On Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:29:39 -0400, Dudley Henriques
wrote:

Gezellig wrote:
On Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:44:51 -0400, Dudley Henriques wrote:

I would have no
problem with medicals requiring a shorter active period based on a
proactive projection of accident stats vs health issues within a
specific age bracket graduated after say a beginning point of 40.
In other words, the older you get and/or when you enter into an age
bracket where stats put you at a higher risk factor, the period of your
medical shortens accordingly.

This makes sense especially if the quality of the medical is increased
accordingly.

The rub in all this, even in my own projection, is that it assumes that
sooner or later a pilot will reach a "no further medicals allowed" point
where a mandatory retirement is indicated.

Disagree. If you can pass a sophisticated and comprehensive medical,
there should be no approach points. Pass = fly regardless of age.

Make sure we're on the same page with the above. I might not have stated
this as accurately as I should have,
What I'm saying doesn't conflict with the Pass= fly regardless of age.
It simply RECOGNIZES that at a certain point while following the "plan",
a pilot WILL reach a specific point in time where the medical can no
longer be passed. In other words, Fail= no longer fly.
What I'm saying is simply that even my "plan" so to speak, ends up with
basically what we have now :-)) You fly until you can't pass the
physical then no more. The same issue remains. The "rub" is that no
matter what is done, the end of the road seems unchanged. There can very
well be a point where the pilot passes the physical at some ripe old

Of 30 or so.

Yes the odds of a medical condition do go up with age, but life style
(exercise and diet) play a major part now day.

Probably most of us know people *appeared* to be in good health that
had heart attacks in their 30's and 40's.

But statistically speaking when age AND lifestyle are taken into
account the results are pretty accurate. The main anomaly being
genetic disorders.

Another is strokes. They have been though to be age related, but I
found they happen to about 1% of the Caucasian population as a TIA
prior to adult hood. To some races that is as high as 10% and they
appear to be pretty well distributed across ages up through some where
between 50 and 60. Even after that most tend to be related to high
blood pressure and/or high cholesterol with plaque buildup in the
arteries. OTOH there are exceptions even to that.

age, then has that heart attack in the air during the periods between
physicals.
This is the basis for what I have envisioned as a "plan" to shorten the
period between physicals as a pilot ages.

Considering present regulations, the engine to implement such a plan
would be extremely difficult to design and push through the required
legislation.

Can't argue with this, don't have the expertise.

You're doing well :-))
Roger (K8RI) ARRL Life Member
N833R (World's oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com