An aging pilot

On 27 Oct 2004 07:06:53 -0700, (Jim) wrote:

Hi Jay,

I started with the old reading glasses and floaters thing when I hit
forty. I am 52 now. The reading glasses are a little stronger now (not
much) and have a few more floaters (again not much). At forty, I can
remember seeing something floating to the side of my vision and saying
"What the hell was that?", thinking it was a bogie.

I read talked to my doctor about the floaters and he told me that
eventually your brain learns to "tune" them out. I have found that
this is true. I've gotten so use to them that they are no longer a
factor and only notice them when I'm thinking about them. Accept them
as part of your life now and move on.

I would say that you have nothing to be concerned about. I keep my
reading glasses in the airplane glove compartment and found that
Walgreens sells sunglasses with bifocals for around 15 bucks. No
problem!!

Keep on FLYING!
Jim
http://FunPlacesToFly.com


I am the same age and have the same problems that developed at the
same time. My brain must be deficient, however, because I have not
been able to "program out" the floaters. I still feel like I have to
swat away he gnats that are flying around in front of me.
Fortunately, they settle to the bottom and spend most of their time
there.
Rich Russell

Sheesh, Jay. You're just a young puppy. I didn't even start my flight
training until I was 46. Got my certificate at age 47 1/2. Don't worry
about your eyesite. Mi eh-em-ee fine-alley toled mee thet eye needled two
ware meye glass-es whin eye flie. Eye dun unnerstant. Eye kin c fyne
whin i dreyeve, reed, an tipe. Fleyeinc ees know prop-lem.

la noslig
2791 anssec


In article 5D_ed.243219$wV.57086@attbi_s54, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

So I've reached my 46th year fairly unscathed. I've still never missed a
day of work, ever, and I'm rarely under the weather. In fact, I feel great.

Still, now that I'm solidly in middle age, I find that my cholesterol is too
high, I could stand to lose 15 pounds, and, at my most recent check-up, my
blood pressure was a touch high, for the first time.

In short, the inevitable effect of aging is starting to show itself.

To combat this I've been doing daily weight training with my 14-year old son
for over 9 months. I've built muscle mass and stamina, and (for the first
time in 20 years) my back isn't on the verge of "going out" all the time.
I've passed the CAP cadet requirement for running a mile (even though, as a
senior member, it wasn't required), just to show my kid that "the old man"
could still do it. (I darn-near died... ;-)

So, all things considered, I guess I'm doing okay for an old, balding white
guy.

My biggest concession to age has been my vision, which has always been a
weak point. (It kept me from joining the Air Force.) Although I'm still
corrected to 20/20, I'm going to need bifocals at my next check up for sure
(boy, that danged sectional is just about impossible to read), and I am
plagued with more and more floaters every year. Low-contrast backgrounds
(like an overcast) make it very difficult for me to spot traffic.

Since life is a terminal condition, it's only natural that whatever is
deteriorating will continue to do so -- although I assume there are various
things pilots can do to compensate. At some point, however, the lines on
the graph intersect, and you've got to quit flying. Question is, when?

For those of you farther down life's trail than I, what have you done to
maintain your edge? Any tips on staving off old man winter as long as
possible?

And for those of you who have hung it up, what made you do it? When did you
know it was time?

--
Al Gilson
Spokane, WA USA
1970 VW Convertible
1964 Cessna Skyhawk

On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 03:42:57 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

So I've reached my 46th year fairly unscathed. I've still never missed a
day of work, ever, and I'm rarely under the weather. In fact, I feel great.

Still, now that I'm solidly in middle age, I find that my cholesterol is too
high, I could stand to lose 15 pounds, and, at my most recent check-up, my
blood pressure was a touch high, for the first time.

bloody hell, I'm not alone in the world. :-)

In short, the inevitable effect of aging is starting to show itself.

bull****. the effects listed above are due to poor lifestyle choices,
lack of effective exercise and poor diet. unless you have some wierd
genes those characteristics are not age related.

To combat this I've been doing daily weight training with my 14-year old son
for over 9 months. I've built muscle mass and stamina, and (for the first
time in 20 years) my back isn't on the verge of "going out" all the time.

weight training is actually a poor choice. the muscles being exercised
are too small and really all you are doing is exacerbating
hypertension.
a better form of exercise is swiming because it uses more muscle
groups. the best dry land exercise is walking. this gives the long
muscles of your body a chance to burn off fat. you should aim to just
raise a sweat by the end of the walk and gradually build up the
distance walked. if you walk hard enough to experience pain then you
are in lactic acid production and your system has tripped over into
anaerobic metabolism. this is ineffective for weight loss. try to
maintain a pace which just raises a sweat but doesnt hurt. this will
see you maintaining aerobic metabolism which is best for weight
reduction. you will find that the after effects of a good walk are a
slowed heart rate and lower blood pressure for a good many hours
afterward.

btw dont try to lose weight too fast or your health may suffer. stage
it out over a year or so.

I've passed the CAP cadet requirement for running a mile (even though, as a
senior member, it wasn't required), just to show my kid that "the old man"
could still do it.

moderation my boy or the comment you made may come true.
(I darn-near died... ;-)


So, all things considered, I guess I'm doing okay for an old, balding white
guy.

your greatest asset is realising that you need to change your
lifestyle to improve your health.

My biggest concession to age has been my vision, which has always been a
weak point. (It kept me from joining the Air Force.) Although I'm still
corrected to 20/20, I'm going to need bifocals at my next check up for sure
(boy, that danged sectional is just about impossible to read), and I am
plagued with more and more floaters every year. Low-contrast backgrounds
(like an overcast) make it very difficult for me to spot traffic.

some of that is age related (the change in focal length) make sure
that you are getting adequate nutrition and a balanced diet. vitamin A
deficiency can cause night blindness and general eyesight impairment.
it would be an easy thing to get on top of. make sure you see a doctor
to ensure that you dont have a correctable problem starting there.

Since life is a terminal condition, it's only natural that whatever is
deteriorating will continue to do so -- although I assume there are various
things pilots can do to compensate. At some point, however, the lines on
the graph intersect, and you've got to quit flying. Question is, when?

the oldest man to requalify for a class 1 instrument rating was 99
years old. the oldest man to fly as pilot in command of a private
aircraft was 103. my mate tom flies his Thorp T18 as though it was on
rails. Tom turns 80 in 2 weeks time. you are selling yourself short.

For those of you farther down life's trail than I, what have you done to
maintain your edge? Any tips on staving off old man winter as long as
possible?

well I'm 6 years older than you and like you faced the need to do
something to regain my fittness after 7 years in a job with 1 week per
month restraunt meals and sitting at a computer desk the rest of the
time.
the inevitable 50th birthday sacking from the technology job has given
me the opportunity to study for a degree in nursing, what I'm actually
doing is studying to retain my medicals.:-)
you can change your health around if the damage isnt permanent. your
body is a wonderfully adaptive mechanism if you stick at it.
good balanced diet, adequate aerobic exercise, passionate interest in
what you are doing. those are the secrets to a long healthy life.

And for those of you who have hung it up, what made you do it? When did you
know it was time?
dont be such a sorry arsed pessimist. there is actually evidence out
there that associates pessimism with poor health outcomes.
you know its time when you are no longer breathing, until then never
give up.
I wouldnt give advice I'm not doing myself.
Stealth Pilot
Australia.

And for those of you who have hung it up, what made you do it? When did
you
know it was time?

dont be such a sorry arsed pessimist. there is actually evidence out
there that associates pessimism with poor health outcomes.
you know its time when you are no longer breathing, until then never
give up.

You're about the tenth person to interpret my question as meaning that I am
pessimistically evaluating myself as being ready to "hang it up."

Nothing could be farther from the truth. I'm in great physical condition,
feel terrific, and am looking forward to decades more in the saddle. (Knock
on wood!)

But I WOULD like to know the signs that were noted prior to relinquishing
the left seat, by those who have done so.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 01:56:14 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:



But I WOULD like to know the signs that were noted prior to relinquishing
the left seat, by those who have done so.

I think that that is real simple. if you feel you cant fly the
aircraft safely with the windsock horizontal then you need to evaluate
why. if some practise wont get you back on top of it then you need to
think seriously about getting an aeroplane you can fly. ie trade in
your hot little homebuilt for a cessna 150.
the two oldest guys I know still flying ( at 80 and 86 ) have no
intention of stopping voluntarily.

another friend had a heart attack and managed the aspirin under the
tongue trick and was back in the air with 3 stents in 3 months.
another who suffered a small stroke and had some damage from it will
never be medically signed off to fly again.

voluntarily no one decides to stop flying unless they've had a scare.
involuntarily, a medical hiccup can do it.

Stealth Pilot

voluntarily no one decides to stop flying unless they've had a scare.

I guess that's the part I was wondering about. What's "the scare" that
makes them hang it up?

Was it a momentary lapse of reason? Not being able to remember a clearance
or a frequency? Inability to land the plane smoothly? Confusion over which
runway is which? Not sure from which direction to enter the pattern?

What I've just described has happened to me and Mary over the years -- and
probably to everyone reading this -- at least a couple of times. At our age
we have laughed it off as just a just momentary stupidity -- but when does
it become "a sign" of real problems?

I guess it's just a question that every pilot must answer in their own way,
when the time comes. I've only met one pilot who was admittedly on his
"final flight" -- and he was clearly in physical and mental decline, and
well into his 80s.

I wonder if there is any correlation between advanced age and aircraft
accidents? (I'll bet Richard Collins has written at least five columns on
this over the years...)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:
voluntarily no one decides to stop flying unless they've had a scare.

I guess that's the part I was wondering about. What's "the scare" that
makes them hang it up?


After 18 years/1000 hrs. of flying, I periodically think about giving it
up (and I'm 5 years younger than you) for a variety of reasons. I haven't
had a particular event that scared me (recently, atleast), but I do allow
my fear of heights to get the best of me, occasionally. I did stop flying
IFR, because I didn't feel like I was practicing enough to be safe. More
often, I think about how I should be spending my money on something else,
or that I don't feel like being bothered with getting medicals or BFRs or
annuals on the plane. I don't feel like being bothered with the
Washington, DC airspace. I could start participating in other hobbies
like boating, horseback riding, motorcycling or restoring my old muscle
car, more than I can now. There are a lot of reasons why someone might
choose to stop flying.

--- Jay



--
__!__
Jay and Teresa Masino ___(_)___
http://www2.ari.net/jmasino ! ! !
http://www.oceancityairport.com
http://www.oc-adolfos.com

On Mon, 01 Nov 2004 13:05:09 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

voluntarily no one decides to stop flying unless they've had a scare.

I guess that's the part I was wondering about. What's "the scare" that
makes them hang it up?

Was it a momentary lapse of reason? Not being able to remember a clearance
or a frequency? Inability to land the plane smoothly? Confusion over which
runway is which? Not sure from which direction to enter the pattern?

What I've just described has happened to me and Mary over the years -- and
probably to everyone reading this -- at least a couple of times. At our age
we have laughed it off as just a just momentary stupidity -- but when does
it become "a sign" of real problems?

I guess it's just a question that every pilot must answer in their own way,
when the time comes. I've only met one pilot who was admittedly on his
"final flight" -- and he was clearly in physical and mental decline, and
well into his 80s.

I wonder if there is any correlation between advanced age and aircraft
accidents? (I'll bet Richard Collins has written at least five columns on
this over the years...)

you really dont need me to chip in here. the other posters have
written some beautiful heartfelt comments.

momentary lapse in reason?
well are the blood sugar levels down? have you been holding your
breath for a while and the oxygen levels are down? there are lots of
reasons for a confusing moment. aviation is a demanding task that may
take all you have for a moment or two. learn to relax on yourself a
little.

not being able to remember...
that's why you write them down. stuffed if I can remember the buggers
ever. :-) sometimes I have to dredge real hard. what did that guy just
tell me.

confused over which runway is which?
well think about it, sometimes there is scant information available to
tell which runway is which. if the sun is overhead there are no
shadows to help either. at 500 ft above circuit height you can orbit
all you like. make another orbit or look for other traffic.

it only really becomes a sign of a real problem when you havent found
home for 2 days and the woman talking to you claiming to be your wife
is someone you havent met before. ...or have you. the medico who signs
you off will latch on to that one real quick so dont worry about it.

you are very hard on yourself mate. learn to relax. make sure you get
a good nights sleep before flying and I'm sure you'll be ok.
posting coherently on here involves a skill set that proves you arent
losing it.

If you find that you dont enjoy flying then change the oil and have a
month off. remember that you do this because you love it not out of
any sense of duty. I have some real dropkicks around me that kill my
pleasure at times. then a kid or a girl comes along that I coax up for
a fly terrified. the beaming smiles fix all the doldrums for me.

actually for me I cant wait to finish this degree and do my next 3,000
mile flight. I'm spoilt by the lure of long distance across australia
flying. around the circuit just doesnt cut it some days.
Stealth Pilot

voluntarily no one decides to stop flying unless they've had a scare.
involuntarily, a medical hiccup can do it.

A pilot at the local airport (who is 85) recently sold his plane. When
I asked him why he said that the sight in one of his eyes was getting
poor, and he didn't think he could pass the medical again.

He also said that he'd been flying 50 years and 5,000 hours, and had
had enough for anyone. No mention of any scare or denial - he just
decided that the time had come to hang it up.

BTW we also have another senior pilot of 86 who just renewed his
medical. Flies his T6 every week (and handles it like the pro he is).

David Johnson

I turned 68 last April. My wife flies with me and so do my four kids.
And my kids let my grandchildren go up with me. If any of them every said
they don't trust my abilities as an airman, the ticket gets stapled to the
wall. After that, I've got plenty of pals to fly with.