Ground Handling

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.

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.