oldest pilots

Al Santilli was born on May 28, 1914. At 91, almost 92, he is still
active, regularly flying his Libelle out of Moriarty, New Mexico. (He's
been soaring since he was 16 in 1930.) I'm trying to find out if he is
the oldest currently active soaring pilot in America. If anyone knows
of an active pilot who is of the same vintage or older, please let me
know. (Or anyone in another country, for that matter).

No in his 90s yet.. but I know an 85 yr old, 86 this summer, Active CFIG and
Active Tow Pilot.

BT

"Ken" wrote in message
ups.com...
Al Santilli was born on May 28, 1914. At 91, almost 92, he is still
active, regularly flying his Libelle out of Moriarty, New Mexico. (He's
been soaring since he was 16 in 1930.) I'm trying to find out if he is
the oldest currently active soaring pilot in America. If anyone knows
of an active pilot who is of the same vintage or older, please let me
know. (Or anyone in another country, for that matter).

If Ed Seymour is still actively flying, he'd be a couple of years
older. The March 2006 'Dope', Newsletter of Finger Lakes Soaring Club
says Ed's retired from something, but it doesn't mention whether that's
flying or instructing, but Dave Seymour has taken over teaching Ed's
Glider Pilot Ground School.

Frank Whiteley

In the UK the insurance companies (under EU law third
party insurance is now compulsory) will no longer allow
instructors over 70 to instruct, tug pilots over 75
to fly tugs or anyone over 80 to fly solo in gliders.
Several eminent glider pilots, including a famous and
still very switched on former test pilot, have been
grounded as a result.

This seems jolly unfair on those more elderly pilots
who have looked after themselves and are still fit
and active. I can't see any good reason why you should
have to give up, as long as you can still pass a medical!


Derek Copeland (UK)
-----------------------
At 04:42 04 April 2006, Frank Whiteley wrote:
If Ed Seymour is still actively flying, he'd be a couple
of years
older. The March 2006 'Dope', Newsletter of Finger
Lakes Soaring Club
says Ed's retired from something, but it doesn't mention
whether that's
flying or instructing, but Dave Seymour has taken over
teaching Ed's
Glider Pilot Ground School.

Frank Whiteley

Derek,

I don't think that is quite correct. I think the following is true in the
UK.

The restrictions you quote apply to club owned aircraft. My understanding
is that instructors over 69 may still instruct, but they need a CAA medical
rather than an NPPL medical; if you read a recent posting to the Lasham
onelist you will see that there is at least one 75 year old pilot
instructing at Lasham.

I think that pilots over 74 may still fly power, it is tugging which is
banned.

I also understand that at the club where you fly (Lasham) special permission
can be sought, and that there is one pilot over 79 allowed to fly club
gliders, his name is Derek Piggott. I believe there are several pilots
over 79 flying their own gliders.

As for EU law, all clubs have always insured club owned aircraft for third
party risks, regardless of what the EU says, and the BGA have always
required this.

It was always allowed for clubs and private owners to have aircraft flying
without hull insurance and I know of cases where this has happened in the
past. I imagine this is still true.

You are correct about one thing, this is not a BGA, CAA or EASA problem; it
is an insurance problem.

W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.).
Remove "ic" to reply.


"Derek Copeland"
wrote in message ...

In the UK the insurance companies (under EU law third
party insurance is now compulsory) will no longer allow
instructors over 70 to instruct, tug pilots over 75
to fly tugs or anyone over 80 to fly solo in gliders.
Several eminent glider pilots, including a famous and
still very switched on former test pilot, have been
grounded as a result.

This seems jolly unfair on those more elderly pilots
who have looked after themselves and are still fit
and active. I can't see any good reason why you should
have to give up, as long as you can still pass a medical!


Derek Copeland (UK)
-----------------------

Actually Bill, we are still waiting to see what happens
in respect to privately owned gliders. My most recent
policy renewal for my own glider included a number
of age related restrictions that weren't present in
previous policies, e.g. the claim excess is doubled
for pilots over the age of 65, and instructors are
only covered up to 69.

It is true that you may instruct beyond the age of
70 with a JAR Medical, but it is so strict these days
that I suspect that not many over 70s, or even over
60s, would pass.

As far as I know, and I am sure that people will correct
me if I'm wrong, DP is the only glider pilot aged over
80 who is still allowed to fly in the UK. This is probably
because no-one would dare ground him!

Derek Copeland
--------------------------------

At 13:24 04 April 2006, W.J. \bill\ Dean \u.K.\. wrote:
Derek,

I don't think that is quite correct. I think the
following is true in the
UK.

The restrictions you quote apply to club owned aircraft.
My understanding
is that instructors over 69 may still instruct, but
they need a CAA medical
rather than an NPPL medical; if you read a recent posting
to the Lasham
onelist you will see that there is at least one 75
year old pilot
instructing at Lasham.

I think that pilots over 74 may still fly power, it
is tugging which is
banned.

I also understand that at the club where you fly (Lasham)
special permission
can be sought, and that there is one pilot over 79
allowed to fly club
gliders, his name is Derek Piggott. I believe there
are several pilots
over 79 flying their own gliders.

As for EU law, all clubs have always insured club owned
aircraft for third
party risks, regardless of what the EU says, and the
BGA have always
required this.

It was always allowed for clubs and private owners
to have aircraft flying
without hull insurance and I know of cases where this
has happened in the
past. I imagine this is still true.

You are correct about one thing, this is not a BGA,
CAA or EASA problem; it
is an insurance problem.

W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.).
Remove 'ic' to reply.


'Derek Copeland'
wrote in message ...

In the UK the insurance companies (under EU law third
party insurance is now compulsory) will no longer
allow
instructors over 70 to instruct, tug pilots over 75
to fly tugs or anyone over 80 to fly solo in gliders.
Several eminent glider pilots, including a famous
and
still very switched on former test pilot, have been
grounded as a result.

This seems jolly unfair on those more elderly pilots
who have looked after themselves and are still fit
and active. I can't see any good reason why you should
have to give up, as long as you can still pass a medical!


Derek Copeland (UK)
-----------------------

In article ,
Derek Copeland wrote:

Actually Bill, we are still waiting to see what happens
in respect to privately owned gliders. My most recent
policy renewal for my own glider included a number
of age related restrictions that weren't present in
previous policies, e.g. the claim excess is doubled
for pilots over the age of 65, and instructors are
only covered up to 69.

At our club (Wellington, NZ) we've got one pilot who was born in 1916
(http://nzmaa.org.nz/hof/barber.html) and is therefore getting close to
his 90th birthday. He's not on the regular instructor's roster now, but
is at the airfield a lot, still flies his Cirrus from time to time, and
I think he's still doing the odd bit of instructing.

--
Bruce | 41.1670S | \ spoken | -+-
Hoult | 174.8263E | /\ here. | ----------O----------

Derek Copeland wrote:
Actually Bill, we are still waiting to see what happens
in respect to privately owned gliders. My most recent
policy renewal for my own glider included a number
of age related restrictions that weren't present in
previous policies, e.g. the claim excess is doubled
for pilots over the age of 65, and instructors are
only covered up to 69.

It is true that you may instruct beyond the age of
70 with a JAR Medical, but it is so strict these days
that I suspect that not many over 70s, or even over
60s, would pass.

As far as I know, and I am sure that people will correct
me if I'm wrong, DP is the only glider pilot aged over
80 who is still allowed to fly in the UK. This is probably
because no-one would dare ground him!

Derek Copeland
--------------------------------

At 13:24 04 April 2006, W.J. \bill\ Dean \u.K.\. wrote:
Derek,

I don't think that is quite correct. I think the
following is true in the
UK.

The restrictions you quote apply to club owned aircraft.
My understanding
is that instructors over 69 may still instruct, but
they need a CAA medical
rather than an NPPL medical; if you read a recent posting
to the Lasham
onelist you will see that there is at least one 75
year old pilot
instructing at Lasham.

I think that pilots over 74 may still fly power, it
is tugging which is
banned.

I also understand that at the club where you fly (Lasham)
special permission
can be sought, and that there is one pilot over 79
allowed to fly club
gliders, his name is Derek Piggott. I believe there
are several pilots
over 79 flying their own gliders.

As for EU law, all clubs have always insured club owned
aircraft for third
party risks, regardless of what the EU says, and the
BGA have always
required this.

It was always allowed for clubs and private owners
to have aircraft flying
without hull insurance and I know of cases where this
has happened in the
past. I imagine this is still true.

You are correct about one thing, this is not a BGA,
CAA or EASA problem; it
is an insurance problem.

W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.).
Remove 'ic' to reply.


'Derek Copeland'
wrote in message ...

In the UK the insurance companies (under EU law third
party insurance is now compulsory) will no longer
allow
instructors over 70 to instruct, tug pilots over 75
to fly tugs or anyone over 80 to fly solo in gliders.
Several eminent glider pilots, including a famous
and
still very switched on former test pilot, have been
grounded as a result.

This seems jolly unfair on those more elderly pilots
who have looked after themselves and are still fit
and active. I can't see any good reason why you should
have to give up, as long as you can still pass a medical!


Derek Copeland (UK)
-----------------------
From Tim Seymour;
I believe my grandpa (Ed Seymour) stopped flying every weekend about a
year ago because it was too hard for him to get in and out of the Ka-6.
I am not sure of his exact age or the time at which he stopped, but I
know he is in his mid 90's now.

Ed may not be flying every weekend now, yet he's still active. He
taught me how to fly starting when I was 11 yrs old (that's 44 yrs ago)
-- Jim Martin (UP).. He's at least 94 yrs old.

On Mon, 3 Apr 2006 at 18:48 -0700, Ken wrote:

Al Santilli was born on May 28, 1914. At 91, almost 92, he is still
active, regularly flying his Libelle out of Moriarty, New Mexico.
(He's been soaring since he was 16 in 1930.) I'm trying to find out
if he is the oldest currently active soaring pilot in America. If
anyone knows of an active pilot who is of the same vintage or older,
please let me know. (Or anyone in another country, for that matter).

Certainly a contemporary of my old instructor Hugh McColeman
(coincidentally also a Libelle owner).

Hugh was born March 11, 1914 and passed away April 5, 2010. Towards
the end he commented that it was a shame to leave in the prime of
life.

A June 2007 newspaper article said he flew as pilot in 2005, but not
in 2006. I have no idea what he did in 2007 and later so perhaps he
was not active as late as Mr. Santilli. Hugh was Edmonton Soaring
Club president in 2005 and was awarded a life membership in 1992.


--

Rob Brown b r o w n a t g m c l d o t c o m
G. Michaels Consulting Ltd. (780)438-9343 (voice)
Edmonton (780)437-3367 (FAX)
http://gmcl.com/