Seems the US has a mandatory retirement age for its pilots of 60. So what's an over the hill US pilot to do? Come to India of course, where the retirement age is 65. In fact, over 40 US pilots are flying aircraft in India according to The Times:
MUMBAI: In a practice that flies in the face of the rules of their home country, 40 US pilots over the age of 60 are flying passenger aircraft in India. In the US, they would not have been allowed to do so.
Apart from these 40 pilots, there are another 26 senior-citizen American pilots in the queue, awaiting approval from India’s aviation authority, according to sources. These pilots do not possess a valid licence to fly passengers, nor are they put through the rigorous annual medical examination that Indian pilots of their age have to compulsorily clear. The retirement age of pilots in India is 65.
Of the three airlines employing such pilots, two are major carriers operating long-haul international routes while the third is a low-cost domestic airline. "They are also rostered to operate international flights which is high-risk," said the source.
Those in the aviation industry warn that in event of an accident, the ramifications for India will be serious. "Such an accident could dent India’s aviation safety image," said Capt M Ranganathan, a Boeing instructor pilot. For instance, if a Boeing is involved in an accident, the aviation regulatory authorities of the country where the aircraft was manufactured — the US in this case — will be part of the investigations. The US’s Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board will require the US pilots to produce their licence for investigation. The only licence they can produce is the FAA one, which is not valid for flying passengers.
"Such an accident could dent India’s aviation safety image?" That seems a bit alarmist to us. Just because they're old, doesn't mean they're not skilled. In fact, skill over age has much to say for it. What do our readers think?
