Safe in the Skies?

" Act -- questions being raised this morning about airline safety after a cross Atlantic scare. The sixty year old pilot dies in the cockpit of a continental flight going from Belgium. Two Newark, New Jersey. Luckily other pilots who were on board landed that plane safely but now some of are questioning whether the retirement age for pilots. Needs to come back down. DJ frost is an international commercial pilot he also has a website www. Fly stress free dot com. Like the name of that TJ good morning to you. Good morning magnum handgun under a great -- said -- that this unfortunate incident has a lot of people ask a lot of questions and one of them is whether. This retirement age for pilots is now too high -- used to be when she hit sixty. -- have to retire than in 2007. They raised it to 65 saying you're losing a lot of very experienced very qualified pilots five years early. With this rule so was it was lowered backed up sixty this pilot was sixty. Does this incident cast new doubt in any way on that retirement age. "

" I don't think so. There are strict medical requirements pilots have a physical twice a year we take any KG twice here that sent to FA headquarters in Oklahoma City. So strict requirements are met to have each pilot physically able to maintain their position within the airline you've been up to 65 many pilots exercise he themselves in shape so I think this is a very abnormal situation."

" These days of the case that the -- the older pilots obviously would tend to be more experience. And are some of our best pilots and I think about is captain Sullenberger. You know he was no spring chicken and I don't think you find an American who wouldn't want to have him at the Helm of their flight."

" Absolutely even before this new rule was enacted my father was an active pilot with pan am he would retire at sixty. He's still an excellent health to this stay in house back in 1991. So even he could caps flying at that point and to keep experienced pilots in the cockpit so I think everybody can really rest assured. That not only that we have an experienced captain on in the cockpit that all the pilots are thoroughly qualified and and up and in a position like this there's a seamless transition when one of the pilots tested take over porn O crew members."

" Well and that's what happened here they had a co pilot who took over for the captain and then there was another pilot on board as were told there must speed has to be that. Yet another back up on these flights -- eight hours transcontinental however on domestic flights DJ that's not the rule."

" No that's not the rule yet the first officers very capable of landing an airplane. And are so many airports within the continental United States that. Two to go ahead and do that it's it's not a big deal and plus we also have a direct link to doctors called med link on board the aircraft. That we can also talked to doctors if there is a medical emergency. "

" And harmful it's not that unusual to have a pilot incapacitated for a short amount of time on a flight of a pilot. Needs a rest or a pilot didn't mean it doesn't feel well that's not that unusual obviously have him -- during the flight is but. It happens all the time with a co pilot takes over for the pilot corrects."

" Sure and I want people understand that we go and take the same training so were qualified to sit and you see that any time. The captain is a designated person in charge of that aircraft however there is a ton of experience at all times in the caucus especially on international flight. In fact sometimes when I fly out might even have more years of flying in the captain I'm -- with because like -- with other airlines throughout the years so he -- you can rest assured that we go through the same training. And are wary of well qualified anti -- on that there."

" also sounds like the bottom line is that folks don't need to worry anymore but our condolences go out to the family of that pilot. As his co workers said it. He died and had done shorter trip to heaven music frost thanks so much for being here that you."