have died 30 years ago.

My other half works in civilian health care and has often remarked about the higher standard of heath and general fitness seen in ex services even many years after demob. One wonders how these statistics will look a few years from now. Smoking is no longer the norm, we don't drink nearly as much (forces that is, civvys seem to be doing more - booze Britain! ). Added to that the fact that there are more sport-billys than ever before. On reflection it's easy to see why there are such surprising results in Al R's original post.

PN,

There's hope yet! :ok:

BBC News - Over-90s 'defying mental decline'

I know I know.....
 

.....that it's a generalisation, but those of us who were in the services were specifically drawn from an "abnormally" healthy section of the populace. Aircrew maybe even more so.

In contrast, during WW1 a very large proportion of volunteers and conscripts were deemed unfit for military service. From my estimable uncle's memoirs of basic traing in 1916 more than 30% were rejected even by the lowish standards of the time. Infectious diseases, rickets,flat feet and a multitude of other ailments were rife in the population at large.

We woz lucky innit?

The Ancient Mariner

A point I've made before, pointing out that our top guys were killed in WW1 and we are the progeny of the remainder.
It's a worry! :}

Anyhoo, having last flown for money when I was about 63, I hit 71 this year and, perhaps I should get a job - although, at the moment, I'm up at the end of a Froggie valley at 2500' being run ragged by four grandkids and v sporty DiL who doesn't take prisoners! ;)

Another mate of mine had this theory why Eastern Europe has so many stunningly beautiful women... " All the countries that were occupied by ze Germans in WW2 have stunningly beautiful women, as these women were worth keeping by ze Germans for some wink wink, all the fugly hippo-croco-gorilla-pigs got shot ".

I don't know if there's any truth in this?

This is true, but the same women appear to go to bed one night at about 30 years of age and wake up as hippogrillamoosepigs the next morning.

I retired at age 55 about 10 months ago (WO), should I delay the world cruise? There are lies damn lies etc... Every day is a bonus!