CONTACT CONGRESS
It is essential that all pilots in favor of raising the retirement age write their elected officials today.
Time is of the essence as legislation is likely to be brought before Congress soon.
How to Contact Your Elected Officials
Please follow these simple steps to contact your elected officials in Congress.
- Choose whether you would like to send a hard copy or an email.
- In either case, below we have provided a sample letter you can use as a template.
- Utilize the Congressional contact system below to find your senators and congressmen.
- If emailing, you can copy and paste the content of our sample letter into the Congressional email form, then edit to add the senator or congressman’s name, your union if desired, and your name and address.
- If using snail mail, copy and paste the content from our sample letter into your word processor and then add your own information. Mail addresses are provided in the Congressional contact pages.
Federal Elected Officials
- Locate your U.S. senators’ contact information.
- Find your U.S. representative’s website and contact information.
Sample Congressional Letter (Copy and paste to your email.)
Date __________________
The Honorable ________________
United States Senate
Washington, DC. 20510
OR
The Honorable ________________
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Senator/Representative:
I am writing today to urge you to support legislation to RAISE or ELIMINATE THE AIRLINE PILOT RETIREMENT AGE. (If you are a CONSTITUENT of this legislator, say that here).
The airline industry is experiencing a pilot shortage which is forecast to get worse. Post-COVID, the large number of new hires, combined with the forced retirement of our most experienced airline pilots has resulted in a large “experience gap” on our flight decks.
It is essential that Congress take action to help shore up the industry so that our airlines can continue to provide essential air service to Americans and keep our economy growing.
The opinions and desires of many airline pilots are not being represented by their unions.
As an experienced and current airline pilot, safety is, and always has been my number one priority. In 2007 when the retirement age changed from 60 to 65, we heard many argue that raising the retirement age would detract from safety. It did not. Fifteen years of data prove that those arguments were as invalid then as they are today. In 2024 a working paper was introduced at ICAO, indicating international airlines are seriously considering re-aligning treaties to either end or raise the upper age limit. Sixty-five is not the age limit in many countries, currently.
While some are advocating for a reduction in the qualifications for pilots as a way to solve the shortage, science and recent airline accidents clearly indicate such a move would be detrimental to safety. This is not a solution. The reality is that experienced pilots are the backbone of our safe and prosperous air transportation system. As Sully Sullenberger demonstrated, in aviation there is no substitute for experience. The FAA believes that experience is so important that it has now mandated that major airlines establish programs where experienced pilots mentor the airline’s newer pilots.
As Congress considers solutions for the current pilot shortage and experience gap, I hope that you will keep these views in mind. The issue is extremely important to me and to our nation’s air transport system. Please support raising the airline pilot retirement age. It is time for the US to lead internationally, keep flying as safe as possible by keeping our most valued, experienced mentors working if they choose to and are able.
You can learn more about these issues at www.RaiseThePilotAge.com
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
YOUR TITLE
YOUR ADDRESS
YOUR CITY, STATE, ZIP
YOUR PHONE NUMBER
WHO WE ARE
We are a large group of pilots who currently fly for various passenger and cargo airlines.
ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS
The airline industry is an essential domestic and global service that is facing a severe pilot shortage.
