PROCESS IMPROVEMENT ON THE
AME LETTERS!!
“EXPERIENCE MATTERS”
Dear Colleagues,
WE HEARD YOUR FEEDBACK – You told us the AME Letter Campaign is important, and we THANK all of you who are getting these letters to your physicians for their signatures, and then back to us.
BUT you are telling us the process to download, print, copy, scan and return them is proving a little challenging. WE ARE MAKING IT EASIER FOR YOU to participate.
BELOW are the THREE LETTERS WE NEED from your doctors.
Just print out this NOTAM (or email it to your physician) and get all three letters signed. Then, you can EITHER:
SCAN THE SIGNED LETTERS and email them to: raisethepilotage@gmail.com or
MAIL THEM (hard copy) to: P. O. Box 1124 Pascagoula, MS 39568 and we will take it from there or
If your physician has an electronic signature, they can sign the electronic version and just email it back to you and cc: raisethepilotage@gmail.com
Thank you for the feedback and THANK YOU for engaging in this critically important project.
DATE: __
Dear Chair Moran
Ranking Member Duckworth:
I write to express my support of raising the mandatory Commercial Pilot Retirement age above 65 years of age.
As an FAA Aviation Medical Examiner (AME), I am very familiar with the history of pilot age in aviation medicine and the transition from no age, to 60, to 65, as well as the current effort to change the law today, and raise the age above 65.
Recently, the US Senate and House considered the Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act of 2023, S. 893 and H.R. 1761 and I would like this letter to be considered in any discussions on any legislation that may be presented in the near future, hopefully, in the interest of Safety for all, because
Experience Matters!
Raising the Commercial Pilot retirement age will immediately allow highly experienced pilots to remain at work, while allowing the lesser experienced pilots to gain more experience, through mentoring. Judgement is invaluable to a flight crew and judgement is only developed over many years as a co-pilot, being mentored by experienced captains.
I concur with medical and scientific researchers that say a clear relationship between incapacitation and age cannot be established because individuals age differently and group averages are poor predictors of individual health and performance. I also agree with other medical experts that support using evidence-based assessments to evaluate pilots’ medical fitness and competence to fly on an individual basis rather than an arbitrary age limit.
In 2007, Congress raised the age limit for pilots from age 60 to 65, in line with ICAOs recommendation. Since that date there are now 10 countries that allow commercial pilots to fly past age 65. Some of these countries have no upper age limit. The time period since raising the age limit has been the safest in aviation history, largely because pilots undergo a more frequent and higher level of testing than any other high-stakes professions.
The fact is that medical and technological advances have made it easier to detect and treat health conditions at early stages, greatly reducing the risk that pilots will experience an event that compromises safety of flight. This is evidenced by the low number of temporary pilot groundings. The incidence of permanent disqualification is even lower, occurring in less than 1% of all cases that are deferred for further evaluation.
The age limit for commercial pilots was enacted more than 60 years ago and was based on the “premise” that health conditions tend to increase with age and can lead to pilot incapacitation during flight. At the time, information about pilot incapacitations was limited.
However, we now understand the odds of a pilot incapacitation is very low and the level of associated risk is minimal. In fact, the incidence of a pilot incapacitation is extremely rare, occurring less than 0.45 times per 1,000,000 flight hours. The majority of pilot incapacitations cannot be prevented by an age limit because they are caused primarily by conditions of gastroenteritis (food poisoning), laser strikes to a pilot’s eyes inflight, headaches, and lastly sinus problems all of which have zero correlation to a pilot’s age.
In addition to undergoing FAA First-Class Medical’s every six months, yearly EKGs, yearly simulator training, as well as quarterly online refresher courses, pilots undergo a very detailed and extensive training protocol designed and approved by the FAA. Airline and FAA random flight checks are performed on all pilots and there isn’t any consideration of age. One either passes or is removed from flight duties, regardless of age.
These numerous assessments provide an evidence-based measure of a pilot’s decision-making skills, reaction times, communication abilities to lead and perform and of course, one’s overall performance.
Since 2007, we now have a “living” case study of some17 years. The FAA, NTSB, and ICAO can provide data showing that no commercial air carrier accidents have been attributed to a pilot’s age.
Last year ICAO began their efforts towards raising or eliminating the age, with their Working Paper-106 (WP106) which was sent to all countries in consideration of “raising” the present commercial pilot age.
A pilot’s ability to fly should be based on the assessment of an individual pilot’s health and competency, not their age. I urge all to support any legislation that will allow pilots the legal right to fly past age 65. In any profession, Experience Matters!
Sincerely,
Dr. _________, MD
Aviation Medical Examiner, FAA
DATE: __
Dear Chair Cruz
Ranking Member Cantwell:
I write to express my support of raising the mandatory Commercial Pilot Retirement age above 65 years of age.
As an FAA Aviation Medical Examiner (AME), I am very familiar with the history of pilot age in aviation medicine and the transition from no age, to 60, to 65, as well as the current effort to change the law today, and raise the age above 65.
Recently, the US Senate and House considered the Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act of 2023, S. 893 and H.R. 1761 and I would like this letter to be considered in any discussions on any legislation that may be presented in the near future, hopefully, in the interest of Safety for all, because
Experience Matters!
Raising the Commercial Pilot retirement age will immediately allow highly experienced pilots to remain at work, while allowing the lesser experienced pilots to gain more experience, through mentoring. Judgement is invaluable to a flight crew and judgement is only developed over many years as a co-pilot, being mentored by experienced captains.
I concur with medical and scientific researchers that say a clear relationship between incapacitation and age cannot be established because individuals age differently and group averages are poor predictors of individual health and performance. I also agree with other medical experts that support using evidence-based assessments to evaluate pilots’ medical fitness and competence to fly on an individual basis rather than an arbitrary age limit.
In 2007, Congress raised the age limit for pilots from age 60 to 65, in line with ICAOs recommendation. Since that date there are now 10 countries that allow commercial pilots to fly past age 65. Some of these countries have no upper age limit. The time period since raising the age limit has been the safest in aviation history, largely because pilots undergo a more frequent and higher level of testing than any other high-stakes professions.
The fact is that medical and technological advances have made it easier to detect and treat health conditions at early stages, greatly reducing the risk that pilots will experience an event that compromises safety of flight. This is evidenced by the low number of temporary pilot groundings. The incidence of permanent disqualification is even lower, occurring in less than 1% of all cases that are deferred for further evaluation.
The age limit for commercial pilots was enacted more than 60 years ago and was based on the “premise” that health conditions tend to increase with age and can lead to pilot incapacitation during flight. At the time, information about pilot incapacitations was limited.
However, we now understand the odds of a pilot incapacitation is very low and the level of associated risk is minimal. In fact, the incidence of a pilot incapacitation is extremely rare, occurring less than 0.45 times per 1,000,000 flight hours. The majority of pilot incapacitations cannot be prevented by an age limit because they are caused primarily by conditions of gastroenteritis (food poisoning), laser strikes to a pilot’s eyes inflight, headaches, and lastly sinus problems all of which have zero correlation to a pilot’s age.
In addition to undergoing FAA First-Class Medical’s every six months, yearly EKGs, yearly simulator training, as well as quarterly online refresher courses, pilots undergo a very detailed and extensive training protocol designed and approved by the FAA. Airline and FAA random flight checks are performed on all pilots and there isn’t any consideration of age. One either passes or is removed from flight duties, regardless of age.
These numerous assessments provide an evidence-based measure of a pilot’s decision-making skills, reaction times, communication abilities to lead and perform and of course, one’s overall performance.
Since 2007, we now have a “living” case study of some17 years. The FAA, NTSB, and ICAO can provide data showing that no commercial air carrier accidents have been attributed to a pilot’s age.
Last year ICAO began their efforts towards raising or eliminating the age, with their Working Paper-106 (WP106) which was sent to all countries in consideration of “raising” the present commercial pilot age.
A pilot’s ability to fly should be based on the assessment of an individual pilot’s health and competency, not their age. I urge all to support any legislation that will allow pilots the legal right to fly past age 65. In any profession, Experience Matters!
Sincerely,
Dr. _________, MD
Aviation Medical Examiner, FAA
DATE: __
Dear Chair Graves
Ranking Member Larsen:
I write to express my support of raising the mandatory Commercial Pilot Retirement age above 65 years of age.
As an FAA Aviation Medical Examiner (AME), I am very familiar with the history of pilot age in aviation medicine and the transition from no age, to 60, to 65, as well as the current effort to change the law today, and raise the age above 65.
Recently, the US Senate and House considered the Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act of 2023, S. 893 and H.R. 1761 and I would like this letter to be considered in any discussions on any legislation that may be presented in the near future, hopefully, in the interest of Safety for all, because
Experience Matters!
Raising the Commercial Pilot retirement age will immediately allow highly experienced pilots to remain at work, while allowing the lesser experienced pilots to gain more experience, through mentoring. Judgement is invaluable to a flight crew and judgement is only developed over many years as a co-pilot, being mentored by experienced captains.
I concur with medical and scientific researchers that say a clear relationship between incapacitation and age cannot be established because individuals age differently and group averages are poor predictors of individual health and performance. I also agree with other medical experts that support using evidence-based assessments to evaluate pilots’ medical fitness and competence to fly on an individual basis rather than an arbitrary age limit.
In 2007, Congress raised the age limit for pilots from age 60 to 65, in line with ICAOs recommendation. Since that date there are now 10 countries that allow commercial pilots to fly past age 65. Some of these countries have no upper age limit. The time period since raising the age limit has been the safest in aviation history, largely because pilots undergo a more frequent and higher level of testing than any other high-stakes professions.
The fact is that medical and technological advances have made it easier to detect and treat health conditions at early stages, greatly reducing the risk that pilots will experience an event that compromises safety of flight. This is evidenced by the low number of temporary pilot groundings. The incidence of permanent disqualification is even lower, occurring in less than 1% of all cases that are deferred for further evaluation.
The age limit for commercial pilots was enacted more than 60 years ago and was based on the “premise” that health conditions tend to increase with age and can lead to pilot incapacitation during flight. At the time, information about pilot incapacitations was limited.
However, we now understand the odds of a pilot incapacitation is very low and the level of associated risk is minimal. In fact, the incidence of a pilot incapacitation is extremely rare, occurring less than 0.45 times per 1,000,000 flight hours. The majority of pilot incapacitations cannot be prevented by an age limit because they are caused primarily by conditions of gastroenteritis (food poisoning), laser strikes to a pilot’s eyes inflight, headaches, and lastly sinus problems all of which have zero correlation to a pilot’s age.
In addition to undergoing FAA First-Class Medical’s every six months, yearly EKGs, yearly simulator training, as well as quarterly online refresher courses, pilots undergo a very detailed and extensive training protocol designed and approved by the FAA. Airline and FAA random flight checks are performed on all pilots and there isn’t any consideration of age. One either passes or is removed from flight duties, regardless of age.
These numerous assessments provide an evidence-based measure of a pilot’s decision-making skills, reaction times, communication abilities to lead and perform and of course, one’s overall performance.
Since 2007, we now have a “living” case study of some17 years. The FAA, NTSB, and ICAO can provide data showing that no commercial air carrier accidents have been attributed to a pilot’s age.
Last year ICAO began their efforts towards raising or eliminating the age, with their Working Paper-106 (WP106) which was sent to all countries in consideration of “raising” the present commercial pilot age.
A pilot’s ability to fly should be based on the assessment of an individual pilot’s health and competency, not their age. I urge all to support any legislation that will allow pilots the legal right to fly past age 65. In any profession, Experience Matters!
Sincerely,
Dr. _________, MD
Aviation Medical Examiner, FAA