Long-time pilot Arnold Palmer, who started flying in 1956, made his last flight as PIC Jan. 31, according to report at Golf Digest magazine, which notes that when Palmer, 81, flew his Cessna Citation 10 jet from Palm Springs to Orlando that morning, it was his last flight as pilot. His medical expired that day, and Palmer elected not to have it renewed. The blog quotes Palmer: “I’ll still be flying in my plane as much as always, just not in the cockpit. Flying has been one of the great things in my life. It’s taken me to the far corners of the world. I met thousands of people I otherwise wouldn’t have met. And I even got to play a little golf along the way.” Read the full post here.
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Janice Wood is editor of General Aviation News.
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No, he didn’t “retire” his license, he let his medical lapse. His license is still good and if he has a current BFR, he could continue to fly as a sport pilot.
An appropriate headline might read, “Golf legend Arnold Palmer retires from flying” a personal decision that is not predicated on his license validation.