Frequently asked questions

No. It is a global service, open to any Business Aviation AOC, irrespective of head office or base locations. (Although, given the European regulatory requirement for AOCs to provide their pilots with access to a support programme by Aug 2020, there is a natural interest and momentum in the CAP PSP in this part of the world - and an obvious place for it to launch.)

It certainly does! Our aim, depending on the level of interest and members registered, is to provide a separate facility (and ultimately PSP) for rotary wing pilots connecting to rotary wing peers.

While the regulations are specifically aimed at pilots for now, EASA makes it clear that this does not exclude those AOCs who would like to provide a PSP to other safety critical staff (e.g. cabin crew; engineers). And while the CAP PSP has been designed with pilots in mind, it can be easily adapted to accommodate cabin crew and engineers, keeping the professions separate, while sharing the resources and reducing the costs. Let us know if you would like to include your cabin crew and engineers into this programme.

A trained peer is just that: a peer, first and and foremost - and who knows what it is like to be a pilot! They are not counsellors, therapists, lawyers, financial advisers or marriage guidance experts. Equally, a peer can not tell a pilot what to do, make decisions for them or advocate on their behalf. Neither can they decide on their fitness to fly. Their primary role is to provide support to a fellow peer going through a tough time, making it easier to ask for help. If a peer can, they will point them in the right direction and/or simply be there for them, when they need it most. (At every point, peers have access to CAP’s expert aviation psychologists for guidance and support.)

This is not a time or safety critical emergency service. (In these instances, it is best to call the emergency services and company authorities appropriate to the emergency.) The way this PSP is managed, pilots can request support within 12, 24 or 48hrs, indicating their level of urgency. They can also request that support in their home language, depending on its availability within the peer community. We will always respond to the request as quickly as possible and typically well within the time frame requested.

Yes, confidentiality is the central pillar to this programme. Without it, this PSP will not work. However, as in every other professional setting, the only time it will be waived is if there is an indication the pilot or the public's safety is in jeopardy. In this very rare instance, an established protocol will be followed in managing this appropriately and ensuring the response is proportionate to the level of risk posed.

We take data protection very seriously and are compliant with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In addition to that we conform to several industry standards for data security. Ask us for more detail on this.

More recently, we have found that most people first turn to the internet before asking help from anyone - peer or professional. And we wanted the CAP PSP website to be the website that business aviation pilots first turn to in their time of need. By visiting the website it will become clear to them what the CAP PSP is - and what it isn't. They will know what to expect and how to access the service and indicate their level of urgency and language preference. Apart from entering their contact details, no further information is required. This way the pilot remains in control and we can ensure that the first person they speak to is the peer, ready and able to support them. (On a practical level, access via a website also ensures that we use our peers in the most efficient way possible, removing the requirement for a roster.)

As this is a service of pilots supporting pilots, it is there to support colleagues, whatever their challenge. However, given the safety implications and specialist treatment required for addiction and substance misuse, the CAP PSP can only ever support a pilot in conjunction with other treatment interventions. In other words, it can not be considered as a substitute to a HIMS programme or intervention, but rather in support of one.

We see PSPs providing a complimentary (and very cost effective) addition to these existing services. For some pilots they will prefer seeking the assistance of the EAP's trained counsellors and others will prefer the support of a colleague. We see situations where services like these may refer pilots to each other to better serve their needs. We also see PSPs providing a lower threshold for pilots asking for help. In most instances this will be sufficient and in others this will open the path to seeking professional support and treatment the individual may require.

Peers are trained in essential mental health and counselling skills. They are trained how best to support a colleague in a time of need and the role, responsibilities and boundaries of a PSP peer.

The CAP PSP is overseen by the Clinical and Operational Directors of CAP, Prof Rob Bor and Aedrian Bekker. They are both registered clinical psychologists and are considered to be world leaders in this field, operating to highest professional standards of best practice. Along with founding member AOCs, they will form the steering group that shapes, delivers and governs this service. The AOC members of the CAP PSP will get trend data and overall usage of the PSP, although never at an individual case level.

It is important that the CAP PSP is sustainably affordable to AOCs employing a single pilot to those employing several hundred. The rationale of creating this network is to share resources and reduce costs for participating members, offering economies of scale enjoyed by the larger AOCs. Once we receive an initial indication of interest in the CAP PSP, we can work out a fee that is fair and reasonable to all parties