Any airline pilots here taking an early out?

My wife, a wide body MD11 captain for FedEx, is going to ride that purple beast into the grave. They're going to have to pry her cold, 65 year old hands from the yoke before she gives it up. She could retire at any time and it would simplify our life but the entire point of being a pilot is to fly the big iron.

Give it up before you have to? You'll regret it. Where are you going to get your heavy metal fix if you quit now?

 

I know too many guys who stopped because they didn't enjoy it any more, or worse even dreaded it.
So I always hoped that when I stopped flying, it would be at the point where I'd still want just one more flight.

After a test flight one afternoon, I met two of my former COs at the O Club.
To my surprise they gave me a pitch to leave the squadron early to help stand up a new unit.
They both knew how much flying meant to me and didn't take leaving lightly.

Flash forward; I still wake up every day hoping my name will be on the flight schedule, and miss flying more than anything in the world.
But I am also very content with my decision to take the uncharted path they offered.


One final point:
At the time, I didn't know that test flight would be my very last flight.
Never saw it coming.
And will be forever grateful I didn't.

 

I wasn't flying but I was at the top of my game and enjoying going to work every day. I retired at 65 "just because I could" and I have regretted it ever since. I could have gone on for another 10 years. Luckily , they asked me to come back to PD twice more and I added 4 more years. I think that if you enjoy what you are doing and you are still good at it, keep it going.

 

No, I like it too much.


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If you don’t mind sharing, what factors made you consider retiring?

 

My dad is 85, was forced to retire early at 57 when Eastern went on strike and he still says frequently.....”man I wish I could go fly with you on your trip today”

 

Sorry to hear how you've been stuck at the bottom half due to the strange way moving around between airlines works. What about moving into a test pilot role with Boeing, GE, Rolls Royce, etc? Doesn't have the long haul you're looking for to Asia, but it would be something new and on the outside doesn't seem to have as much politics.

 

Move to long-haul freight? Move to foreign flag? I like the test pilot idea....
Whatever; seems as though delta is not a great answer longer term...
Good luck to ya!

 

Delta huh? You know a former Navy pilot named Steve Cobbe?

 

No early out for me, love flying the B-777.

 

Dude, you’re an aviator!


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I don’t have any skin in the game but here is the other side as I hear it... There are a lot of young guys hoping that the older ones will hang it up as they wait to see what the next couple months bring. A lot of folks I flew with on active duty got tired of living in the military version of Office Space that is the USAF and jumped to the airlines in the last few years. It looked like a pretty solid plan... get hired on with one of the majors and scratch the itch for military flying in the Guard or Reserves. Now the bottom has pretty well fallen out on that. The house they bought leaving active duty that were located at whatever hub they desired aren’t looking so convenient as they are looking at trying to stay afloat on Reserve pay. For the military it’s been a bit of a boon in the short term as folks come back from the airlines looking for work but I’m not sure it will really fix the massive issues the USAF has had with pilot manning.

 

Funny you say that... If I’m out somewhere in a flight suit people walk up all the time and ask if I know so and so. Half the time it’s somebody that flew helicopters in the army and half the time it’s someone from the unit that retired 20 years ago. I always try to be really nice, the taxpayers are our benefactors after all, and given the semi-high profile of the unit and totally public nature of the mission it’s just good practice.

The one exception is a guy named John Fox who was a F-4 Phantom guy back in the day but has been with the Hurricane Hunters for quite a long time. I have had people come up to me in the most random places around the world and ask if I know him. At this point it’s just funny... of course I know him, what I’m more curious about is how they happen to know him. He’s like Ferris Bueller.

 

I think the decision has been taken out of a lot of people's hands ie: the Qantas long haul guys have been asked to take 2 years leave without pay. The 747 guys are gone. I doubt the 380's will come back out of the desert. Not a lot of options.

John

 

I’d be gone in a heartbeat if I could. This conforming to unity with masks, zero respect for anyone in authority, and yet another merger/staple around the corner, this career is NOT what I signed up for when I started flying for the airlines in 1996.

But having said that, the job has provided me with a nice lifestyle and I love flying the metal, which IS why I signed up for the job. Every 10-12 years there’s a burp in the industry and this is that indigestion that causes the heartburn.

Good luck in your decision. The next 17-1/2 years will be an eye rolling journey for me for sure!

cheers
Dave

 

Jim, how old are you?

Are you still in the Guard? Could you retire and just fly in the Guard? What about the State of Alaska? I know they have a bunch of airplanes up there doing fire work and other stuff-- how about that? Or retire and fly Dash 8s for someone up there until you turn 65? Personally, I'd be over trying to get a DC-6 type rating from Everts...

 

If you are early 60s, I'd probably take it. Then go find something else--- CAP is good, or maybe Northern or Everts could use you as an instructor?

 

As one of the many people who helped design it, thank you for your support!

 

Me too.

 

My BIL applied for and received permanent leave of absence from American back in April. 777 captain, 62.5 yo and 34 years with them. Say he’s happy.

 

I did 8 years ago from AA! Never looked back!