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THE NEW YORK TIMES, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1969

PILOTS OVER 60 HELD SAFE AS WHEN YOUNG

Older aviation pilots receive high marks for safety from the Federal Aviation Administration, the magazine Medical World News reports.

The accident rate of pilots older than 60 years of age is "essentially comparable and in some cases superior" to that of younger fliers, physicians at the F.A.A. Office of Aviation Medicine say.

The finding is considered important in view of the sharp rise in the number of older pilots. There is no upper age limit for general aviation pilots as long as they meet medical standards. Airline pilots must retire from air-carrier flying at 60, but many continue as pilots-in-command on non-airline planes years after retirement.

The number of pilots over 60 holding valid medical certificates rose from 7,401 to 11,317 during a six-month period in 1965. The oldest active pilot at that time was a 93-year-old physician.