� Q: I am a male, age 60, who has always wanted to learn to fly (just for appreciation and fun). Now that I can afford to do so, am I not too old?—Herman
� A: Age 60 too old? Perhaps you haven’t heard that 60 is the new 40. Even Oprah Winfrey, who turned 60 in 2014, chimes in with her personal wisdom. “I’m not one to get hung up on numbers, but if you say that 60 is the new 40, I’ll take that. You can be and do whatever you want, thanks to exercise and hair color.”
Now, here is some encouragement. Air Facts states, “Older pilots are safe pilots." Everyone knows about Capt. "Sully" Sullenberger who, at the age of 57, performed that miraculous Hudson River landing without a fatality. The FAA concluded, in 2009, that the maximum age for airline crews would be raised from 60 to 65. There was a time when 60, 70, or 80 was old, but for many people, that is not the case anymore, and older general aviation pilots are recognized as an example for younger pilots.
Learning any demanding skill, such as flying or even golf, is dependent on the individual. Only you can judge if you are fit mentally and physically to learn to fly.
All of us will need to hang up our wings at some point. Richard Collins, in his book The Next Hour, wrote about giving up flying at 74. A well-respected weather flyer, Collins just didn’t feel up to snuff for poking around in clouds. He said, “One reason for me to stop with satisfaction was that limiting flights to good weather took all the challenge and fun out of flying.” Some hang it up at 74. Some keep on going.
I remember conducting an AOPA Air Safety Institute CFI Refresher Clinic in Albany, New York, years ago. A sprightly senior citizen pilot was sitting in the first row by the aisle. His name was John. I asked, “Would you mind telling me your age?” He was 94 years old; he had a first class medical; he was IFR current; he was still flying.
Then there’s the late Evelyn Bryan Johnson, who was still flight instructing at age 96 in Tennessee. You, too, might even find a satisfying career as a flight instructor for the next two decades or so.
So, learn to fly at 60? You bet.
