Airline pilots in the US have to stop flying Part 121 operations at 65. A lot of them aren't ready to stop flying, and fractional, charter and corporate operators are glad to hire experienced captains. The catch: many of these pilots haven't interviewed in twenty or thirty years, and interviews have changed a lot since then.
The age rules outside the airlines
The age 65 limit applies to Part 121 airline operations. Part 135 charter, Part 91K fractional and Part 91 corporate flying don't have that federal limit. Since a 2022 law, large charter and fractional operators can choose to set an age limit of 70 for their pilots, and some have: NetJets, for example, set 70 starting in January 2024. Other operators set their own policies, so ask each one directly.
The practical takeaway: depending on the operator, you may have several more years of flying ahead, but you'll need to get hired first.
What's different about interviewing now
When most of today's senior captains were hired, interviews leaned heavily on technical knowledge and a conversation. Today, most operators also use a structured HR interview: everyone gets similar behavioral questions, and answers are scored against benchmarks.
"HR questions definitely play more of a factor than when I last interviewed. It was eye-opening and immensely helpful to get a better understanding of the types of responses hiring boards are looking for."
Rick R., 777 Captain, preparing for fractional interviews
Experience doesn't score itself. A captain with 25,000 hours who answers "tell me about a time" with a rambling war story can score below a younger pilot with a tight, structured answer. The panel isn't questioning your flying. They're scoring how you communicate.
What panels want to hear from a retiring airline captain
- That you're ready to be the new hire again. You're moving from the top of a seniority list to the bottom of a new one, often with new procedures, new aircraft and much younger check airmen. Show you're genuinely comfortable with that.
- Customer service. In fractional and corporate flying, the owners and passengers are right there, often on the airplane with you. Have stories ready about taking care of people, not just airplanes.
- Flexibility. Different airports, schedules that change, smaller crews and doing more yourself than at an airline.
- Why this, why now. "I'm not ready to stop flying" is honest, but it isn't enough. Know why this kind of flying and this operator.
Common traps for experienced pilots
- "I've seen it all." Confidence is good. Sounding like you have nothing left to learn isn't.
- Thirty-year stories. Your best stories might be from decades ago, and they're often long. Keep each one to about 90 seconds with a clear result.
- A career-length "tell me about yourself." You have a lot of ground to cover. Still aim for about three minutes. Here's how.
- Talking down about your airline or the industry. Even in passing. It comes across as baggage.
How to prepare
- Read up on how today's interviews are scored. Our free lesson, how pilot interviews are scored, is a good start.
- Pick five or six true stories and map each one with the STAR method. Include at least one customer-service story.
- Practice out loud, timed. Answering a structured question with a timer running feels very different from telling a story to a friend.
- Get your logbook and records ready. After a long career, there's a lot to organize.