NZALPA Medical and Welfare Director Andy Pender reflects on a particularly challenging period and the tangible support and difference that the now cross-industry Peer Assistance Network (PAN) Programme really makes.

It can come out of nowhere. An innate loss, a sadness that you did not know you had inside you. During the last two months, we have experienced events we will not forget, as a country and as a close organisation of peers. 

As a nation on March 15 we experienced a grief like no other. Fifty members of our wider community lost their lives in the most heinous and violent way. For most, this came as a shock. We questioned, how could this hate harbour in our country? What does this mean for us as a community? What does this mean to be a New Zealander?

The following week, NZALPA members and the wider aviation industry experienced a further loss. Two of our young men did not make the flight home. I will never forget when Dawn, the General Manager of NZALPA, called me to advise that a plane at Ardmore was recorded as overdue. All I said was “tell me it’s not Pete”. 

Grief hits us in ways we cannot explain. For some, it can be moved to the back of your mind and rears its ugly head when you least expect it. For others, they need to express themselves in different ways. You can never be quite ready for how you might respond. 

On the day of the Christchurch Mosque shooting, I was off duty and having a day at the Christchurch library with my son. We were just leaving when the news hit. Tim Robinson, NZALPA President, NZALPA President-Elect, Andrew Ridling and myself coordinated via the phone to put an action plan in place. There is no quick reference material or manual you can pull off the shelf for something like this. Instead, you have to go with your gut. 

For the next 24 hours, we didn’t know exactly what to expect. Unlike the Canterbury Earthquakes, we didn’t have visibility on the areas impacted. News reports varied on facts, and we did not know the extent that this tragedy penetrated our community; in fact, we would not know this until sometime after. As the situation evolved, decisions must be quickly made with the information at hand - some good, some can prove real ‘learning opportunities.’ 

We had planned and organised for PAN volunteers to be in Christchurch for support. However, it was not until the names of victims were released that we realised that one of the victims included a student at the International Aviation Academy / Canterbury Aero Club, Ozair Kadir. 

When we then heard of the news of Peter Callagher and Zak Parkar, for me and many members this hit even closer to home, especially for our industry values, which are staunchly safety-led. Pete was particularly well known as an NZALPA member and PAN representative at the Ardmore Flying School base. His work had been pivotal in getting PAN established at Ardmore. 

Within minutes of getting the call from Dawn, the PAN team contacted all Programme volunteers to see who was available to provide immediate support. The response we received was overwhelming and incredibly humbling - to see our PAN Peer Support Volunteers bind together without question and so quickly.

In the first hours following the plane reported missing, our volunteers were at the ready. 

“It is a natural reaction for people to want to go and help- to fix things, but we have learnt that in these situations, sometimes what is needed is personal support as the situation reveals itself and people come to grips with what has happened.” 

Much grief is still yet to settle in the aftermath of this accident. This tragedy took the lives of two of us. People are dealing with losing a friend, a colleague, a mentor, an instructor.

For many members, the accident site is an area they regularly fly over, the crash involving a plane they too have sat in the cockpit and flown before. 

This tragedy was one of the first big tests for the PAN programme – it is the first time NZALPA has experienced a fatal accident involving one of our representatives since the programme started. 

One of the core parts of the PAN programme is that there is no judgement. When people talk with us, many who have experienced similar events say they wished they had realised at the time that others were going through similar experiences with grief and loss. 

What these tragedies have taught me is we cannot underestimate how this type of event will affect people – and it’s no longer ok to always say that ‘she’ll be right’. Grief may not always be in plain sight, whereas other times it can be right in your face. Hidden or obvious, grief and loss cannot be underestimated. It should not be bottled and stored for later. There is a fine balance between jumping at shadows and responding adequately and with PAN there is always someone there to talk to. 

We have lost a part of our community. Literally, for Pete’s sake, we need to honour his memory and continue with the invaluable work and service he gave to the PAN programme. 

If you, or someone you know in the industry could benefit from a conversation with a member of the PAN team, call 0800 PAN 100 (0800 726 100) or email [email protected]. Watch this space for updates on the PAN NZ website going live shortly.

PAN NZ - the confidential, and non-judgmental mental wellness support program for New Zealand based Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers.