In the Netherlands, retirement is forced on you, not necessarily by medical or proficiency status, nor by the arbitrary age 60 rule, but by the greed of the members represented by the Dutch pilots' union the VNV, which, in wishing to maintain the early-retirement plans for themselves, force even those pilots whose careers have been in the lower-paid regional field to retire at the same age - 56.
I wish the 10 pilots in the USA and the Professional Pilots Federation the best with their efforts to get this age 60 restriction removed. It will show the discrimination of the VNV in even clearer light.
David Lucas
Oegstgeest, The Netherlands
Source: Flight International
