Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 28

In a special one-off live episode of Inspire-Ability, recorded out in the elements at Blackbushe during our fantastic Aerobility Live event, Harriett is joined on stage by Katherine Moloney. Katherine is a successful businesswoman, and recently established the ‘Elevate Her’ programme to educate, inform, and inspire gender diversity in the aviation industry. Despite her current passion for all things flying, Katherine tells Harriett how this was not always the case, having been uninterested in aviation until she was 18! Now though, Katherine is driven by her love of flying, and her desire to share this with as many other women as possible. She discusses with Harriett the importance of having conviction in your beliefs, the positive impact that imposter syndrome can be harnessed to bring, and why aviation must be made into a more inclusive environment.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 27

For the final episode of this year’s studio recordings of Inspire-Ability, Chrissie Miller takes us through her journey from graduating staff college through to taking the role she dreamed of when first starting out within the RAF. Although her experiences in this time challenged the preconceived ideas that she had about service life, Chrissie shares with Harriett her observations as a female in a senior leadership role in the RAF, when so often she found herself to be the only woman in the room. Chrissie also reflects on the progress that has been made in society, especially in Forces life, in comparison with her parents’ generation, and in this she firmly advocates for the flexible working policies that enabled her to remain in her position while raising a young family.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 26

In the second part of our conversation with Chrissie, she discusses the challenges she faced during the training for her role in the RAF. To help her overcome this, she shares with Harriett how she found “another little family” within the Air Force, especially in the extracurricular sporting opportunities it presented. Despite the stresses of her course, Chrissie was ultimately successful in graduating as an area radar operator at the first attempt, and what follows was an extremely impressive progression in the field, including a deployment to Afghanistan.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 25

The first episode with our final studio guest of the series sees Chrissie Miller catch up with Harriett. The current RAF Group Captain discusses her childhood and military upbringing, with both parents serving in the Navy, and how she left university with a sports science degree but very little firm career direction. With the military calling, Chrissie goes on to describe how she approached the interview process, and explains why working in an office role at Vodaphone was the perfect training to become an RAF Air Traffic Controller!

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 24

For our final episode in conversation with Al, he and Harriett discuss the importance of role models while reflecting on his speaking visit to a school, where he was inspired by the childrens’ interest in aviation; conversation also covers the real and perceived barriers for various demographics, and how this can be improved by those within the industry.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 23

In the second part of our conversation with Allister Bridger, he discusses his role as Director of Flight Operations with British Airways during the coronavirus pandemic, and the challenges that he faced during the greatest period of uncertainty in aviation history. Al shares how he chooses to project confidence in these situations, even if internally he is “always catastrophizing”, and describes how this relates to his core values.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 22

The first part of our interview with our next guest, Allister Bridger. From a typical childhood in Tunbridge Wells, to a career in the Royal Air Force, and subsequently rising to such positions as Director of Flight Operations at British Airways, flying has been a huge part of Al’s life. But initially, living under the glide path for Gatwick Airport was only “peripheral”, and it wasn’t until a family holiday at the age of 12 on a Monarch airliner that he caught the flying bug! From that initial spark, Al describes to Harriett how the goal of being a pilot informed his choices of subjects in school, and how the RAF Air Cadets were an invaluable factor in achieving his PPL and ultimately his flying dreams.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 21

We close our conversation with Katy Lee MBE, with a discussion around the importance of mental health and the importance of support across all industries and working environments. Katy was responsible for establishing Pilots Together, a text service for confidential mental health support for pilots, and she speaks movingly about how the loss of her father has fed her drive to support these measures. Katy and Harriett also share advice on reaching out for help, and how to recognise the signs in your own mental health that indicate you might need support.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 20

In the second part of our conversation with Katy, she discusses with Harriett what she learned during her time as a teacher. She describes how some of the skills she applied to her teaching are applicable to everyday life, especially in her current training roles. On a similar note, Katy describes her role within the Air Training Corps, and how her involvement has grown to include taking part in expanding the use of drones and new technology for young people.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 19

Our next guest is Katy Lee MBE: a First Officer on the 737-800, RAF Air Training Corps officer, and Chair of Trustees for the charity Aviation in Reach. Such a passion for flying is unsurprising given Katy’s upbringing by her flight crew parents - Katy was able to pursue this passion despite academic pressures in school, by heading straight to flying school as opposed to university. Together with fellow commercial pilot Harriett, she discusses some of the challenges that she faced in her training, as well as the positive impact that gender neutral language and policies can have in creating an equitable platform.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 18

In the final part of our conversation with Dr Catherine Ruddick, she discusses with Harriett how therapy and communication has helped her to confront the well-intentioned but unhelpful coping strategies she had developed in childhood. These new strategies have led to Catherine’s increased mental resilience, which has been vital in bouncing back and reaching out when at a low ebb. In an emotional closing to our conversation, Catherine also opens up on her feeling of being “different”, both as a woman in the Army but especially as a gay woman, at a time when it was still ‘incompatible with service life’.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 17

For the third part of our conversation with Dr Catherine Ruddick, we learn about how opening up about mental health struggles can have a transformative effect on quality of life. Catherine describes to Harriett how her first experience of verbalising these struggles with a therapist at Headley Court has led to a healthier lifestyle with open dialogues. This took on a greater significance when Catherine was medically discharged from the Army, and had to find a new career. Having found her new calling as a GP, Catherine describes the challenges and delays that marked her journey towards her current position, and reflects on the resilience that she developed along the way - something that was to become vital during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 16

For the second part of our conversation with Dr Catherine Ruddick, she discusses how her foray into physiotherapy reawakened a medical passion, and coincided with an inexorable pull back to military life. Having joined the Territorial Army, Catherine was able to complete the training required to become a surgeon in the Armed Forces. However, despite these successes, she shares with Harriett how this still led to an identity crisis, and mental health struggles. In her recuperation time, Catherine embarked on a journey to “find me”, and discusses the things she learned: the importance of being assertive in saying no when struggling, the benefit of counselling and sharing her thoughts and feelings, and gaining a sense of perspective on the challenges she was facing.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 15

In the first of our episodes in conversation with Dr Catherine Ruddick, we hear how Catherine was fixated on flying from a young age, growing up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. Moving quickly from the Air Cadets, through a University Air Squadron, Catherine was successful in her application to the RAF. Her career as a prospective Navigator was cut short by injury however, and she discusses with Harriett how her response to the setback of a medical discharge, and how her upbringing taught her to reframe these challenges, and believe that “you can do anything that you want to”.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 14

In the final part of our conversation with Brian Wheeler, attention turns to his recovery; having fought the odds by even walking again, he describes his journey back to running, culminating in a half marathon. In more recent years, Brian has also returned to flying, and even celebrated the 5th anniversary of being told he would never walk again, by walking the length of a marathon around New York City. Throughout, Brian is candid in describing the physical struggles he has faced, as well as challenging the perceptions around hidden disability. Other topics of discussion include the importance of empathy in leadership, and the future of disabled aviation.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 13

Having overcome the prognosis of never walking again, Brian describes how his recovery was further disrupted by more uncertainty around his health. Yet, these challenges were met by Brian’s indomitable stubbornness, and also the friendships made with fellow patients, such as Tariq. In refusing to be cowed by the adversity he faced, Brian became a self-described ‘cantankerous old git’, and there is perhaps no better example than when he refused to follow his hospital’s instructions to pick a wheelchair “for the rest of your life”.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 12

In part two of our chat with Brian Wheeler, he and Harriett discuss the role that confidence and perception play in perpetuating the gender gap. Brian reflects on a conversation with a colleague about the reversal of gender balance, and how this helped him to understand the barriers to diversity that remain. From there, Harriett and Brian discuss equity versus equality, leadership, and the toxic influence of technology and social media in the modern age: especially on children.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 11

Our next guest on Inspire-Ability is Aerobility COO, NATS Deputy General Manager, and disability advocate Brian Wheeler. In the first of four episodes in conversation with Brian, Harriett discusses the impact of his naval upbringing, and how his early dream to fly led to a single-minded pursuit of a British Airways cadetship during his latter schooling. Although this determination would lead to academic struggles, Brian’s passion for flight was little diminished, and an eventful month in the USA allowed him to gain his PPL.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 7

In our final episode with Harvey, he shares with Harriett how he overcame the challenges discussed in episode 6. In coping with this, and as a way of responding to failure, we learn how therapy has positively impacted on Harvey’s daily life, and offered a fresh perspective on other regular challenges. From coming off social media to reconnecting with family, these recent changes have been profound, and have enabled Harvey to focus on his work in managing important advocacy movements for Aerobility, and completing a secondment with NATS. Other themes explored include the difficulties of imposter syndrome, and the importance of diversity in all aspects of life, and aviation.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 6

In our second episode in conversation with Harvey, we learn how a trip to Africa as a teenager led to a change in his life approach. Being thrown in at the deep end as a shy child, Harvey shares how he spent weeks “making friends and making people laugh”, and he came away with a greater awareness of the importance of a support network. In his exit interview, Harvey joked that as a nervous flyer, he “might as well get a pilot’s license”; sure enough, through Aerobility he has found a passion and a community. What started as a hobby became a new way of life, and we learn how these changes encouraged Harvey to move away from medication, in order to meet certain PPL medical requirements.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 5

Our second guest on this new series of Inspire-Ability is Harvey Matthewson. Anyone that has visited Aerobility in recent years will likely recognise Harvey and his laugh, as he has gone from being a front-desk volunteer, to the Ground Services Manager for Aerobility as well as managing the charity’s Equal Skies Charter advocacy initiative. In the first of three episodes in conversation with Harvey, we learn how his early years were formative both for himself, but also his family. He shares with Harriett the barriers that he faced in primary school, as his cerebral palsy began to affect his speaking and writing, and marked him as the odd one out. Despite this, Harvey describes how his “character building” childhood was no different to most, and how no adaptations were made if they could be avoided.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 4

In the final part of our conversation with Captain Emma Henderson MBE, we learn how implementing the changes discussed in episode 3, meant that Emma “breezed” through her second Command Course, and she discusses with Harriett how these changes went on to make her a better airline Captain. It was not all plain sailing for Emma however, as we learn the shocking details of her brother-in-law’s kidnap in Colombia, and how she and her family learned to cope with their lack of control over such an ordeal.

More recently, we learn how the COVID pandemic led Emma into a change of careers, from her role as a Captain with easyJet, to the CEO of the NHS support charity ‘Project Wingman’. Emma explains how she recognised the difficulties approaching the health sector, and how she worked with industry colleagues to “put an arm around” NHS workers in their darkest days. This new role as a charity CEO has brought its own rewards and challenges however, and Emma opens up on her feelings of imposter syndrome, both as a CEO and as a public speaker, among her many ongoing roles and commitments.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 3

In the third offering from our conversation with Captain Emma Henderson, she expands on our previous episode’s ‘capacity bucket’ theory, and discusses the importance of accepting help when it is offered.

Having suffered from demyelinating neuropathies and being told she may spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair, Emma describes how she was “lucky to survive”, and yet felt a need to keep flying up until the point her ailments proved debilitating, in order not to “let the side down”. In an open and frank conversation, Emma opens up to Harriett about how she then failed “Command Course 1” by leaping back into the process too soon, and how she has since responded to these setbacks and her “second chance at life” by reevaluating her acceptance of support, and how she now approaches challenges in her many roles as a public speaker and charity CEO.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 2

In this episode, Emma shares with Harriett how her love of flying first began at the age of 18, and how a series of coincidences led to joining a University Air Squadron; having also met her husband on UAS, and moving to New Zealand to support his RAF career, she was able to resume her flying lessons - but under one condition: “if I start flying again, I’m not stopping.”

Emma discusses how this led to a career as a commercial pilot upon returning to the UK, and all of the challenges that had to be overcome in this time. A key topic in this episode is the importance of a support network in managing stressful situations, and how Zammo’s “Just Say No” attitude can be employed to manage your own ‘capacity bucket’.

Inspire-Ability Series 2 Episode 1

We are back for a second series! Our first guest is Captain Emma Henderson MBE who chats to our host Harriett about her life: from being a military spouse through to starring in ‘Inside the Cockpit’ while a Captain with easyJet.

In this first episode, Emma reflects on her childhood and the sources of inspiration that she drew on. We also learn how change can bring huge opportunities, after her husband’s RAF career took their family across the world to New Zealand. In what she describes as the “best years of our life”, Emma was able to reignite her passion for flying, as well as discovering new ways of life - including triathlon running!

Inspire-Ability Episode 24

In the final part of our chat with Tetyana, she and Harriett discuss women in aviation, from the lack of role models for girls to the dearth of aviation in education. Tetyana is a key proponent of the importance of airshows for inspiring young aviators, and she explains the challenges now that there are more pathways for girls into flying, but fewer airshows at which to inspire them. Role models is a key theme in this episode: Tetyana reflects on how she lacked her own when growing up, and is prompted to consider her own role now in inspiring young pilots.

We also hear how a film about a Nobel Prize-winning mathematician helped Tetyana to understand her own mental health condition, and how encouragement to be the best that you can be, can help you to take control of the situation. In setting these mental health goals, Tetyana is able to focus more on the pathway to getting there rather than the obstacles in her path.

Inspire-Ability Episode 23

In the third part of our conversation with Tetyana Shevchenko, we hear how she approached “fitting in”, after concerns were raised that her short stature would limit her ability to fly classic jets. In this particularly literal case, Tetyana adapted herself to her surroundings to achieve success, and she reflects on the importance of resilience - especially in the complex world of heritage aircraft operations.

The capacity of heritage aircraft to help re-establish “world-leading aviation” in Britain is also discussed, as well as as Tetyana’s role as a UK Aviation Ambassador for the Department for Transport.

Inspire-Ability Episode 22

In our second episode with Tetyana Shevchenko, the focus is on learning and managing stress levels in a learning environment. We hear about the importance of building a support network and working with other people, as well as the importance of mental health and how being aware of it helps minimise the pressures you might put on yourself. Tetyana prefers instead to “vegetate”, to de-stress and enjoy natural environments; these skills can then be applied to all areas - in Tetyana’s case to the world of heritage jet flying! Much like her discovery of the B-52, it was a chance encounter at North Weald that led to an interest in classic jet operations, and despite the challenges Tetyana has become a pillar of the community, and she is self-effacing in describing her route to flying the Vampire and Jet Provost.

Inspire-Ability Episode 21

Our next guest of the series, Tetyana Shevchenko is an experienced pilot, and the only female heritage jet pilot flying the Jet Provost. She discusses with Harriett how her behaviour has changed from childhood, when she had been a sickly child that struggled in social situations. Having grown up in Ukraine, Tetyana then moved to the UK to become a software engineer, and it was a chance encounter with a B-52 Stratofortress at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, that inspired an interest in learning to fly. Tetyana discusses the hurdles she faced in gaining her PPL, and how she went from being the longest-serving student at her school, to a well-respected aerobatic pilot with the respect of her peers.

Inspire-Ability Episode 20

This is the final part of our trilogy with Mike Miller-Smith, the “Accidental CEO” of Aerobility. Having discussed the past, Mike talks about the future with Harriett, and reflects on some of the challenges of integrating disabled people into aviation operations. He is drawn on subjects relating to leadership and people management, and we hear the importance of empathy and in understanding a diverse range of viewpoints when implementing a decision.

Despite his many successes, Mike is still susceptible to imposter syndrome, however he is clear in maintaining that a little self-doubt can make us better, and how he learned a “nothing is impossible” mentality at a young age, from some of his flying mentors. In all of this, Mike remains humble, and he shares with Harriett how he takes inspiration from the people around him, and how teamwork remains a core principle in his charity and his life, because “together we make such a difference”.