older Pilots

FormerHangie said:
Did someone say there are no old bold pilots?

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Darryl Greenamyer recently turned 78.
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I remember Darryl from his 1960's & 70's racing days and the sad outcome of attempting to salvage the B-29 KeeBird from the arctic.
 
Awesome! I love these nostalgic photos of past aviation days gone by.
 
I think that what some people fail to consider is that as a pilot ages, their experience makes up for their possible loss of reflexes and other things. When I say this I mean it within reason. This does not mean that someone with a serious health issue or other actual debilitation can be made up for with experience because some things can't be made up for.

Has anyone considered Chuck Yeager who did test flying of the Airbus 380 while very deep into his eighties? Given his massive high performance test pilot experience, I expect that Airbus was very pleased to have use of his services.
 
What about guys learning to fly when they are already 'old?':yikes: As for Yeager possible someone would hire him for the PR, not saying that is what happened just that there might be perceived PR value in doing so.
MBDiagMan said:
I think that what some people fail to consider is that as a pilot ages, their experience makes up for their possible loss of reflexes and other things. When I say this I mean it within reason. This does not mean that someone with a serious health issue or other actual debilitation can be made up for with experience because some things can't be made up for.

Has anyone considered Chuck Yeager who did test flying of the Airbus 380 while very deep into his eighties? Given his massive high performance test pilot experience, I expect that Airbus was very pleased to have use of his services.
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At 87 my Dad wears his Aztec. Of course he has several thousand hours in Aztecs but he's still a super smooth stick. Don
 
My first small airplane ride was with a man that had to be in his 80s in a Stearman. I wasn't quite 14. I started talking to him, next thing I know he was helping me up into the old bird. I'm sure otherwise it would've been a passing interest. But, because of him, I took my first lesson a couple months later. Two years later I spent the money I would've spent on a nice car and bought a 150 and solo'd it.

Now here I am, several hundred hours later, about to be a CFI. I owe older pilots a lot.

I typically hang out around the older gentlemen at the airport more than the other students, and they've helped me a lot. Most students and instructors here can't believe I fly an airplane without a GPS, attitude indicator, and the other nonsense. And they think the third wheel is in the wrong place :rofl:
 
35 AoA said:
...you still worry about your older parents doing things that they maybe aren't as sharp at anymore.
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I was so glad when my dad handed me his car keys for the last time.
I cried like a baby after I went home that evening. My grandfather, his father, hit a pedestrian before my dad had to take the keys away. My father passed away from cancer less than a year after he surrendered his car to me. I'm only 53 but thinking about the day that I'll know that I'm taking my airplane up for the last time and will gladly hand over the keys to the next pilot who will enjoy this awesome little RV-6 and fly her safely and competantly after I hang up my wings.

I just moved into a new-to-me hangar that belonged to a hell of an aviator who flew for more than a half century and was even awarded the Wright Brothers Master Pilot award from the FAA for 50 years of safe flying so this topic is especially poignant to me.
 
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I bet it's going to be hard to make the decision to stop flying.
I hope 1. I live long enough to make that decision and 2. Someone is nice enough to take me up after
 
yakdriver said:
At 87 my Dad wears his Aztec. Of course he has several thousand hours in Aztecs but he's still a super smooth stick. Don
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Don't doubt that. I wonder if we could teach an 87 year old to fly an Aztec well? If not where is the age cut? Not suggesting any rules, just rambling about aging curiosities.
 
Thanks for sharing that excellent story and those photos, Bryan. That very well could be the best post I've ever read on here! :)
 
I have a friend who is 96 and flew P-47s in combat. Also was a multi engine and advanced flight instructor after his combat tour. He had several airplanes over the years and sold his last one a little over ten years ago. He flies with me quite often and he is still a superb stick and rudder man. He is also in better health than most 70 year olds and still fits into his WWII flight suit when we fly the N3N. Don
 
dlsmith said:
My first small airplane ride was with a man that had to be in his 80s in a Stearman. I wasn't quite 14. I started talking to him, next thing I know he was helping me up into the old bird. I'm sure otherwise it would've been a passing interest. But, because of him, I took my first lesson a couple months later. Two years later I spent the money I would've spent on a nice car and bought a 150 and solo'd it.

Now here I am, several hundred hours later, about to be a CFI. I owe older pilots a lot.

I typically hang out around the older gentlemen at the airport more than the other students, and they've helped me a lot. Most students and instructors here can't believe I fly an airplane without a GPS, attitude indicator, and the other nonsense. And they think the third wheel is in the wrong place :rofl:
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Yeah, I'm almost 66 and most of the airplanes I see everywhere do indeed have the third wheel on the wrong end.
 
As a teen I was a WWII buff. My parents were divorced at that point but my dad was a pilot, scaring the fam back in the day in old cessna's (apparently landing on roads when he felt like it), flying bush up in AK, flying firefighting DC-(somethings), etc. Anyways, I always had the bug. I remember going to a local county fair, and met a ride operator... older gentleman. I really don't know if he was telling the truth or not, but I had no reason to doubt him. He was a German fellow, flew Me-109s back during the second war. Me and my buddy listened to his stories for a good while. It was an amazing experience. Both of my grandparents served in the war (one army and one navy), but hearing an aviator's experience was eye-opening. At that time I had wanted to fly for the military, but didn't have the eye-sight. Ended up joining the Navy and going down (sub service) rather than up. Anyways. There really isn't a point to this post. Just reminiscing! Don't judge me!!!!!
 
New to forum.. I'm in my mid 60's with my third class, my father is still flying under the Sport Pilot rules at 93 (flying since 1944, just got tired of doing the third class). Guess that says something for "Senior Power".
 
Welcome, Snaproll! Kudos to you and your father!
 
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