How old is too old to fly?

[Gagarin]

Dave a good friend of mine who is 92 still flying with his girlfriend which is 87. Is 100 the limit? Do you qualify if you need cane to walk around?

[steingar]

I think if  you can get in the airplane you can fly it.

It really is a difficult question.  Lots of folks at that age experience cognitive deficits, but not all.  Most do slow down, though.  Probably depends on the person and the airplane.  My mother-in-law was sharp as a tack at 89, but I wouldn't want her flying an aerobatic experimental (were she a pilot).  Had she been tooling around in a Cessan 150 I'd not have a qualm.

[aviatoreb]

6 minutes ago, Gagarin said:

Dave a good friend of mine who is 92 still flying with his girlfriend which is 87. Is 100 the limit? Do you qualify if you need cane to walk around?

I did a double take since a few years back I wrote a thread that was exactly worded, "How cold is too cold to fly?"

[carusoam]

Age is just a number, José...

If you have the skill to fly... go make it happen.

Don’t let some number make the decision for you.

We will all get there some day... no need to rush...

hopefully we can see clearly enough to make the decision ourselves.

Find @Bennett for advice on how he handled his situation... he picked a date.

Maintaining your health is important every day... physical and cognitive... it takes additional effort.

Seek professional advice for health advice and exercise advice...

Can you have Dave give his insight on how he has gotten so far?

Best regards,

-a-

[Jim Peace]

13 minutes ago, Gagarin said:

Dave a good friend of mine who is 92 still flying with his girlfriend which is 87. Is 100 the limit? Do you qualify if you need cane to walk around?

There is a guy at my home airport who is in his 90's and flys almost everyday.....also a trip up and down the east coast once or twice a year....he has an RV4 or something like that...

[aviatoreb]

I don't know how old is too old to fly, but surely health has more to do with it than the number.

Ask this guy.  Frenchman Robert Marchand broke the cycling world age group hour record on track (velodrome) at 100 years old a few years back.  When he did so, there had never been an attempt in that age group, so he is in fact the only centenarian to have ridden a bicycle for an hour, nonstop, on a velodrome.  So all he needed to do was to complete the distance.  So then at that time I declared he is my hero and I told all my friends that I plan to take that world record some day!

Well - what do you know - 5 years later, he came out and broke the age group hour record on track (velodrome) at 105 years.  So now he holds the hour record for 100-104 year olds and the 105-? record too.  Is that for 105 and up?  Or is that 105-109?  I don't know. Write this down and mark my words Mr Marchand, Je viens pour votre dossier monsieur.  Dans 52 ans, je prends ce disc pour moi!

https://www.velonews.com/2017/01/news/105-year-old-frenchman-sets-hour-record_427263

Oh yeah - I have no problem if Mr Marchand wants to take flying lessons and get his PPL.  Today he is 107. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Marchand_(cyclist)

He returned to cycling in 1978^[4] and continued training after his 100th birthday. In February 2012, he set a world record in one-hour track cycling in the over-100 age group at 24.250 kilometres (15.068 mi). He improved this record to 26.927 kilometres (16.732 mi) in January 2014.^[6][7]

On 4 January 2017, he set a world record in one-hour track cycling in the over-105 age group, covering 22.547 kilometres (14.010 mi) in one hour, and the 105 years old centenarian declared: "I could have done better, if I had seen the 10-minute warning card, otherwise I would have pedalled slightly faster"

 

OK Mooneyspacers - raise your hand if you can ride 16.732 miles in one hour today the same as he did when he was 102 years old.  My hand is up - I can do that - easy - today at least I can easy.  Mais je viens pour votre dossier monsieur dans 52 ans!

Edited November 1, 2019 by aviatoreb

[irishpilot]

Six feet under.

Fly Safe,
Safety Forum Mod

[MooneyMitch]

We all HOPE to get there someday .

I suppose your question is based on ones individual situation.  

My friend, Captain Harry Moyer, a WWII P40 fighter pilot, recently passed his 3rd class medical and regularly flies his 64’ M20E.

Harry does not make the long trips alone these days.  His son does sit in the right seat for those trips to Mexico...... Harry is currently 98 years of age.

Go Harry, go !!!

[Air pirate]

That's up to the pilot

[midlifeflyer]

People are so different. I live in a community where the average age of death is 97. I play tennis with a guy who is 88 and he is a very good player.

[Yetti]

2 hours ago, aviatoreb said:

OK Mooneyspacers - raise your hand if you can ride 16.732 miles in one hour today the same as he did when he was 102 years old.  My hand is up - I can do that - easy - today at least I can easy.  Mais je viens pour votre dossier monsieur dans 52 ans!

Him and Fred should meet.   I aspire to be like Fred.

https://www.wacotrib.com/news/at-schmid-remains-a-pillar-of-waco-cycling/article_0ff668eb-16cb-5d0d-8eef-89d878627adc.html

my DPE was 92 when he qualed me.

 

[aviatoreb]

1 hour ago, Yetti said:

Him and Fred should meet.   I aspire to be like Fred.

https://www.wacotrib.com/news/at-schmid-remains-a-pillar-of-waco-cycling/article_0ff668eb-16cb-5d0d-8eef-89d878627adc.html

my DPE was 92 when he qualed me.

 

I like Fred!  But he is 26 years younger than Robert Marchand.  Robert could be his dad!  :-)

[RLCarter]

Like others have said, it's just a number and it's different for all us. Some us will fly up until they put us in the ground and others will stop way before then. I know 2 CFII's that are in their 80's that have recently stopped flying at least Solo or with a primary student, both have taken advantage of my open invitation to go up in my plane and dime, both fly fine and have said dying doesn't bother them, they just don't want to take out someone else on the way out

[Yooper Rocketman]

It’s a freakin number.  6 months ago, before me third hand surgery, I was running 30 miles a week at 63 years old.  I have two employees in my dealership 15 years younger than me that couldn’t stay with me for 1/4 mile. I still officiate high level soccer (center referee) and run for 90 minutes in a normal match.  A lot of guys 20 years younger than me could never keep up with me. 

I LOVE HEARING STORIES of people staying active as they age.  I find it inspirational!!!

Tom

[Yooper Rocketman]

2 minutes ago, Yooper Rocketman said:

It’s a freakin number.  6 months ago, before me third hand surgery, I was running 30 miles a week at 63 years old.  I have two employees in my dealership 15 years younger than me that couldn’t stay with me for 1/4 mile. I still officiate high level soccer (center referee) and run for 90 minutes in a normal match.  A lot of guys 20 years younger than me could never keep up with me. 

I LOVE HEARING STORIES of people staying active as they age.  I find it inspirational!!!

Tom

And just for the record , none of the younger refs I crew with run as much as me either !!!!

Tom

[RLCarter]

@Yooper Rocketman just for the record I’m not even going to try...

[aviatoreb]

14 minutes ago, Yooper Rocketman said:

And just for the record , none of the younger refs I crew with run as much as me either !!!!

Tom

Did you just reply to your own post?  Are you talking to yourself again?  Doh!  Might as well go ahead and like your post too. I already did too.  :-)

[Stan]

I am sure you have seen this:

"Live your life to take chances

Be CRAZY

Don't wait, because right now is the OLDEST you've ever been and

the YOUNGEST you'll ever be... AGAIN!!!!"

 

I will only add, Don't be STUPID either.

 

[Bob_Belville]

As a 76 year old whipper snapper I do love this thread!

(A friend of mine is 87 and has been flying since he was a teenager. He has had trouble getting insurance for the twin Comanche. All he needs is liability but age has been cited by several insurers.)

[AH-1 Cobra Pilot]

My dad flies his T-210 a lot, but he flies IFR less now.  He finally bought a powered tow bar to push it into the hangar, even though he is only 88.

[MIm20c]

14 hours ago, aviatoreb said:

Did you just reply to your own post?  Are you talking to yourself again?  Doh!  Might as well go ahead and like your post too. I already did too.  :-)

So is that a sign of old age?

I wonder if aircraft choice will make a difference in how long they want to continue. I could see someone hanging up the keys on an Aerostar long before a 172. 

[aviatoreb]

17 minutes ago, MIm20c said:

So is that a sign of old age?

I wonder if aircraft choice will make a difference in how long they want to continue. I could see someone hanging up the keys on an Aerostar long before a 172. 

True that -

on both your points.

[fantom]

"Whether you think you can or think you can't you are right." --Henry Ford

A smart pilot will know when it's time, and it should have much more to do with health, than with age....and nothing to do with false pride (ego).

[KB4]

11 minutes ago, fantom said:

"Whether you think you can or think you can't you are right." --Henry Ford

A smart pilot will know when it's time, and it should have much more to do with health, than with age....and nothing to do with false pride (ego).

Some know it's their last flight and some don't.  

[FoxMike]

Have a friend who still drives his T-210 around.  He started flying in War II.  Drove a P-38 for Uncle Sam in the Pacific. Has been flying for 77 years.  Holds a 3rd Class Medical.  Hope I can rival his longevity.  He claims that flying is the biggest reason he maintains his good health.  He is 95 years young.