I started flying gliders at 30 and had determined when I turned 70 I would retire before a young instructor tapped me on the shoulder and said I needed to do some rides with him. So when I turned 70 after 4000 hours in 4 different sailplanes, I retired. Sat down and made a list of all my friends killed in glider accidents......15. At nearly 84 (1 month) I am still gazing wistfully at cloud streets forming over my house in Arizona.......but I am still gazing

Gary Kemp "NK"

A point I would make about senior aviators would be to stay with the ship you have been flying. A friend of mine who was in his late 80’s was doing all right flying his LS-6. Then he decided to buy a new ship with an electric motor. It was clear to several of us that he just wasn’t up to the new technology and I told him so! He was killed flying his new ship, nobody knows exactly why, but I’d say he was a victim of the new technology?

Gary, you had great success flying your Nimbus-3 that required aggressive stick and rudder to make it do your bidding. Then you borrowed a Ventus to fly the Nationals.............the new bird wouldn’t tolerate any aggressive control inputs. I’d say you started questioning your piloting abilities, but it wasn’t you, it was the different ship?
BTW, your old bird is up for sale, still has NK on the tail!

JJ..........86 and sticking with everything I’m familiar with!