Over 60? So long.
 

European Air Transport today fired all pilots over 60 years of age and very charitably gave them 3 months notice.

Thank you France.

Maybe Mr. Meeson was right!

Now, I'm not trying to be rude to anyone here - BUT;

Why on earth would anyone over 60 want to keep working ?
Particulary in this environment which is so damaging to your health.
( Unless you've been unfortunate enought have a financial / family tragedy in recent years, it seems a sad way to spend your life)

One of the things you won't be saying to yourself on your death bed is "my, I wish I'd worked a few more days in my life"

All most no pilot who is over 60 would WANT to carry on working, there are plenty however who have no choice but to continue . Not everyone has the comfort of large pensions to live on and many people due to family circumstances have a need for an income well past 60. A little more understanding please.

Hey fellas - there are legions of guys who have turned 60 who still enjoy flying, and would like to continue.
No really.

Yep , good points.
With reflection, I thought about removing my post.
But then those posts after wouldn't make sense.

Apologies , I didn't think it through fully.

Gidday,

At the fine old age of 62, still able to instruct on Jet simulators, able in a small way to contribute my so called wisdom to the masses and actually still learning in the process.

Age alone should not be a barrier to anyone doing anything that we are capeable and competent to continue to do.

I found retirement too busy, so took up a full time job to get the weekends off.

As to line flying, why not if you can and the employer is willing, I miss the flying but dont miss the dark nights and storms of the Bay of Bengal one little bit.

There is a chance of a DC-3 being in need of a part time F/O, so I may grumble around as I did in the 60s, full circle on Airline types, within meters of where I first learned to fly.

Old age and cunning is better than some of the alternatives.

:ok: :ok:

State interference continues unabated
 

If a pilot is fit and able to pass a Class 1 Medical, is able to pass his sim rides/aircraft check rides and can walk to the aircraft unaided then it is no damn business of ANYONE else if he/she wishes to continue to fly/work/enjoy him/her self.
Please gentlemen, whatever your personal opinion just remember that we are all individuals and we all 'tick' in a different way.
Long live freedom of choice!

Isn't there an Anti Discrimination law in the EU? To my knowledge pilots may fly up to 65 in most EU countries.

It may have escaped the notice from some of our younger less experienced brothers, that there are a lot of us who actually enjoy flying, have always done so and always will. It is not a job more of a vocation.

Well..
 

For how long do you think the world (wich actually includes the airline industry..) can keep up pensions and retirement sceemes for a population that live longer and are healthier by the year?

Why should we not have to adjust retirement age continously?

And I know many 60 year olds that just love their work.. still :}

Surely most of us are in this game because we enjoy it - I speak to a lot of young airline-pilot hopefuls, and don't hear many saying "I want to become an airline pilot because of the money and so that I can retire early", most do it because they want to fly. Surely that doesn't change at 60?

I've known a few people flying into their 80s, by that point they usually had to pay for it themselves, but they still wanted to fly.

Speaking for myself, whilst still well short of 60, I'm in this game so that I can be paid by other people for playing with expensive toys. I can't see my view on that ever changing.

Which is all a bit off-topic anyhow. Back on-topic, surely we should be approaching a stage in time where we should accept that people get retired when either (a) they are old enough and want to, or (b) they can't do the job any more. Society can't afford all these people being retired at 60 (ye gods, some people are still taking early retirement at 55!).

G

A300BOY
 

We have some crew menbers over 60 here at Eat who put us younger colleagues to shame. One of them runs 3 to 4 miles on every day stop down route after a full night of flying they are amongst the best operators we have.
Dont forget that all the other pilots have to adjust there financial planning to retiring at 60 now and one or two pilots came to Eat as it had a retirement age of 65.
A very sad affair which I understand is due to a change in the rules in France and possibly Italy and Scandinavia in the near future.
I hope they find a solution and the individuals concerned are dealt with in a caring and fair way.

I am sure there are people over 60 who still enjoy the job, perhaps years of the seemingly unending grind and hassle of ultra short haul from LHR have soured my view. I can´t see why anyone would do carry on doing what I do past 60 unless they had to, I would retire tomorrow if I could. Perhaps I need a change of company and location to put the enjoyement back into it.

As has already been stated above, some of us actually still enjoy flying, after all who wants a 'proper job' ! (whatever that is)?
As a further incentive to keep passing the medical/flight proficiency checks some of us have been thru' :
a) Divorce-only the lawyers win.
b) We sank our pension money into a GAR with Equitable Life! Q-When is a guarantee not a guarantee? A-When it's issued by Equitable Life! Meanwhile our legislators continue to vote themselves gold-plated pensions whilst ignoring this scandal.
c) We served up to 12 years in the military & left prior to 30th.March 1975 without a pension. Moral-I should have joined the Wehrmacht, they are still paying pensions to those who served in WWII but the fourth richest economy(or is that China now?) seemingly cannot reward it's former military personnel for their service? Kipling had it right all those years ago!!!!!!!!!!
And as for having to sell your house to pay for care!, well words fail me:mad: :mad: :mad:

PS: Life's a bitch ain't it!

Yes Max Angle short haul does become a great pain in the arse!
Great for the young family man but after that forget it. I've done both over nearly forty years.
Only checking in about three/four times a month opens up all the places you can live and therefore have a lovely home in an area you want to be. Big dependable aeroplane going intercontinental, nice hotel, different climate, choices of food, hopefully a friendly crew to socialise with, huge choice of shops if you want to buy specialist items, the list is endless.
Get home, wife happy to have had a few days to herself, now a few days in holiday mode with you, (re-arrange if single!). Never there for measles, chicken pox, mumps, dishwasher and washing machine failure.
The icing on the cake is long haul freighters!

60+
 

hello every one,

i am lost on this one? why is eat doing this, as, if i understand it, icao will implement the age rule change from 60 to 65 in november 2006 at their general assembly meeting in montreal? france & italy can & will of course ask to be exempted, but will only be able to enforce it for their french/italian companys. i might be wrong on this of course. but, living in france, which is quite nice by the way, as a foreigner, i always wonder why the french/italians & the british for that matter, want to do things differently than the rest of europ?

kind regards,

bm

When I was being brought up, Britain wasn't part of Europe - just an Island near it.

No excuse for the French of-course!

G

As previously stated one of the reasons people wish to work beyond 60 is purely financial.

As an esteemed long term (still going at age 67 on 24/7 shift, not flight crew though)aviation industry colleague of mine unashamedly proclaims he is a multiple victim of the AIDS phenonemon.

Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome.:p

Airspeed Alive

I served in RAF for 12 years, retiring in Sept '76. I do not receive a pension for this: is there something I should know?
I'm one of those 'retired' (at 62 when I'd trained replacement) who, due to multiple marriages and pension 'earmarkings', need an income.

rts

As the DO is also 60+ is he going to?
Nice way to get rid of a lot 757 captains now that 2 757's are leaving the EAT fleet