92-year-old pilot’s fight to keep flying after losing his license for ‘medical’ reasons is fueled by the sweetest reason
A 92-year-old pilot who has dedicated his life to soaring the skies aspires to get back to what he loves doing most for a heartwarming reason. John Davis, a pilot from Westminster, is on a mission that stretches beyond the ordinary and intends to never let his age hinder his aviation pursuits. Davis recently lost his medical certification after an examiner deemed him unfit to fly his private airplane, but his undying passion for a good cause has encouraged him to challenge the decision and remain hopeful of restarting his pilot dreams as a nonagenarian.
Davis has served with several top-tier organizations as a competent pilot, from being a NASA aerospace engineer to serving as a first lieutenant in Greenland and Fort Benning, as reported by The Baltimore Sun on November 9, 2025. “It’s wonderful. You can go so many places. Flying is in my blood,” he said. He has owned a Cessna 172XP for the past 20 years but was recently barred from flying after an aviation medical examiner with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) did not approve his application, allegedly due to failing to meet the medical standards in an October examination. He has filed for an appeal but remains grounded until cleared.
While his love for the sky greatly influences the senior pilot’s persistence in continuing his aviation career, Davis utilizes his resources to rescue animals through his volunteer work with Pilots N Paws, a rescue group credited with flying over 250,000 animals from critical situations and natural disasters to date. A dog lover himself, Davis has raised Great Danes and German Shorthaired Pointers and piloted several rescue operations. Speaking from experience, the man revealed that the rescued animals make for great and cooperative passengers. While they are almost always best-behaved while aboard, Davis noticed a peculiar behavior.
Until now, dogs, cats, and an occasional baby goat have boarded Davis’s single-engine, high-wing plane. He makes space for the crate-dwelling animals by removing the back seat and also accommodates larger breeds like Great Danes. He was surprised by how well-behaved his furry passengers are. At 3,000 feet, the animals tend to quiet down and sit patiently until it’s time to descend, and suddenly, they are all perked up again. “They pop up like, ‘Oh, are we there yet?’” the pilot recounted. Following his certification disapproval, his peers and private physician have helped him get back to his mission. “For a 92-year-old, this man is pretty spry, you would never know it,” said Michele McGuire, a fellow pilot who spent 16 years flying with Davis for Pilots N Paws.
Dr. Ernesto Mendoza, Davis’s physician, wrote a letter to the FAA confirming that his patient was “stable” and “mentally fit” to pilot an airplane. “He is not experiencing depressive episodes, suicidal ideation, or any other mental health concerns,” a part of the letter said. Pilots N Paws, a South Carolina-based nonprofit, aims to rescue and fly abandoned, injured, or abused animals around the nation from shelters to permanent homes. Davis has rescued 600 dogs working with McGuire along the East Coast.