Airfield operations
Meet Dan
What’s your aviation background?
I have been fortunate enough to have worked in the aviation world since 2002 starting out as an operations controller at London City Airport and most recently responsible for the airfield operation at Southampton Airport.
Tell us why you contacted Aviation Action?
I have always been one of those lucky people who loves their job, but in March this year with the horrible Flybe situation I found my career and my passion suddenly thrown into uncertainty. Along with so many others in our world I had to face the reality of redundancy for the first time. Then once the enormity of COVID hit it I found the stresses and worry very hard to cope with. It was at that point that Aviation Action was being formed and I remember feeling a real sense of industry togetherness as I started contacting others and getting involved in some of the early seminars and advice sessions.
How did aviation Action support you?
I was able to secure free career coaching through the charity and this was critical in helping me keep my confidence and positivity whilst looking for the next step. I also partnered up with another colleague going through a similar situation and just being able to talk through our experiences was hugely reassuring.
What are you doing now?
I was extremely lucky to find a new role working in the Channel Islands looking after the operations at Guernsey and Alderney airports. The industry has really rallied around each other and it has felt like a brotherhood and a huge support network of colleagues helping in any way they can.
What would be your top tips for anyone finding themselves out of work in the aviation sector?
For anyone else facing the ‘R’ word I would strongly promote using Aviation Action as much as you are comfortable with. The free online seminars are a great way of keeping your work brain engaged during such a difficult time. Never be afraid to ask for something because I guarantee one of our amazing industry colleagues will be able to help.
Airside operations
Meet Joe
Joe has worked at Heathrow for the past 9 years in Airside Operations and more recently in Aerodrome Safety Investigation Manager. Following a restructure as a result of COVID-19 and at risk of redundancy, Joe contacted Aviation Action for advice and went on to secure a new role.
COULD YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?
As for all of us, COVID-19 came as a ‘bolt from the blue’ and has turned our industry upside down. Prior to March, I was employed as the Aerodrome Safety Inspection Manager – a role which I had taken up at the beginning of 2017 and had enjoyed since. I had a fantastic team and was able to draw on my experience as an Airfield Operations Officer. When passenger demand collapsed, particularly long-haul business travel which is a vital market for Heathrow, the company needed to restructure. This led to my role and the team I worked in no longer existing. A few weeks later, I secured a new role in the Learning & Development team with responsibility for learning across Fire, Health & Safety. I’ve always wanted to work in a training role and feel very fortunate to be working within a very talented, welcoming and inclusive team.
HOW DID YOU GET IN CONTACT WITH AVIATION ACTION?
I began to see posts from Aviation Action on my social media feeds and was curious to find out more. I got in touch via the website and the next day was put in touch with an experienced HR/Recruitment professional who was volunteering for Aviation Action. Our interactions were friendly and relaxed yet focused and committed towards achieving the goals we’d set. This really worked me.
WHAT SUPPORT WAS OFFERED TO YOU?
The first task was to refresh my CV, review my skills and talk through the options I had. There were more than I had realised – the tendency is to fixate on worst case scenario. Whilst natural, it doesn’t set you up for the most successful outcome. It was clear that time had been taken to really understand not only my background and skillset, but also my strengths and development areas. Following on from this, we focused on interview preparation and how to ensure I was best positioned to secure the new role I wanted. The level of support I received was incredible - relevant, encouraging and tailored specifically to me and my situation. I also had a couple of calls arranged for me with colleagues working at other airports who were in a similar situation to me. This enabled us to share experiences, advice and ideas.
WHAT OTHER SUPPORT WERE YOU OFFERED?
In addition to the 1:1 support I received, I made use of the various webinars and online learning sessions. A common theme across all of these was that the facilitators had extensive experience of working across the aviation sector. This meant that in addition to their expertise on topics such as recruitment, wellbeing and mental health, they were always able to link it to examples and experiences that participants would relate to.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AVIATION ACTION?
I would really encourage anyone who could benefit from Aviation Action to get in touch. We are extremely fortunate as a sector to have this resource, and it makes me proud to be part of this industry. I’m not aware of any other sectors where this level and quality of peer-to-peer support is being offered to all, free of charge. Just knowing that there are people on your side makes a big difference. To sum up, the care and compassion I experienced from Aviation Action means I am very grateful to them. Whether you’re going through redundancy, dealing with change, or feeling anxious it’s so important to reach out and take the support that’s available.
Ground Handling
Meet David
David's background is with airline and ground handling safety management.. He was co-chair of the Ground Handling Operational Safety Team (GHOST).
COULD YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?
I have been in the aviation industry for over 25 years and have always loved building relationships and trying to help others improve. Being in a senior safety role it had given me opportunities to pass on my knowledge and experience to improve operations. I was about to begin a new role when COVID meant that this was no longer available and left me wondering what now! I had trained and coached many over the years but now I was the one needing help.
HOW DID YOU GET IN CONTACT WITH AVIATION ACTION?
I came across the Aviation Action through my LinkedIn feed. After investigating I completed the ‘Get Help’ link. I had never been in this situation before, and to be honest had no idea what my next steps should be. It was very straight forward and Aviation Action came back to me with links to their network and advice on where to start.
WHAT SUPPORT WAS OFFERED TO YOU?
My first link was with reputable recruitment agencies. They provided advice on CV writing and CV styles. I hadn’t needed to review my own CV for years so found this extremely helpful and encouraged me to really look at what I had achieved and how to convey this successfully to others. Once completed they also were able to review and provide further tweaks and guidance to provide the final polish.
WHAT OTHER SUPPORT WERE YOU OFFERED?
The webinars provided on Well-Being and Mental Health I found to be extremely useful. In this time of the unknown I was able to gain useful tools on how to find out my strengths and more importantly what areas I needed to concentrate on to improve my own Well-Being. The webinars also provided contact with the outside world and show that you were not alone in facing these problems. Talking with others and interacting with fellow industry professionals kept me focused.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AVIATION ACTION?
I couldn’t recommend it enough. I have found the help and assistance available to be very useful. The webinars and support gave me confidence to look at others areas and other industries, it showed me that the many skills I had gained over the years were transferable and sought after. Through using the guidance provided I was able to look outside my comfort zones and start applying for suitable roles that matched my strengths. I am happy to say it all paid off and managed to find a position to build my career further. It has also taught me there is no shame in asking for help. Help is out there and Aviation Action opened the doors and showed where the help is available.
Airport Operations
Meet Emma
Emma is a ground handling and airport operations expert. Emma was forced to leave her recent airport role when COVID-19 started to take effect and she contacted Aviation Action for support.
HOW DID YOU GET IN CONTACT WITH AVIATION ACTION?
A colleague in a similar boat to me had recommended that I register for support, having lost my job due to COVID-19. Asking for help doesn’t come naturally to me, and so luckily signing up was a straightforward process. I completed a quick form on the website’s ‘Get Help’ page with some basic contact information and just enough context to help them assess how they can support me. I was contacted the next day, and shortly after that my coaching and support relationships started.
WHAT SUPPORT WAS OFFERED TO YOU?
I have been very fortunate in receiving both coaching and psychological support − it sounds scary but it really isn’t; both have helped me immensely during what has been a difficult time. They’ve helped me to structure a positive daily routine with work suddenly being out of the equation, CV/interview tips including tackling pre-interview anxiety, advice on wellbeing and mindfulness, and someone to talk to both personally and professionally. I consider myself a positive person generally, but during a stressful and uncertain time it can be difficult for us to draw from our own ‘psychological toolkit’. Sometimes we need a little extra support and that’s okay!
WAS THERE OTHER SUPPORT AVAILABLE?
Certainly. From day one the charity maintained that they are there if there’s anything else I might need on top of my support. They genuinely wanted to make a difference, and I think a lot of thought went into who I was paired with. They also host free seminars with industry professionals, covering a range of relevant topics such as your rights regarding redundancies, wellbeing, transferable skills, interview tips and more.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AVIATION ACTION?
Absolutely, yes! I wrongly had limited expectations, but I’m so glad I put my stubbornness aside and reached out. Not only have they helped me with CV and interviews, the support has truly surpassed this and actually helped me to develop myself mentally. Having only worked in aviation I felt lost. I lacked hope about the future, and I found applying for alternative jobs daunting and a generally negative experience; I lacked confidence outside of the industry. Compare that with now: I’m so much more comfortable and hopeful about the future. I can appreciate my transferable skills, and I’m an awful lot kinder to myself. I’ve been offered a job in finance after much rejection, and, while it isn’t my dream job, I can certainly see success in how far I’ve come mentally. I urge anyone that thinks they might benefit from support to just reach out. It’s been a revolutionary experience for me, and I’m incredibly grateful.
Pilot
Meet Craig
Craig is a pilot and founder of The Yorkshire Charm- a small family Etsy store he started during lockdown following a reduction in flying and ultimate redundancy from the industry. We sat down and spoke to Craig about his experience with the Charity:
COULD YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?
My journey to becoming a pilot was interesting and quite challenging, however, I managed to secure my dream job with a regional airline flying an Avro RJ85. However, shortly after joining, the impact COVID-19 started to take effect and I became increasingly concerned about my future flying career.
HOW DID YOU GET IN CONTACT WITH AVIATION ACTION?
I simply clicked on the website www.aviationaction.org and submitted a short form on the ‘get help’ page. I was contacted within hours and my peer relationship started the following day. As a Pilot facing redundancy within an airline for the first time, it was important to get clear and honest advice about the processes taking place, I can honestly say that the support offered to me is like no other.
WHAT SUPPORT WAS OFFERED TO YOU?
Initially it was a peer support relationship. Aviation Action paired me with a former Thomas Cook pilot who was affected by their seizure of operations. They now fly for TUI so it was brilliant to talk about how they have turned their misfortune around. I obtained some amazing advice.
WHAT OTHER SUPPORT WERE YOU OFFERED?
Once my peer support relationship was underway Aviation Action got back in touch. They offered me some time with a specialist pilot assessment and interview preparation organisation. The service was incredible as it provided me with invaluable guidance and boost to my confidence.
HAVE YOU ATTENDED ANY OF THE WEBINARS?
Yes, the webinars have been so useful and topical. The recent wellbeing and resilience webinars were a great way to maintain positive mental health whilst learning more about the redundancy process via the HR webinars. Interestingly, there have been frequent sessions from many professional charity partners including recruiters that gave invaluable essential advice on CV/Interview processes and common pitfalls.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE THE YORKSHIRE CHARM?
Inspired by the wonderful work of the Charity, I created The Yorkshire Charm in lockdown to share socially distanced hugs and messages with friends and loved ones across the globe. This industry is extremely sociable and our friends are globally placed; at a time when we can't all be together our aim was for colleagues to share a wish to let people know they are not forgotten! We have partnered with Aviation Action and as a part of our fundraising initiatives we have a charity wish charm card available to purchase from our site
WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR THE FUTURE?
I fully intend to remain within Aviation and I am actively looking to secure my next flying opportunity globally. Flying is my lifelong passion and this is just one bump in the road before the next adventure. I am thoroughly enjoying helping people in my day to day involvement with Aviation Action. My vision is to expand this further as a Pilot advisory member inspiring young people to enter the industry.
