How old is too old to fly?

[Bob_Belville]

Just now, bluehighwayflyer said:

One of my markers is when I can no longer push and pull the damn thing in and out of the hangar unassisted.  It is kind of like cutting my grass myself with a push mower.  I am damned and determined to at least maintain that level of fitness for as long as I possibly can.   

Famous lost words! My current '66E weighs at least 1000 pounds more than the one I owned in the '70' & '80s. And the ramp is uphill... in both directions. Easily solved with a 24V tug.

(I have no trouble getting in/out of the Mooney with techniques perfected over time but Nancy has bad knees. She manages now but who knows what another 10 years might be like.)  

[Oldguy]

2 hours ago, aviatoreb said:

At 6'4'' and not skinning - when I work out I actually get heavier rather than lighter - currently 100kg, my knees, hips and feet just don't like when I run.

That's what I was looking for! I've been stating it wrong all this time.

I'm not 222 lbs., I'm 101 kg. Sounds so much lighter!

And my back joined my knees, ankles and feet to decide running was no longer acceptable years ago, so now it is either an elliptical or a recumbent bike. It makes the annual corporate physical with the requisite stress test a non-event. When you run your heart rate up to 90+% multiple times a week, you are not even really sweating to get to the 80% they want.

[MooneyMitch]

Will I know when to stop?  I hope I will, but that is an unknown.

Will there be opportunities to continue to fly, with assistance from another PIC that would be willing, or even safe to do so?  Another unknown.

I don’t dwell on it, yet I occasionally think about that time coming.

How do we gracefully give up activities we’ve performed most of our life? How do give up our lifelong passions?

Having witnessed these transitions first hand, some of them going gracefully and some kicking and screaming, I do hope I go out gracefully......another unknown!

In the meantime, fly on !

[donkaye]

I flew up to Sacramento to visit a friend last week.  His son had moved to California.  Although we hadn't seen each other much over the years it was like the time had stood still.  I realized that outside of family, I have known him longer than anyone else on earth, 63 years.  We both were in the orchestra in junior high 7th grade playing the clarinet.  We moved to California the next summer and have only seen each other a couple of times over the years.  We always liked the same things.  He got his pilot's license in the 70's but didn't take it any further than the Private.  He was busy with his Profession, an Opthamologist.  He continued his clarinet hobby to this day, playing in many Dr.'s Orchestras.  I did it a little differently.  I almost went professional with music out of high school, but chose a different path, engineering and real estate. I got all the flying ratings and just recently took up the clarinet again about 5 years ago.

I didn't give age a second thought until early this year I was denied insurance on a training of a student on a new Acclaim specifically because of age they said.  It was unfortunate, since I think I have more teaching experience in Mooneys than anyone else in the Country.  I should, I've been teaching in them for 25 years full time.  I didn't  do the training.  Then one of my best friends, Dr. Bob Achtel, only a couple of years older than me, died a couple of weeks ago.

My friend from junior high school wanted to see my plane, so I took him out to the plane.  I demonstrated how to get into a Mooney.  I think it is simple once you know how to do it.  My friend got in and I discussed how much aviation had progressed over the past few years.  Then it was time to get out.  He had a very hard time.  We're the same age.  I still don't find it difficult, but my eyes were further opened.  I still plan to go for the 2nd Class Medical in a few weeks.

When Shirley is over, we walk 2 miles every day.  At other times I run/walk at least that much or more.  I have been running since I was 30, but only on a track and not on concrete.

I plan to fly and teach for the foreseeable future.  Especially instrument flying keeps the mind sharp.

[MooneyMitch]

Don..... keep playing the clarinet too!  

It’s also great brain exercise.  A community band or the like is excellent.  

Sight reading music on a regular basis is great exercise for the mind.

Myself, and another local trumpet player started a new big band with emphasis on weekly music sight reading only.  Again, great for brain and muscles, joints, etc..... and, it’s tremendously fun!! 

 

[donkaye]

43 minutes ago, MooneyMitch said:

Don..... keep playing the clarinet too!  

It’s also great brain exercise.  A community band or the like is excellent.  

Sight reading music on a regular basis is great exercise for the mind.

Myself, and another local trumpet player started a new big band with emphasis on weekly music sight reading only.  Again, great for brain and muscles, joints, etc..... and, it’s tremendously fun!! 

 

I thank my Mother who had me start at 7 years old.  Studied with Masters from the Cleveland Symphony and the Principal Clarinetist with the San Diego Symphony, all inspirational people.  Playing a musical instrument in my opinion is one of the highest levels of human activity.  In the case of a wind instrument, it requires coordination of mind and fingers and tongue with the ability to read ahead of where the fingers and tongue are acting.  It is definitely an aid to keeping the mind sharp.  Similarly, flying instruments, and just the mechanics of piloting an airplane can keep the mind and body sharp.

 

[Mooneymite]

Does anyone else see the similarity between asking an aged pilot if he thinks he can safely fly and asking a drunk if he can safely drive his car?

Judgements about when to hang it up have to be made before old-timers sets in.  Judgements based on observable abilities/disabilities.

Sadly, your friends are very reticent to tell you "it's time" even though that may save your life.

"Ah, you're good to go, Gus.  Do you remember where you parked your plane?" 

[ilovecornfields]

58 minutes ago, Mooneymite said:

Does anyone else see the similarity between asking an aged pilot if he thinks he can safely fly and asking a drunk if he can safely drive his car?

Judgements about when to hang it up have to be made before old-timers sets in.  Judgements based on observable abilities/disabilities.

Sadly, your friends are very reticent to tell you "it's time" even though that may save your life.

"Ah, you're good to go, Gus.  Do you remember where you parked your plane?" 

It’s not just cognitively impaired people who overestimate their abilities:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning–Kruger_effect

[MooneyMitch]

2 hours ago, ilovecornfields said:

It’s not just cognitively impaired people who overestimate their abilities:

And, unfortunately almost any of these humans can receive a driver license !  

[midlifeflyer]

10 hours ago, Frank B. said:

Any homes for sale in your community? Maybe I could see myself living in NC! 

 

We do. It's a beautiful area too.

[thinwing]

On 11/4/2019 at 12:15 PM, ilovecornfields said:

It’s not just cognitively impaired people who overestimate their abilities:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning–Kruger_effect

I like the part about the bank robber who thought lemon juice on his face would make him invisible to security cameras

[Gagarin]

I found that these PC based flight simulators like Microsoft. Are very useful in keeping you proficient as you age. They are very realistic and can be set to real bad weather conditions at night. I strongly recommend them. 

Edited November 15, 2019 by Gagarin