By Garth Calitz

Mayday-SA is a volunteer peer-based support structure responding to aviation license holders in crisis. They provide confidential support to colleagues, as well as their families and friends, who may feel isolated and experience difficulty coping with emotional reactions and responses to circumstances arising from Critical Incidents and other forms of Life Crises.

Pilots and aircrew face significant challenges in balancing work and home life demands. They are under continuous pressure to succeed in ongoing assessments, where "failure" could lead to losing their license and job. They operate in a demanding high-altitude environment and must manage a complex series of tasks to ensure the safe arrival of their flight. Often away from home, when they transition from this high-pressure, high-control environment to their personal lives, they must adapt to being "normal" partners, parents, and friends.

This cycle is inherently stressful, and when combined with everyday life challenges like relationship issues, family illnesses, and the demands of children, the stress levels for aviation professionals can become overwhelming. At times, these pressures can push one's stress management abilities to their breaking point. During such periods, having access to appropriate and reliable support can make a significant difference.

Mayday-SA originated from the Airline Pilots Association’s (ALPA-SA) Peer-to-Peer Programme. In 2011, a small group of airline pilots initiated ALPA’s Peer-to-Peer, aiming to offer volunteer support to fellow pilots facing challenging situations, such as the aftermath of accidents, incidents, or personal crises. Peer-to-Peer addresses the gap in the industry regarding support for pilots' emotional well-being. The main advantage of Peer-to-Peer is that, being pilots themselves, the volunteers comprehend the unique stressors and demands of the operational environment. While the concept of a peer support programme is well-established internationally, it is relatively new in South Africa.

In August 2012, representatives from numerous key groups within South African Aviation convened at Rand Airport to commemorate the Tzaneen Albatross disaster. The meeting aimed to discuss a proposal for creating an independent organization to offer support to all license holders across various Southern African aviation sectors during periods of stress and emotional turmoil. The initiative received overwhelming support from attendees, leading to the establishment of what is now known as Mayday-SA.

Mayday-SA was founded in 2013 as a Section 21 Company to offer Peer-to-Peer support to aviation license holders concerning Critical Incident Response (preventing trauma from accidents and incidents) and Peer Support (such as aero-medical license concerns, work-performance issues, substance dependency, and challenges in work relationships). This support is provided following international best practices, tailored to fit the local South African context. In 2013, Mayday-SA was established as a Non-Profit Company (NPC) and spent the year developing a strategy that is now being implemented.

To achieve this, additional Volunteer Peers from the Commercial and Recreational Aviation sectors were integrated into the core group of airline sector pilots. Although the SA Pilot Community has been our initial focus, we plan to extend our support activities to all aviation license holders as our capacity and funding allow, beginning later in 2014.

In June 2015, an additional group of over 25 new Peer Volunteers was recruited. These team members have received training and possess skills in Critical Incident Response and Pilot Wellbeing, meeting international standards.

By mid-2014, Mayday-SA was ready to present our Value Proposition, leading us to launch an awareness campaign nationwide. This included distributing marketing materials and giving presentations at prominent industry symposia and workshops. We also collaborated with the CAA and Aero Club SA on their safety-first campaigns throughout the end of 2014 and into 2015.

Mayday-SA’s Peer support model is inspired by similar frameworks that have been successfully implemented for many years in major global airline environments, resulting in significant benefits for license holders, employers, and sponsors of these initiatives. Mayday-SA maintains a special relationship with Stiftung Mayday in Germany, from whom we have adopted several core aspects of their model. This relationship has allowed Mayday-SA to establish itself as an independent entity within the South African aviation sector, operating in a neutral space free from commercial, organizational, social, and political influences that could impede fulfilling the mandate set forth on that afternoon in August 2012.

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MAYDAY-SA 24 HOUR EMERGENCY HELPLINE:

012-333-6000 ASK FOR MAYDAY

• Accident or incident;

• A significant operational event;

• Failed line check;

• Death of family or friend;

• Victim of crime;

• Relationship or family issues;

• Industrial stress;

• Life/career crisis;

• Major illness affecting aviation medical;

• Any other issue that affects you as an individual, and/or your work.​