AARP JOINS WITH ALPAAD
May 26, 2003
Author: Gary L. Cottingham
Monday, May 26th
We are coming down to, what will probably be, the last ten days before S-959
is hopefully attached as an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization Bill.
Looking at the first week in June.
As Paul Turner has reminded me, we are in the last mile of the marathon and
we need to keep our eye on the finish line, (I assume that you can see the
finish line ergo your first class medicals, or second or third...lame
attempt at humor...I digress), so don't quit now.
We need to phone, phax, or email all 100 Senators again. Resources such as
www.congressmerge.com are invaluable for this, as well as our website
www.alpaad.org. Capital Switch Board is 202.224.3121 for access to all
Senate offices.
This email needs to be forwarded to all on your mailing list. We need to
involve as many of the traveling public as possible. It only takes 100
contacts to
give this issue a high priority on a Senators schedule.
Copy and paste the release below and email to your local media in text
format so that it is not rejected. Some will not receive imbedded email.
We need to
raise the awareness level of the general public on this issue.
As Sir Winston said..."never, never, never, give up."
Thanks in advance for all your help.
Gary L. Cottingham
Midwest Regional Director
Airline Pilots Against Age Discrimination
317.513.0099
cottinghams@compuserve.com
www.alpaad.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Airline Pilots Against Age Discrimination is pleased to announce that AARP
has joined with ALPAAD, supporting legislation ending 43 years of age
discrimination. We find ourselves appealing to Congress to right a wrong
because the FAA will not do the right thing.
The Age 60 Rule is applicable to air carrier operations conducted under 14
CFR 121, mandating the forced retirement of veteran pilots. The FAA further
demonstrates its hypocrisy and inconsistency by permitting age 60+ pilots to
fly in commercial operations conducted under 14 CFR 125 and 14 CFR 135.
The FAA is ignoring its own studies, which support the fitness of age 60+
pilots, which makes their intransigence on the Age 60 Rule all the more
ridiculous - and discriminatory .
The FAA's 1994 Hilton Study - one of the most rigorous efforts to date -
found aviators safe (from the standpoint of accident rates) well beyond age
60 to age 67. In 1999, the FAA's own data analyzed by a statistician at
Northwestern University and published in the Chicago Tribune found that
pilots over age 60 were actually safer than nearly all their younger
counterparts.
The FAA's 2000 four-part study showed (in part three) that pilots over age
60 flying commuter operations between 1988 and 1997 were as safe as pilots
in younger age groups flying scheduled jet operations. The very guardians
of aviation safety - the FAA - have shown that pilots aged 60+ present no
safety risk whatsoever.
There are over 60 countries around the world that permit age 60+ pilots in
air carrier operations. The United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and
Canada have no age restrictions at all. There is no indication that this
has placed lives at risk. The United States and France are the only major
countries left imposing this restriction on air carrier pilots operating
under 14 CFR 121.
America's airlines will benefit from the financial relief that they will get
from
this legislation by keeping veteran pilots and reducing training and pension
costs.
Americans deserve the safest and most experienced pilots at the controls.
We support Senate Bill 959 and House Resolution 1063 which will permit
America's veteran pilots to fly past age 60.
AARP comments may be found below. If you have any questions please contact
Gary L. Cottingham.
Gary L. Cottingham
Midwest Regional Director
Airline Pilots Against Age Discrimination
317.513.0099
cottinghams@compuserve.com
www.alpaad.org
AARP is pleased to support your legislation, S. 959, to increase the
mandatory retirement age for airline pilots to age 65, from its current age
of 60. This bill is an important step in recognizing that pilots should be
judged on the basis of their individual ability and flying skills, not on
unproven and mistaken assumptions about age.
AARP has long opposed the Federal Aviation Administrations' arbitrary rule
requiring airline pilots to retire at age 60, as well as all laws and
regulations imposing a mandatory retirement age in any profession. Older
workers, like all workers, should be judged on the basis of their individual
competency and ability to do the job, not on inaccurate and stigmatizing
stereotypes about older workers generally. There is no evidence that pilots
over age 60 perform worse than younger pilots. Indeed, there is reason to
believe that lengthy experience is a good predictor of pilot competency.
Accordingly, AARP has testified before Congress and the FAA in opposition to
the age 60 rule; filed amicus curiae briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court and
other federal courts; filed comments in FAA rulemakings; and supported the
efforts of individual pilots seeking exemptions from that rule.
AARP applauds your efforts on this important civil rights issue. If you
have any further questions, please feel free to contact me or have your
staff contact Amy Shannon of AARP's Federal Affairs Department at
202/434-3760.
Sincerely,
Michael W. Naylor
Director of Advocacy
State and National Initiatives
bally growing economy." The thrust of the argument by Mr. Nash is that airlines "to take a much closer look at their future pilot requirements" and get more involved with raising standards.