FAQ

Feel free to contact us and request peer support whenever you feel it could be worthwhile. The topic of a discussion can be anything:

• psychological well-being
• distress
• work/life balance
• relationship issues
• career concerns
• lack of motivation
• intense emotions
• sim check concerns
• health concerns
• bereavement
• etc.

You will be allocated with a trained and motivated peer who will be there for you as a person and as a pilot. Whatever you bring to the table, they will not judge it or view it as ridiculous or outlandish. They will do their best to understand your challenges while staying non-biased and non-confrontational. Pilots have been put in this position because they, by default, are great listeners and supporters since they themselves might have faced similar challenges or concerns.

The peers who support you are in turn supported by a psychologist with experience in aviation. Therefore, using this well-thought-out service, the chances are high that you will resolve your sensitive question in one of the most delicate ways.

We suggest you do not delay bringing up your concern. It is better to intervene before it becomes an emergency. Remember, if you feel that something is wrong, most probably you are right. We are here to listen to anything you have to share without portraying you in a negative light. To answer the question, if it bothers you, it is already “serious enough.”

Once you have requested to be contacted, the system will notify the Program Manager, who will contact and assign a peer to your request. The peer will contact you, and you will arrange a convenient time to talk over the phone.

During the first conversation, the peer will seek to understand how we can best help you and which direction/approach should be taken to achieve the positive outcome.

Although it is always better when a person themselves reaches out and shares their worries, please contact us if you believe your colleague is in a potentially tricky position.

Please note that “reporting” a colleague and requesting peer support through this program are two clearly distinguishable things. You should not fear making contact with us since our role is not to punish but to give a hand. We aim to work out the best course of action so that the problem and its impact on work performance and other people do not escalate further.

If you believe that your family member’s mental health is at risk and/or others around them are negatively affected, please contact us. We will form a safe environment where your family member will feel comfortable enough to speak openly.

No, this program is not an emergency service. If you think that your own or somebody’s safety is in immediate danger, please contact the On-Call Pilot Manager, Duty Officer, crisis intervention centre, or emergency services. You can find the list of emergency lines by clicking here.

While we are not a complaints department, we realize that operational matters can be extremely disturbing. If you feel that this kind of trouble worsens your psychological well-being to the extent that you continuously feel down and demotivated, please contact us.

As a confidential service, we will not pass this information to your airline, but instead, you will be heard, and your opinion will be valued.

If something does not work correctly or does not prove useful and effective, we can help you with that if you make your point. Please direct your complaint to via contacts form. We will read it and address it discreetly and appropriately.

Once you submit a contact request, a message will go to the Program Manager indicating a new ‘contact request.’ The Program Manager will inform the peers about a new “contact request.” The peer ready to pick it up will inform the Program Manager about their availability. Once the manager assigns your case to this peer, they will then see your contact details. No other peer will have access to your contact information.

If you happen to know your peer personally to an extent beyond only being vague work acquaintances, you are free to decide if you feel comfortable talking openly about the issues bothering you. If you feel that you cannot be open and feel at least a little uncomfortable, tell this to your peer, and we will transfer your contact to another peer. This way, we will ensure that the concern you raise is being handled objectively.

Please indicate how you would like us to address you (it does not necessarily have to be your real name) and provide your email address and/or telephone number. We need no other details.

As explained earlier, it is neither an emergency service nor a call center. By getting involved in the Peer Support Program, you request to talk with a peer working as a pilot. Given that they are all employed, it is not always possible for them to devote time to you immediately. However, they take their position as a peer with all seriousness and will respond to you as soon as possible.

Helplines

You should do one of the following:

1. let your peer know you would like to speak to someone else
2. inform the Program Manager by sending a message via contact form.

The Program Manager will then look for an opportunity to get you a different peer.

During the initial talk, your peer will seek to establish the most appropriate way to lead you through. They will try to understand whether they can support you or point you in the right direction.

No. The program aims to allow you to talk through your challenges and not tell you or others what to do or what not to do. The peer will encourage you to make your own weighted decisions and purposeful actions to resolve your matter.

No. The peers are neither in the position nor competent to decide whether you are fit to fly or not. They will only give you room to fully express how you feel or what you think and help you figure out your options. They will also support you throughout your way, following the final decision you make.

Your peer has access to a clinical psychologist who uses various resources and channels. If your peer can’t help you for some reason, they will do their best to introduce you to someone who can.

Apologies – if you have a question, we would love to hear it and do our best to answer it. Please send a message via contact form.