Evaluation of aging pilots: evidence, policy, and future directions

Current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations require that pilots of large commercial passenger and cargo aircraft be under age 60. However, the requirement does not apply to other pilots and the courts have ruled that mandatory retirement of test pilots at age 60 violates the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. FAA medical standards establish three levels of medical qualification, which require certain age-specific screening tests. This paper reviews the epidemiologic and clinical evidence relevant to the evaluation of aging pilots. This evidence is compared and contrasted with the current FAA requirements and past recommendations of the American Medical Association, the Institute of Medicine, and the Office of Technology Assessment. An opportunity exists to assess the class I examination and other tests through the consent decree covering aging test pilots. Another course of action would be to implement special issuances for older pilots.