Article: Older pilots crashing in disproportionate numbers

Smoking kills more and those who moke dont seem to care.
When your time is up its up.

On Sat, 18 Mar 2006 11:59:56 +0000, Chris Wells
wrote in
::

It would seem to me that flying a plane
is more difficult than driving a car. While I certainly wouldn't want
someone else telling me I couldn't fly anymore, I would like to think I
have the responsibility to at least fly in a manner so that no one else
could be hurt if I lost control of the plane, if not the will to quit
flying completely when my reflexes are dulled, and my eyesight shot.

You won't need any will when the time comes. Your AME or CFI who
administers your biennial flight review will do that for us all.

Jim Macklin wrote:

an E and F. I've seen a lot of old people (Q-tips) behind
the wheel and they scare me.

now they are also less likely to do something utterly stupid just
to impress their friends or because they think their reflexes
are so much superiors to others... I am more scared, by
a long shot, by teenage drivers (at least they are easy to
recognize from a distance :-), and I believe that statistics
confirms this.

--Sylvain

On Sat, 18 Mar 2006 10:48:05 -0600, "Jim Macklin"
wrote:

Driving is more difficult than flying, car are not stable
and there is traffic all the time. But that said, neither

OTOH, it is a lot easier to park a car than to land a plane.

an E and F. I've seen a lot of old people (Q-tips) behind
the wheel and they scare me.

There was a gal in our university town who drove to the supermarket
once a week. When she got herself and her bags settled in the car,
she'd call out to the students: "Young man! Young man!" When someone
with Boy Scout training came over to see what she wanted, she'd have
him reach in from the passenger side and place her right foot on the
gas pedal. Then she'd drive away.

Evidently her left leg was okay.



-- all the best, Dan Ford

email: usenet AT danford DOT net

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

On Sat, 18 Mar 2006 19:30:04 GMT, Orval Fairbairn
wrote:

He landed somewhere and tried to rent a car and
was told that he was too old! How about them apples?

In When Thunder Rolled, Ed Rasimus tells the story of the F-105
veteran from Vietnam who returned from his tour but was unable to rent
a car at San Francisco because he was too young.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email: usenet AT danford DOT net

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

A few years ago I saw an old woman driving her car at the
grocery store. Actually I saw her parking; for about 5
minutes. She wanted to park between the lines, an
admirable goal. But she kept missing the space so she would
back up, pull forward, turn left and right. She kept on
missing by about 3-5 feet. Eventually she got it straight
and in between the lines. I swear, I'm not making this up.

I hope the woman you mentioned never had to stop in a hurry,
maybe she uses her left foot to brake.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"Cub Driver" usenet AT danford DOT net wrote in message
...
| On Sat, 18 Mar 2006 10:48:05 -0600, "Jim Macklin"
| wrote:
|
| Driving is more difficult than flying, car are not stable
| and there is traffic all the time. But that said,
neither
|
| OTOH, it is a lot easier to park a car than to land a
plane.
|
| an E and F. I've seen a lot of old people (Q-tips)
behind
| the wheel and they scare me.
|
| There was a gal in our university town who drove to the
supermarket
| once a week. When she got herself and her bags settled in
the car,
| she'd call out to the students: "Young man! Young man!"
When someone
| with Boy Scout training came over to see what she wanted,
she'd have
| him reach in from the passenger side and place her right
foot on the
| gas pedal. Then she'd drive away.
|
| Evidently her left leg was okay.
|
|
|
| -- all the best, Dan Ford
|
| email: usenet AT danford DOT net
|
| Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
| Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
| In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

Most car rentals want a credit card and you must be 25.
There a young man who joined the police force in Florida at
age 18. Because of Federal law, his mother had to buy his
gun and ammunition for him.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"Cub Driver" usenet AT danford DOT net wrote in message
...
| On Sat, 18 Mar 2006 19:30:04 GMT, Orval Fairbairn
| wrote:
|
| He landed somewhere and tried to rent a car and
| was told that he was too old! How about them apples?
|
| In When Thunder Rolled, Ed Rasimus tells the story of the
F-105
| veteran from Vietnam who returned from his tour but was
unable to rent
| a car at San Francisco because he was too young.
|
|
| -- all the best, Dan Ford
|
| email: usenet AT danford DOT net
|
| Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
| Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
| In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

There are many things that affect our driving and flying.
Being careless while young is one issue, and some states are looking at
changing the minimum age driving rules because of this.

But sticking to the issue of ageing..
There are different problems with flying and driving. Driving a car is
easy; dodging all the idiots, in what amounts to a trip-long reaction
test, is not. Think of all the signs you have to sort out, intepret,
and react to at some high speed. Look for lights, kids, cars, bumps,
brakes, cops, snowballs, etc. What you need to know to drive is
minimal; what you have to do at all times is incredible.

Flying is itself harder, but that is possibly compensated for by much
practice. You have to study and learn a lot, and it can be hectic near
an airport from time to time. But generally, it is calm and it's
usually not a reaction test. You have a lot to do, but that involve
radio, navigation, and other such things as can be practiced. You
don't have traffic lights (once up and away), too much traffic to
dodge, signs, tailgaters, and the whole host of perils that exist on
the roads. You really don't have to worry about nearly as many
airplanes hitting you as you do cars. When was the last time you heard
of a 90-airplane pileup on the runway?

And while there are some boneheads amongst us pilots (you all and me
excluded, of course ;) ) I generally like to think that pilots are a
bit more courteous and attentive than the average car driver.

When I get as old as I plan on, I intend to keep flying. I may make
the decision to fly only with an instructor or other qualified back-up
pilot in the right seat, just in case. I'd still be the pilot, I'd
still be flying. Perhaps a requirement similar to this on a
certificate is appropriate (Ho jeez, I hope the FAA doesn't see
this--yet another regulation.) Airplanes have another advantage
here--you usually have dual controls; cars never do.

I am certain that drivers who age and lose their ability to get around
by car on their own still have to be taken out from behind the wheel.
Our society doesn't deal with this very well, since we seem to reject
mass transit and prefer jammed roadways in celebration of "freedom?".
We also seeem to think that "respecting" them means allowing them to
do whatever they wish, regardless of the dangers to the general public
and themselves. I don't think we take this attitude with any other
identifiable segment of our society.

But I'd sure hate to get wiped out because some person of advanced
experience couldn't get to a brake pedal on time, and we let them
continue to drive just to make them feel independent.

and prefer jammed roadways in celebration of "freedom?".

Maybe in the city, but many people live far from mass transit, and mass
transit only works where there is a "mass" to transit.

We also seeem to think that "respecting" them means allowing them to
do whatever they wish,

I don't think that is the case.

...and we let them
continue to drive just to make them feel independent.

It's not a question of "feeling". If we take the cars away, who will
drive them the six miles to the grocery store?

Jose
--
Nothing takes longer than a shortcut.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

It has been my experience over the past 50 or so years, the older
pilots are more aware of their shortcomings/experience and will admit
them. The young guys are less open or hesitant to say they don't know
or understand something. I'm actively teaching both FW/RW and the older
guys take their time while the young studs want it all ...NOW NOW NOW.
It appears the majority of professional pilots are pretty near the 45
or older age and most of them are very aware of what they are doing and
how to do it. Just as importantly they can recognize how NOT to do it
via exposure and experience.
As for some of the specifics in the article, I got the impression that
after you hit 50 you are over the hill and unsafe.
Here I am at 70 with 23,000 hours logged and still teaching both young
and old dogs a lot of new tricks. If I end up in an accident, will that
add fuel to my being over the hill and unsafe due to an advanced age?