ABSTRACT
FAR 121.383, the FAA Age 60 Rule (the Rule), is one of the most debated and contested acts of federal governance ever, and for good reason. The Rule states: “No certificate holder may use the services of any person as a pilot on an airplane engaged in operations under this part if that person has reached his 60th birthday. No person may serve as a pilot on an airplane engaged in operations under this part if that person has reached his 60th birthday.” There is a great deal of evidence that the Rule was never intended as a safety measure, never supported with any rational basis, and no attempt was ever made by the FAA to generate the data that would either support or refute this policy. Yet it persisted for almost five decades, surviving numerous challenges by individuals, organizations, court appeals, and stymied Congressional efforts seeking change. What follows is a condensed overview of a questionable retirement policy once mandated by the federal government.1
