How to Stay in the Left Seat and Out of the Rocking Chair
By Jim Gorman, 2000+ Hour Instrument-Rated Commercial Pilot, Single Engine
Land and Sea, Private Glider
June 2018
I used to say that I hoped to keep flying until I was 75 years old. But that was
when I was a kid of 55 and my self-imposed deadline was two decades off. Now that
I’m pushing 70, I realize I’m having too much fun to hang it up so soon. There are
a lot of us going through the same thing. More than 85,000 pilots are 65 and older1.
And most of us want to keep flying as long as we can. But how long is that? How
do we stay in the left seat longer? And how do we know when it’s time to give it
up?
If we flew for the airlines, the decision would have been made for us at age 65.
But, like so many things in GA, now including even our medical airworthiness, we’re
on the honor system to determine when we’re no longer safe. Many non-professional
pilots fly throughout their 70s and beyond. There’s even a group called The United
Flying Octogenarians, whose members have flown as PIC past age 80.
Gerry Parker is an active Master Flight Instructor at age 82. His advice for flying
longevity is simple and the best excuse to go flying any of us could ask for: “Fly
as frequently as you can. At least once or twice a month. Simulator time can sharpen
up your instrument skills.” He adds, “If I get to the point where I can’t stay ahead
of the airplane or keep up with what ATC is doing, I’ll give it up or fly something
simpler, like a Piper Cub off a grass strip.”
Another inspirational example of a guy who’s got a long way to go before he hangs
up his headset for the last time is Richard Druschel, a 73-year-old CFI and recipient
of the Wright Brothers Award for 50 years of safe flying. He flew Gulfstreams and
was a Citation Check Pilot for General Motors, before retiring at 65. But instead
of giving up flying, he found other ways to stay involved and interested in aviation.
And that’s his advice to elder pilots: Look for excuses to fly. That could mean
volunteer efforts like Young Eagles, Angel Flight or Pilots N Paws, or earning a
new rating. He suggests, “Take a course. Learn to fly a floatplane or taildragger.
You may never use it, but it’s something different that will challenge you. And
it will force you to use all those skills you learned when you were a student pilot.
It’s a different airplane, you’ve got to fly it differently. You’ll be learning
to fly all over again.”
Dick also stresses the importance of maintaining one’s health, which brings us to
the observations of Dr. Gregory Pinnell, MD, an instrument-rated pilot in his Cherokee
Six. He is a Senior AME and Senior Flight Surgeon for the U.S. Air Force Reserve
and has served as a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association's Aeromedical
Advisory Council. Dr. Pinnell advises, “What protects a pilot is good management
of chronic disease and introspection. Watch out for risk factors, make sure you
get a good biennial flight review and be willing to recognize the fact there are
some things you can fix and some things you can’t.” It should be noted that Dr.
Pinnell is not a fan of BasicMed, especially for aging aviators. He says, “Older
pilots have unique safety risk factors across all forms of transportation, including
motorcycle riders, drivers, etc. If you got rid of the biennial flight review, you’d
see an incremental increase in accidents. If you got rid of the annual inspection
of an aircraft, you’d probably see an increase in accidents. And the medical is
no different.” But if you’re going to fly under BasicMed, he advises, “Stay in touch
with your doctors. Make sure you follow their advice. Practice good sound health
care, keep your weight down, take a look at any medications you’re taking, look
for any potential side effects that could cause you problems while you’re flying
and get a good flight review every couple of years. Hopefully your CFI will tell
you if you’re good to fly or if you’re not.”
Another source that will weigh in on your fitness to fly is your insurance company.
I have a friend who continued to fly into his 90s in the homebuilt Falco he completed
when he was 80. However, after he had a gear-up landing, his insurance company insisted
he fly with a safety pilot. Gerry Parker, the 82-year-old CFI, still has the blessing
of his insurance company to instruct in high performance and pressurized aircraft.
Gerry suggests you talk with an underwriter one-on-one, so they can tell that you’re
still sharp. After all, insurance underwriters have a fair amount of discretion
in who gets insurance and under what conditions. Not a bad idea.
As for me, I’m going to take all this advice to heart. Especially the part about
flying as often as I can so I can do it as long as I can. Doctor’s orders.
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1www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5206a2.htm
Jim Gorman is an instrument rated commercial pilot with glider and seaplane ratings
and more than 2,000 hours in the air. He flies a Beechcraft F33-A Bonanza and is
owner of Gorman360, Inc., an advertising agency. When not busy making sure his
plane is in tip-top shape, he volunteers for Pilots N Paws and other humanitarian
organizations.
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