Flying just got cheaper!!

[skunker]

Here's another angle in support of the SP ticket:
Older pilots who have either lost their medical or are not eager to take one again and fail... I know some people, not that old and in decent health despite not meeting the requirements, who can now still do what they've been doing for many years: flying daytime VFR in rural areas in ragwings and homebuilts that luckily fall within the guidelines. Without this rating, they'd be grounded. If one is concerned about a bunch of old fogeys with bad hearts flying around, consider my first post here: less than 1/2 of 1% of all aviation accidents in the US are due to medical conditions. Maybe that's because the FAA docs weed people out with the medical exams, but I dunno- there are a lot of flying seniors out there and their safety record is good.
We need those people hanging around airports sharing their wisdom and keeping us on our toes in the pattern in their no-radio planes...

FAA just released a study that said most accidents occur in older pilots over the age of 50. ANd yes...most had lots more experience than the newbies....

[beaky]

FAA just released a study that said most accidents occur in older pilots over the age of 50. ANd yes...most had lots more experience than the newbies....

Doesn't surprise me, but I doubt their errors or problems  had much
to do with anything that would cause them to flunk a medical exam (I was commenting specifically on the medical)... their age  and their logged hours could indicate complacency, or... what's the word? ...hubris.
That is, assuming the very low medical-factor percentage I heard was correct...

[skunker]

Great points rottydaddy:)

[Brett_Henderson]

FAA just released a study that said most accidents occur in older pilots over the age of 50. ANd yes...most had lots more experience than the newbies....

There must be some statistical spike after age 50. I don't feel bad pointing it out, even with hint of accusal and a blaming finger, as I'm in my 48th year of life.  I don't think near as well, or process things as well, or react, mentally and physically as well, or as quickly, as I did at 30.

I'm well under 700 hours logged..  and went a huge chunk of my life logging none.. so "maybe" I'm still immune to hubris  ;) .. but I'm not immune to mental/physical decay. I just hope some day I'll know myself, when to stay out of the cockpit.

[Hagar]

[quote]There must be some statistical spike after age 50. I don't feel bad pointing it out, even with hint of accusal and a blaming finger, as I'm in my 48th year of life.

[beaky]

There must be some statistical spike after age 50. I don't feel bad pointing it out, even with hint of accusal and a blaming finger, as I'm in my 48th year of life.  I don't think near as well, or process things as well, or react, mentally and physically as well, or as quickly, as I did at 30.

I'm well under 700 hours logged..  and went a huge chunk of my life logging none.. so "maybe" I'm still immune to hubris  ;) .. but I'm not immune to mental/physical decay.

Another good point; I wasn't aware of the age spike.
One could almost consider that a medical condition...
I personally don't think I've slowed down reaction or stamina-wise compared to age 30...and I think I concentrate better than I did back then. When I'm stupid, I'm not any more stupid than I was at 20,  and I do it less often...
I'm definitely less prone to hubris than I used to be!
But of course nobody thinks he's diminishing... which could account for some of those accidents, eh?
But seeing as how most of those over-50 pilots had current medicals (an assumption, but a safe one), and many much older pilots maintain their medical status, not having the SP rating available won't change those stats much, I think. The group of pilots going for the SP because of losing or fearing loss of their medical will probably be relatively small, too.
It's even possible that if more older pilots are doing local flying in lighter, slower aircraft, the (fatal) accident rate for that age group might go down...

I just hope some day I'll know myself, when to stay out of the cockpit.

Amen to that; I wonder how others have made that call, it can't be easy.