MEDIA
04/03/2023
Presentation: Aviation Medical Society of Victoria
The Unseen Hole in The Swiss Cheese
The Aviation Medical Society of Victoria invited me to present in front of 80 Designated Aviation Medical Examiners from around Australia. It was a packed room, and all sectors were represented, from Commercial and Military Aviation to General Aviation.
This presentation was my lived account of the lack of care and support for people and their families in aviation (especially general aviation) and how a national industry peer support program and an increased general awareness could fill the unseen hole in the swiss cheese.
My goal is to remove the stigma and red tape, which will allow a more holistic and supportive approach to the well-being of staff, pilots, aircraft engineers, crew, and their families.
Armed with my lived experiences, I'm opening some eyes to the realities of this industry while focusing on what can be done better now and in the future.
20/03/2023
Podcast: Flight Training Australia Podcast
Discussing the Importance of Seeking Support
28/02/2023
Presentation: Avalon International Airshow
Peer Support and Mental Health: A Conversation for Business Aviation, 2023 and Beyond
Avalon International Airshow was my first time shining light on what I now refer to as the "unseen hole" in the swiss cheese. During this presentation I shared what life was like for me after a fatal plane crash in our business. Although the ripple effect from this tragedy affected the lives of so many, I only had 20 minutes so I focussed on my own lived experience and what life was like for me in the aftermath of the accident.
I spoke about this 'stop moment' in my life, which presented me with two choices: rise above or enter a spiral dive. It is a natural human response to want to take the first option, but without immediate and ongoing support from an industry where safety is paramount, I found myself entering a downward spiral that lasted more than a decade.
The "unseen hole" in the swiss cheese is the lack of support and care for people in aviation, especially general aviation. I am grateful to the Australian Business Aviation Association (ABAA) for giving me the chance to share my thoughts on how we as an industry can close this hole by improving wellbeing, culture and safety.
15/02/2023
Podcast: Australian Aviation
Rethinking how we support aviation and their families
07/02/2023
Interview: AOPA Australia Live
Discussing Navigating Aviation and General Aviation
12/11/2021
Magazine: Australian Aviation
Article: Upset Prevention Recovery Training
On 2 January 2006, one of the aircraft flying for Angela Garvey’s skydiving business – a Cessna 206, VH-UYB – experienced a loss of power on take-off. The aircraft was at a low air speed and likely stalled, rolling to the right, clipping a tree and then crashing nose-first into a dam. Seven people were on the flight including the pilot and instructors, and five of them died that day. Despite the horror of the event, Garvey never blamed the pilot. “No one knows how we will react in this critical situation, including myself. None of us is immune to the startle and surprise response and how we will react,” she says.
At the time of the fatal accident, Garvey was juggling flying, studying and working as a company director all while mothering two young children. She had learnt her basic flight training two years before, and very early on was taught how to prevent and recover from an aircraft upset – or as her instructor liked to call it, “I’m teaching you how to not kill yourself”.
“I have always wanted to take our horrific accident and somehow turn this tragedy into a change that I believe needed to happen in the industry.”
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