Retirement...

[Welcome_Aboard]

1. What is the mandatory retirement age for pilots in your country?
2. Do you think the retirement age in your country should be raised or lowered?

Pilots in the USA have to retire at 60.

[Skyjob]

Retirement age in UK is 65 for commercial pilots. I think this is quite alright, not that I'm pushing this yet, but several of my colleagues are and seem to be the most relaxed and enjoyable crew to fly with.

Problem we have are with routes over France or Italy, because they cannot overfly those nations (by law). But how are those nations going to find out, I wonder, if they do overfly? Are they gonna ask all pilots entering their airspace for their age?

[V1.....UH_OH]

Hey I have an idea, why don't we go back and take a subjective look at this!
This rule came about the same time period as the old ETOPS when it was back to 60 mins, if I remember correctly. Today, one has had several changes to it while the other has still not changed! ETOPS is now extended to 180 mins because of todays reliable: engines, service history, and new technology.
Why hasn't the "age 60 rule" been amended to a higher number. Yesterday's life expectancy wasn't what it is now. People are living longer and better than before. There are many
airline pilots who go into corporate (where there is no such rule) and continue to their hearts delight! I have flown both airline and corporate and have had the privelage of learning from these highly experienced aviators, who show no sign of being incapable of continuing to be in command, or even fly. Unfortunately, unlike engines which are machines and can be graphed and plotted to a beaurocrat's delight, we are human and as such cannot be measured the same way. My solution to this is simple!
Take that age 60 person, continue to have them take their medical, then after ward
have them do their proficiency checks in a simulator without the examiner seeing their age. They are going to be held to the same standards of course and if they pass, then they should be allowed to continue to fly until they can now longer do both steps, OR until they as professional pilots upon a self examination, say hey, this is it. Or are you going to tell me that after decades of making GO- NO GO decisions, we are not trusted to make that final "am i fit to fly" descion? Until this changes, it has made me sad to have seen and continue to see very excellent, in good shape pilots being cut short because of a rule that has no bearing in todays world. My cap off to you fine aviators, the hell with what they say, WE KNOW who is at the top of their game!