If you follow the news, then you know that last week a pilot died mid-flight. Luckily, the plane landed without incident. The pilot was 60 years old, and apparently died of natural causes, which brings up a topic that we’ve touched on here before on The Window Seat: how old is too old to fly?
Back in December of 2007, then-president Bush approved fast-tracked legislation to raise the pilot age from 60 to 65. The thinking was that if a pilot could pass the same rigorous, standardized medical tests as the younger set, then there’s no reason to bar them from the yoke of the plane. Many people, myself included, applauded this decision, seeing it as an end to age discrimination.
Yet, as this incident proves, there is still much room for debate. According to the pilot’s wife, he was in perfectly good health. The copilot, at first, thought the pilot had just fallen asleep (which is a whole other can of worms). By the time they realized he wasn’t breathing, it was too late. I don’t even want to begin to imagine what the rest of that flight was like for the copilot. Blissfully, the passengers went through the rest of that flight completely unaware, and the flight attendants continued serving snacks as if nothing had gone wrong.
So was the pilot too old to fly? According to the law, he wasn’t, and it should be noted that Sullenberger, the Hudson pilot hero, was just two years younger. At age 58, it could be argued that his vast store of experience is what helped save the passengers on that flight.
I still stand by my previous opinion, that as long as a pilot can pass his or her medical and flight tests, then he or she should be able to continue flying. What happened last week was a freak event that is exceedingly rare. But I’m curious what you think. How old is too old?
Comments
Jun 23, 2009
I think 65 is about right. The trouble is, some people are a lot "older" at 65 than others--mentally, physically, etc.
But there are two people in the cockpit and I think it's a risk worth taking so as not to eliminate a huge group of pilots who could and should still be flying.
Every year, twenty somethings drop dead of heart attacks. It's rare but it can happen.
Jun 24, 2009
I think 65 is about right also. I think that physical exams for people in positions such as a pilot, should have a mandatory tests to look for potential dangers. Some things don't show up and just because someone is 65 doesn't mean they should not be allowed to continue to pursue their careers. However, we need to make sure that we recognize when we are getting older, even if we don't feel like we are "old".
Jun 24, 2009
I agree that 65 is right. In the cockpit, experience is critical for when things go wrong, as evidenced by the skill of Mr. Sullenberger as he ditched the aircraft in the Hudson. Some things are just learned with the passing of time.