Frequently Asked Questions

If you are a US-based helicopter pilot (and a member of the USHST) you are welcome to use this service! Not a USHST member? You can join here (for free).

Anything that might be getting you down and where you would value talking to a peer. This may cover topics such as: your psychological wellbeing; life stressors and changes; relationship problems; fatigue; work/life balance; bereavement; sim check worries; work pressures; colleague concerns; career options; financial problems; health concerns etc. The trained peers are there for you, your well-being as a person and as a pilot. While they cannot act on your behalf, provide expert opinion, advice or even ‘fix’ your problem, what makes them superbly qualified is that they are a pilot like you. They have all had further/advanced training in supporting fellow pilots and they in turn are supported by a team of independent psychologists from the Centre for Aviation Psychology. All of the peers are willing to listen to you, understand your challenges and help you figure it out (or at least point you in the right direction).

Our peers are experienced helicopter pilots who have specifically volunteered to become trained peers for this program. Once applying, we have carefully selected them for their suitability and experience to make excellent peers. They have participated and completed our extensive and industry leading peer training program, going on to become CAP Accredited Peers. All our peers are then supported at all times by the CAP Mental Health Professional.

Like most things, it is better to deal with problems and talk to others before they start to boil over. ​Things needn’t get to a crisis point before you contact us. In fact, the sooner you do, the better we can support you. Occasionally though, life can feel especially tough and overwhelming - and as a peer support network, that is what we are here for.

Once you have requested contact an available volunteer peer will send you a text message to arrange a suitable time to talk to you on the phone. ​​The initial conversation will be to understand how we can best help you - or which direction to point you in. You may have a specific request for guidance or information, or you may be seeking support on a particular challenge you are facing. Either way, we are here for you.

It is always better for people themselves to make contact with this service. However, sometimes they are too fearful to do so, or have lost perspective on the impact that this is having on their safety performance or those they work with. ​If you believe that their situation has an immediate safety implication, then you are obliged to act directly and contact your pilot or safety manager. However, if you believe the impact is more ‘slow burning’, cumulative or may put a less experienced or assertive colleague in a potentially difficult position, then we suggest discussing this through with a peer. ​To be clear, this is not about 'reporting' your colleague, this is about discussing it with a trained peer and together working out what your best course of action is. ​If having read this you still have concerns, contact us anyway: that's what we are here for!

No, we are not set up to deal with emergencies. If you think that your own (or someone else’s) safety is in immediate danger, please click here for your options.

If something isn't working for you, the only way we can fix it is if you let us know. Please direct your complaint to us directly and be assured that we will deal with them in a discreet and appropriate manner. Equally, if you would rather direct it elsewhere, please send your complaint to the Head of Flight Operations or your Union rep.

All we want is a first name (it doesn't even need to be your real name, if you would prefer), and a contact number. We need no other details.

As this is a peer support program, we want your first contact to be with a trained pilot volunteer - and not a call centre operator. Given that they are working pilots too, it is not always possible to immediately connect you to one. However, they will do their best to respond to you as soon as is reasonable - and within your requested timeframe. ​​You can help us identify the level of need from your request: If you request to be contacted within 24hrs, we will assume your request is important, and urgent - you would prefer to talk to someone sooner than later and we will respond to you within daytime hours. If you request to be contacted within 48hrs, we will assume that whilst your request is important, you are happy for us to contact you during daytime hours, Monday - Friday. If you request to be contacted within 7 days, we assume that whilst your request is important, you are happy to wait until a peer is available to contact within a week or so.

We will alert the peer(s) you have requested. They will make contact with you as soon as possible when they are not working or resting and arrange a mutually convenient time to talk.

In this unlikely event, please send us an email and we will resolve this as quickly as possible.

There is nothing stopping you doing just that. However, you will be speaking to them as a friend and not as a peer volunteer. This means neither you, them or us are covered by any of the promises and assurances of confidentiality and independence offered by this program. What's more, they are under no obligation to talk to you in a peer capacity and may prefer not to as they might be operating, resting or believe it would be inappropriate to pursue the conversation any further. Please don't be offended if they suggest you contact the USHST Peer website directly, even if it is to talk to them. This will ensure you receive the best service we can offer.

If you happen to know the peer contacting you and your are happy to proceed with the contact, then please proceed. It will be helpful to discuss this with your peer when you first make contact to help keep everything clear and boundaries transparent. If you happen to know the peer contacting you and would prefer not to proceed with the contact, then please either let your peer know or you can let us know directly by clicking here. If you would like a different peer, for whatever reason or at whatever stage, please feel free to request this. You can either request it via your peer or you can let us know directly by clicking here.

After arranging a suitable time to talk with you, the first conversation with your peer will be to establish how they can best help you - either by supporting you directly or pointing you in the right direction.

No. As this is a peer support service, the aim is to support you to make decisions and take action in resolving a particular problem or issue you are dealing with. Them doing it for you is seldom a wise solution.

No. They are not qualified nor in a position to decide on whether you are fit to fly. Even following your conversation, that decision remains your responsibility. ​However, as a peer they can help you work this out yourself and/or figure out your options and how best to progress them. This is what they are here for. Their role is to support you not only make this decision but be there for you following whatever decision you make.

Please remember this is a peer support service - and not an expert information or advice center. Your peer will be happy to share what they know and help where they can. However, they will always do so from a position of a peer and not as a professional advisor.

Your peer is supported by a qualified psychologist (from the Centre for Aviation Psychology) which they have access to, and who in turn has access to a range of resources and channels. If for some reason, your peer can't help you, they will do their best to find out or direct you to someone who can.

Apologies - if you have a question, we'd love to hear it and we will do our best to answer it. ​ This FAQ is only as good as the questions posed. Please send it to us here.

When you click the submit button there will be a message confirming receipt on the screen. If you haven't heard anything within the requested time, please assume we haven't received it.

Yes! This service is staffed by trained peers - all of whom sign our Code of Conduct. It is managed and supported by an independent company, The Centre for Aviation Psychology, to ensure standards are met and the service is professionally managed. This company consists of clinical psychologists who specialize in aviation psychology and are market leaders and subject matter experts in this field and whose primary role is to support the peers supporting you. The details of individual users are strictly confidential and are protected in the same way any medical information would be treated. To be crystal clear: no personal information is shared with the USHST or your employer.

We take your confidentiality very seriously. However, as with any service you receive in society, if you tell us anything that gives us demonstrable concern about your safety or anyone else’s, just as in other healthcare settings, we are ethically and legally obliged to waive your confidentiality. ​In this extremely rare event, your peer will follow an established protocol of contacting their clinical supervisor and together deciding on the most appropriate course of action. However, they will always work with you first to figure out a way in which you and others can be safely protected and with your consent.

In short, no! Our peers are fellow pilots like you. They are not professionally trained as psychologists, therapists, lawyers or accountants. Any support they provide you is from the perspective of lay-person and not a qualified professional. Consequently, they cannot diagnose or treat any conditions nor can they make referrals on your behalf. They can also not determine your fitness-to-fly. Consequently, any support or advice you receive must be remembered in this context and it is not reportable, beyond the standard limitations of this role regarding significant threats to your own or the public's safety.

We keep a protected and encrypted record of your contact details. We also keep a separate, anonymised and encrypted record of your contact with the peer supporting you - and to which their clinical supervisor has sight of. However, no other peer has sight of this. In exceptional circumstances and within an established protocol, the Clinical and Operational Directors of this PSP (both CAP Clinical Psychologists) can access this information. ​ We keep your personal data in our dedicated servers located in the United Kingdom and in compliance with data protection legislation there and HIPPA requirement in the US. Within your rights under the data protection legislation, you can request to see the information we hold on you. To do so, please contact us and we will send you the address to which you can direct your enquiry and the process in which we can verify your identity.

Unless you are vaguely aware of each other prior to using this service, your peer will have only ever spoken to you on the phone. If you do realise that you know each other, your peer will greet and acknowledge you as colleagues normally would - in a friendly and collegiate way. They will make no reference to the fact that they are or have supported you via this service. It would not be advisable to discuss anything regarding your situation in this setting. This is because: we want to respect your privacy and boundaries; others may overhear you; and as you are both at work (even if we are working or socialising in a group) it would not be the time or place to discuss the peer support you are receiving.

As the USHST is the ultimate custodian and sponsor of this program, it will receive aggregated trend data regarding the utilization of this service. At no point will individually identifiable data ever be provided to provided to the USHST (or VAI - Vertical Aviation International, who endorse and provide logistical support to the work of USHST).