What age do pilots stop flying?

There is no set retirement age for pilots in the United States. Pilots may continue flying commercially as long as they maintain their medical certification and meet the requirements of their airline’s retirement policy. However, most major airlines have mandatory retirement ages between 60-65 years old for their pilots. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires commercial airline pilots to retire at age 65. There are some exceptions that allow pilots to fly until age 67 if they meet certain requirements. After age 65, pilots may still fly privately or for non-commercial operations if they maintain a valid medical certificate.

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Why do pilots have mandated retirement ages?

Airlines set retirement ages for pilots for a few key reasons:

Ensure safety – As pilots age, their skills and abilities can deteriorate due to natural aging processes. Airlines want to ensure their pilots are still medically fit and have the cognitive abilities to operate aircraft safely.

Adhere to FAA regulations – The FAA prohibits airline pilots from flying past age 65. Airlines must comply with this federal regulation.
Open opportunities for younger pilots – Mandatory retirements allow airlines to bring in a steady supply of younger pilots with fresh skills and training.
Control pension/benefits costs – Airlines with defined benefit pension plans have an incentive to control costs by capping the number of years pilots accrue benefits.

The FAA justified its age 65 rule due to concerns over the effects of aging on piloting abilities. However, some argue the blanket age limit is arbitrary and should be based on individual assessments of medical fitness. Proposals have been made to raise the retirement age to 67.

What is the typical retirement age for pilots at major airlines?

Most major U.S. airlines have set their mandatory pilot retirement ages between 60-65 years old. Here are the current retirement policies of some major carriers:

Airline	Pilot Retirement Age
American Airlines	65
Delta Air Lines	65
United Airlines	65
Southwest Airlines	65
Alaska Airlines	65
JetBlue	60

Some notable points:

Most align with the FAA mandated retirement age of 65.
JetBlue has one of the earliest at 60 years old.
Some international airlines have lower limits such as 55 or 60 years old.

Cargo airlines like FedEx and UPS have later retirement ages of 65.

So in summary, 60-65 is the typical age range at which most pilots for major passenger airlines must retire. Regional airline pilots may face earlier mandatory retirement ages.

Can pilots fly for airlines after age 65?

The FAA prohibits airline pilots from flying commercial aircraft past age 65. However, there are some exceptions that allow airline pilots to continue flying for a limited time past 65 under certain restrictions:

Age 65 Letter – Pilots who reach age 60-64 during their 6 months checks can apply for an exemption letter allowing them to continue flying until age 65. They must pass comprehensive medical evaluations.
HPA – High Performance Aircraft – This allows pilots ages 65-69 with excellent health and performance records to continue flying airplanes requiring an ATP certificate or type rating. However, they cannot serve as captain.

These exceptions are limited and most 65+ pilots must switch to non-commercial flying or retire. Approximately 0.6% of airline pilots currently fly under these exemptions.

Some argue the FAA should raise the limit or determine readiness individually vs. a blanket limit. But for now age 65 remains the law for commercial airline piloting.

What medical certificates are required to fly after 65?

After age 65, a pilot may continue flying privately or recreationally provided they maintain a valid FAA medical certificate. There are three levels of medical certification they can obtain:

BasicMed – Pilots can fly aircraft under 6,000 lbs with no more than 6 seats using the BasicMed certification, formed in 2017. It requires a medical examination every 4 years.

3rd Class Medical – The 3rd class medical must be renewed every 2 years for private pilots. It has more stringent health examination requirements compared to BasicMed.
2nd Class Medical – Commercial pilots require a 2nd class medical, renewed annually. It has the most stringent health examination requirements.

Pilots over age 65 who want to fly privately need either the BasicMed or 3rd class certificate to exercise pilot privileges. They can no longer obtain a 1st or 2nd class medical after their 65th birthday. Maintaining good health and passing the required exams allows pilots to continue flying recreationally well into old age if they wish.

What types of aircraft can pilots fly after age 65?

The types of aircraft older pilots can fly depends on their medical certificate:

BasicMed – Permits propeller-driven aircraft weighing up to 6,000 pounds with up to six seats.
Third Class Medical – Permits aircraft over 12,500 lbs as long as not flying commercially. No type rating required.

Second Class Medical – Needed to fly any size aircraft requiring an ATP certificate or type rating. Limited to commercial flying until age 65.

So with BasicMed, a pilot 65+ is generally limited to light single and twin-engine private planes. With a 3rd class medical, they can fly larger privately-operated prop and jet aircraft. The 2nd class opens the door to the heaviest planes but is off limits past 65 for commercial flying per the FAA “age 65” rule.

Some advantages light aircraft offer for older pilots are simpler systems, minimal redundancy, and hand flying. Heavier and more complex aircraft require constant system monitoring and management less suitable for degraded physical or cognitive skills.

Can military pilots fly after age 65?

Unlike civilian pilots, military pilots have no mandated retirement age. Each military branch sets its own policy regarding maximum age for pilots. However, extensions past traditional retirement ages are only granted in rare cases for specialists or those in high demand. Here are the typical retirement timelines:

Air Force – Mandatory separation at 35 years of service or age 62, whichever comes first.
Navy – Retirement eligible between 20-30 years of service, most retire well before age 60.

Marines – Mandatory retirement at 55 with exceptions granted until 62.
Army – Eligible for retirement at 20 years of service, must retire at 62.

So while mandatory separation ages exist for military pilots, they are not as restrictive as the hard civilian limit of 65. Military branches can also grant age waivers in special cases. This allows valued senior pilots with rare skills to continue service past normal retirement timelines.

Do pilot skills decline with age?

There is some evidence pilot skills deteriorate with age, though findings are mixed regarding what age-related changes impact piloting ability. Some key points:

Reflexes and reaction time slow – This can make hand flying skills and aircraft control more difficult.
Vision worsens – Declines in acuity and night vision can occur.

Hearing diminishes – Can impair radio communications and ability to sense aircraft problems.
Memory and recall issues – Important for remembering procedures, aircraft systems, etc.
Fatigue resistance reduces – Older pilots may tire more easily on long flights.

Cognitive slowing – Processing information and making decisions may take longer.

However, experience and judgement tend to improve with age, helping offset some losses. Simulator studies have found older airline captains exhibit superior decision making and leadership versus young first officers. But some decline in fundamental piloting skills does take place past age 60 for most aviators. Monitoring health and maintaining rigorous training are essential to flying safely into old age.

Do any commercial pilots fly past age 65?

There are a few very rare cases of pilots flying past the FAA’s age 65 limit for commercial airline duties:

Pilots granted an FAA “Age 65 Letter” exemption may fly to age 65.
A small number fly under the “High Performance Aircraft” exemption to age 69 if health permits.
About 450 pilots age 60+ in 2007 were “grandfathered” when the age was raised from 60 to 65 in 2007. Less than 100 pilots today remain from this original group.

Some corporate/private jet pilots may fly commercially under more lenient rules.

But these cases represent a tiny percentage of professional aviators age 65+. One estimate pegged active U.S. airline pilots over 65 at 0.067% in 2021. So while not completely prohibited, piloting commercial aircraft past the 65th birthday is extremely rare due to FAA regulations. Non-commercial flying is still widely permitted based on medical certification.

What percentage of pilots fly past age 65?

FAA data indicates approximately 2-3% of total U.S. pilots remain actively flying past the age of 65. This includes both privately and commercially. The number drops off significantly past 70. Here is a breakdown by age according to 2021 FAA statistics:

Pilot Age Range	Percentage of Total Certificated Pilots
65-69	2.14%
70-74	0.61%
75-79	0.12%
80+	0.02%

So while a small fraction of pilots continue exercising their privileges past 65, the percentage drops off quickly in the late 60s and 70s as age takes its toll. Very few aviators remain active past 80 years old.

But the data confirms it’s entirely possible to fly into old age with proper precautions. Approximately 1 out of 50 American pilots are still taking to the skies in their late 60s and early 70s. Commercial airline pilots make up only a tiny portion of these older flyers due to FAA age limits.

Do age limits for pilots improve safety?

This is a contentious issue without definitive supporting evidence on either side. Here are some arguments concerning pilot age limits and safety:

Age limits improve safety:

Reduces risks from age-related cognitive and skill declines.
Ensures regular introduction of pilots with latest training.

Consistent with other professions like air traffic control.
Saves costs of additional screening for individual pilots.

Age limits are arbitrary and unnecessary:

No data clearly correlates age and accident rates.
Screening tools can identify high-risk pilots vs. blanket limits.
Retirements result in loss of experienced pilots.

Discriminates without considering capabilities of individuals.

There are merits on both sides of the debate. While some studies show pilots ages 60-65 have higher risk metrics, the accident rate is still extremely low across all age groups. More research on optimizing pilot screening and capabilities testing would help strengthen future safety policies for aging aviators.

What are arguments to raise pilot retirement ages?

There are several arguments in favor of raising mandated retirement ages for pilots:

No evidence skill decline is inevitable in well trained pilots at a given age.
Better physical health in today’s older demographics.
New evidence shows experience offsets some cognitive declines.

Testing methods can determine individual capabilities vs arbitrary limits.
Shortage of pilots predicted by 2037 will require retaining senior pilots.
Age discrimination lawsuits are increasingly challenging mandatory policies.

Advocates of change don’t propose eliminating limits entirely, but raising them to 67-70 to reflect increased healthspans. They argue pilots should be assessed individually based on actual performance vs. automatic separation. With pilot shortages looming, retaining the experience of older pilots will also grow in importance.

What are arguments against raising pilot retirement ages?

There are also several arguments opposing an increase to mandated pilot retirement ages:

No way to accurately assess individual capabilities as pilots age.

Risks of cognitive decline increase substantially past age 65.
Manual flying skills continue deteriorating with age.
Age limits reassure the public pilots are competent.

Routine training updates are essential as aircraft evolve.
Younger pilots need advancement opportunities.

Critics argue FAA studies show significantly higher accident risks for pilots past age 60 arguing limits should remain in place. Eliminating them could harm the excellent safety records major airlines have achieved. Even with shortages, lowering standards to retain older pilots is seen as an improper compromise.

How can pilots maximize career longevity?

For pilots who want to extend their flying careers as far as possible, here are some tips:

Maintain excellent physical health – Healthy diet, exercise, weight control, etc.
Undergo regular extensive medical checks.

Practice and hone manual flying skills.
Use simulators to sharpen cognitive abilities.
Study updated flight procedures constantly.

Consider part-time schedules if airlines permit.
Transition to less physically demanding aircraft.

The keys are maximizing physical fitness, mental acuity, and technical proficiency through rigorous training over time. Some air forces have fitness requirements pilots must meet annually beyond age 50 with incentives to stay in shape. By maintaining top performance, pilots have the best chance of flying as long as their bodies and carrier policies allow.

Conclusion

Age 65 remains the effective standard retirement age for most airline pilots today, mandated by FAA regulations. A small percentage fly beyond this via exemptions or non-commercial activities that only require maintaining an FAA medical certificate. While arguments exist on both sides, current data doesn’t clearly support changing or eliminating this long standing age limit that provides public confidence in pilot competence. But as medical science improves lifespans, policies may adapt in the future, especially if pilot shortages deepen as predicted. For pilots wishing to maximize careers, meticulous attention to ongoing skills and fitness is key.