Mandatory retirement age?

[JohnMitchell 16]

skybill

I'm 70 ..will be 71 in June and I still "WORK," drive cars, shoot guns, drink beer, skydive (when I can afford it) and......as the old sayin' goes about why I still jump......because I haven't found a good reason to quit!!

"You don't quit skydiving because you get old. You get old because you quit skydiving." ~ some very wise person.

Although I know age will slow me down eventually, I do hope to stay on that middle, moderate path and be jumping for the rest of my life, at least a little. It's been such a great part of my life.

[WickedWingsuits 0]

kallend

***As an air traffic controller, I was required to retire at age 56. Airline pilots used to be age 60. The snafu with their retirement funds made the FAA bump that up to age 65. Here I am, 58 years old, still going strong (I feel) but I know some day I'll have to quit doing tandems. Does anyone have any opinions on what age should be the cutoff for being a TM?

How about when they can longer pass the FAA medical? I fail to see that chronological age has much bearing. I know an 86 year old guy who is far fitter than many 35 year olds.

I like the idea of passing a medical and physical, but the current medical doesn't really check for much at all, let's be honest.

Summer Rental special, 5 weeks for the price of 4! That is $160 a month.

Try before You Buy with Wicked Wingsuits - WingsuitRental.com

[Anachronist 2]

Arbitrary retirement ages are just that, Govt bureaucracy trying to put one shoe on a whole population. Military style thinking at its worst.

You're a better judge of your capacity than anyone else, just don't delude yourself when you start to notice problems.

There are plenty of 30 and 40 year old fat TI's just waiting to have a heart attack or stroke (or the roided out guys begging for the same thing). It's only been documented a couple times to my knowledge, a couple times vs. literally millions of tandem jumps is statistically zero.

[skypuppy 1]

and I believe there was a 70 y o tm in hawaii who became unresponsive and landed on a reef in the ocean

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[JohnMitchell 16]

skypuppy

and I believe there was a 70 y o tm in hawaii who became unresponsive and landed on a reef in the ocean

That's the very incident that made me think of this thread

[steveorino 7]

Quote

How about when they can longer pass the FAA medical? I fail to see that chronological age has much bearing. I know an 86 year old guy who is far fitter than many 35 year olds.

+1

steveOrino

[steveorino 7]

kallend

***As an air traffic controller, I was required to retire at age 56. Airline pilots used to be age 60. The snafu with their retirement funds made the FAA bump that up to age 65. Here I am, 58 years old, still going strong (I feel) but I know some day I'll have to quit doing tandems. Does anyone have any opinions on what age should be the cutoff for being a TM?

How about when they can longer pass the FAA medical? I fail to see that chronological age has much bearing. I know an 86 year old guy who is far fitter than many 35 year olds.

Amen! and amen! I'm 61 and I don't want to retire because of some arbitrary age. I can stay with the 20 & 30 year olds just fine. When I can't pass a FAA physical will be my signal.

steveOrino

[DougH 270]

FAA physical is hardly a test of fitness.

I am far from this decision, but if we are still throwing drogues in 27 years I will probably put a stress test on my check list.

One of my friends was super fit on the outside. He was an older guy, ran marathons, could have ran circles around me. Died of a heart attack on a jump, which by itself was tragic, but would have been even worse if it wasn't a solo (he wasn't a TI).

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[Squeak 17]

JohnMitchell

As an air traffic controller, I was required to retire at age 56. Airline pilots used to be age 60. The snafu with their retirement funds made the FAA bump that up to age 65. Here I am, 58 years old, still going strong (I feel) but I know some day I'll have to quit doing tandems. Does anyone have any opinions on what age should be the cutoff for being a TM?

IMHO it should be based on mental acuity and physical fitness to do the work not age.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[JohnMitchell 16]

Squeak

IMHO it should be based on mental acuity and physical fitness to do the work not age.

Oh crap, I'm dead already.

[riggerrob 643]

I did six tandems on my 59th birthday.

[JohnMitchell 16]

riggerrob

I did six tandems on my 59th birthday.

Just had mine last week. Didn't even jump. . .

[gowlerk 2,249]

JohnMitchell

***I did six tandems on my 59th birthday.

Just had mine last week. Didn't even jump. . .




I turned 59 June 23, no jumping I was at my real job.
Looks like 1957 was a good year. And not just for Chevys.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[steveorino 7]

riggerrob

I did six tandems on my 59th birthday.

Good for you! I'm 61+ and did 10 last Saturday and 6 Sunday. This week should be more!

steveOrino