Flying safely in our golden years

By VICTOR VOGEL

The average age of pilots in the United States over the last 20 years has remained in the mid-40s, but the fastest growing population among pilots are those who are 70 years and older, according to the Pilot Institute.

These facts lead us to wonder, “To what extent does age impact the performance of the average pilot?”

As we ponder that question, it is incumbent upon the pilot and flight instructing communities to focus efforts to improve the safety of flying by assisting the more than 160,000 pilots aged 60 and older to maintain proficiency, recognize cognitive and physiological deficiencies as they arise, regularly reevaluate personal minimums, and adjust their flying to accommodate the inevitable changes that occur with aging.

If we do this, we can continue to fly safely in our golden years.

What does the research tell us about older pilots?

In one study conducted several years ago among 118 general aviation pilots between the ages of 40 and 69 in an airplane simulator over a three-year period, performance was scored based on the execution of air traffic control instructions, instrument scan, the ability to avoid traffic, the approach to landing, and an overall performance score.

The researchers found that older pilots with low total and recent flight time tended to fare worse than their younger counterparts of similar experience, while older pilots with high total and recent flight time did as well or better than younger pilots.

Another study concluded that there is an advantageous effect of prior experience and specialized expertise on the skilled, cognitive performances of older pilots. More expert pilots have better flight summary scores at baseline and show less decline overtime.

Perhaps surprisingly, pilot expertise effects were most evident in the accuracy of executing aviation communications.

Reassuringly, even though older pilots initially performed worse than younger pilots, over time, older pilots showed less decline in flight summary scores than younger pilots. Experience generally works to offset the negative impacts of aging and may play a greater role in compensating for those areas that are more strongly affected by the aging process, such as communication.

In a study of instrument-rated general aviation pilots between the ages of 19 and 79, older pilots were more likely to go ahead and land after an instrument approach to an airport where the visibility was inadequate for landing within regulations. These pilots also demonstrated less precise control of the simulated aircraft while executing approaches. Difficulties with flight control during holding patterns, however, were offset by increased experience.

Researchers also note that increased age is correlated with generally poor performance in simulator tasks.

Age-Related Changes

There are age-related changes in certain cognitive functions, including perceptual processing, certain aspects of memory performance, and certain psychomotor control functions. The more complex the performance, the larger the age effect tends to be.

Cognitive functions that do not exhibit a clear effect related to age tend to be the more complex ones that involve problem solving and decision making.

Complex performance that is developed through extensive training is more resistant to the negative effects of aging, and recency of experience can have a dramatic effect on overall airmanship, regardless of age.

There are also physiological changes that occur with aging.

Visual acuity is among the earliest and most noticeable issues associated with growing older. Peripheral vision narrows, near vision becomes less acute, the eyes no longer focus as quickly, and night vision degrades.

Hearing also diminishes with age, particularly in the high frequency range.

Many pilots also report decreased flexibility and loss of strength as they get older.

Most pilots notice that cockpit fatigue sets in earlier than it once did, and some find it more difficult to perform fine motor tasks like pressing small buttons.

Working memory is used often in flying and seems to be the type most affected by normal aging.

What Does All This Mean?

For most pilots, it makes sense to start adjusting the kinds of flying they do as they grow older.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Air Safety Institute recommends, for example, that older pilots spend more time during preflight and contingency planning.

The FAA and AOPA have published specific guidelines and recommendations for older pilots and for flight instructors who are conducting flight reviews for those pilots.

The Air Safety Institute’s “Aging and the General Aviation Pilot,” as well as FAA Advisory Circular 61-98B, “Guidance for the Flight Review,” and the FAA publication, “Conducting an Effective Flight Review,” are publications that all older pilots, as well as the flight instructors working with them, should read.

Flight Reviews for Older Pilots

Flight instructors working with older pilots should asses their skills and proficiency regularly — at least annually — and suggest ways to maintain safety in flying activities.

Flight reviews of older pilots need to assess competence and identify deficiencies, and the CFI needs to evaluate age-related physiologic changes that may affect the safety of flight. The CFI can then help the pilot develop a plan to maintain proficiency.

In the flight review, CFIs should conduct a thorough ground review, and flight activities in the airplane should evaluate basic stick and rudder skills, the mental tasks required to fly safely, and an evaluation of systems knowledge and proficiency.

Ideally, the flight review should include everything required in the Airman Certification Standards (ACS) in order to be certificated for the rating held, and the CFI should reassess proficiency with multiple flights. They should assess rudder coordination, airspeed control, angle of attack and stall awareness, and normal and crosswind takeoffs and landings. They should review cross-country navigation and the avionics the pilot uses.

Scenarios should be presented to evaluate aeronautical decision making and higher order thinking skills.

There should be a thorough post-flight briefing, accompanied by recommendations to maintain aeronautical health and improve skills noted to be deficient.

The flight instructor should not endorse a flight review in an older pilot where observance of significant deficiencies raises doubts about a pilot’s ability to safely conduct flights in general aviation aircraft.

When evaluating mental airplane skills, the CFI should ask whether the pilot demonstrates knowledge and proficiency in using avionics, aircraft systems, and handheld devices. The CFI should observe whether the pilot can safely and appropriately operate the devices when the CFI is not on board to monitor and serve as the ultimate safety net.

Importantly, appropriate and proficient use of the autopilot is another mental airplane skill to evaluate during the flight review. Does the pilot perform regular common-sense cross-checks of what the GPS and the autopilot are doing?

Additionally, an effective flight review should include multiple opportunities for the pilot to make decisions. The pilot should explain, for example, why the alternate airport selected for a diversion exercise is a safe and appropriate choice. Can the pilot name possible hazards, as well as what to do to mitigate those hazards?

In the post-flight briefing, the CFI should ask the pilot to replay verbally the entire flight. In the “Reconstruct” stage the CFI should encourage the pilot to learn by identifying the “would have,” “could have,” and “should have” elements of the flight. That is, what could he or she have done better or differently?

After the review, the CFI should assist the pilot in developing a plan to achieve proficiency by rebuilding skills progressively.

CFIs also should help the older pilot develop personal minimums — and those minimums may need to be revised or reconstructed from earlier, younger versions.

The older pilot should develop a regular practice plan and should schedule additional training that may be needed to achieve their individual flying goals. For example, the pilot’s goal may be to develop the competence and confidence needed to fly at night or to lower personal minimums.

Another goal might be completion of another phase in the FAA Pilot Proficiency Program WINGS, or obtaining a complex, high performance, or tailwheel endorsement. The CFI should assist the pilot in developing a specific training plan to help achieve those goals.

Working together, the older pilot and CFI can make flying in the golden years as safe as possible.

Victor Vogel is a retired physician and a CFI/CFI-I. He is a member of the board of directors of the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI), a FAASTeam representative, and founder and president of Susquehanna STEM to the Skies, an educational public charity in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, seeking to improve STEM education in public schools.