Experience and Reaction Time in Pilots

 

March 13, 2014 at 3:13 PM

After the midair collision between a skydiver and a small airplane piloted by an 87 year old pilot some people have commented that people that old have no business flying airplanes because age slows reaction times.  They are wrong.  In aviation, more than just about any other endeavor, experience trumps reaction time.  

There is a common misconception that pilots have some kind of supernatural reaction times.  The truth is that pilots' reaction times are, in the overwhelming majority of pilots, decidedly average.  

When a pilot has a lot of experience then his experience will help him keep out of situations in which his reaction time would be necessary to save his life.  On the other hand, getting into situations in which reaction time becomes necessary is how pilots gain experience.  

If a pilot finds himself in a situation in which his quick reaction time becomes necessary then someone has blown it and blown it badly.  

Do I think an 87 year old pilot with 60 years of experience should be behind the controls?  Absolutely. 

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Jay Ashworth Unless he's a fighter pilot.

But still, I guess.