Inspire-Ability

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. 

Episodes released every Friday afternoon. Available as a subtitled video format on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcolE-AfelXHlfWWw-KR74A 

To find out more about Aerobility, and to get involved, please visit our website: aerobility.com

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. In a frank conversation with Harriett, Harvey also shares how his disability has impacted his mental health at times, and how he has come to terms with this as part of his “journey of recovery”. From these darker times, we hear how Aerobility and his wider support network have brought him happiness, and how important positive reinforcement can be.

Trigger warning: suicide and mental health (Samaritans 116 123, National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK 0800 689 5652 or text SHOUT (85258).

Episodes released every Friday afternoon. Available as a subtitled video format on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcolE-AfelXHlfWWw-KR74A 

To find out more about Aerobility, and to get involved, please visit our website: aerobility.com

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.

Harvey also discusses with Harriett the personal changes that occurred when he left the “safe space” of primary school, and entered a secondary school with a specialist unit for disabled students. Although he initially felt in-between his able-bodied and more disabled classmates, Harvey eventually came to realize that, as he says: “it is okay to have a disability”. With this realization came the acceptance that he was able to let other disabled people in, and he reflects on this being the first time he learned the importance of open communication and cooperation. 

Lastly, Harvey describes how he feels like his life was transformed by a trip to Africa, and one big step outside his comfort zone. He embarked on his journey as a shy young man who was afraid to leave home, with a drastic fear of flying, and he returned to the UK having taken fear “out of the equation” with a new motivation in life: to learn how to fly.

Episodes released every Friday afternoon. Available as a subtitled video format on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcolE-AfelXHlfWWw-KR74A 

To find out more about Aerobility, and to get involved, please visit our website: aerobility.com

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. 

Episodes released every Friday afternoon. Available as a subtitled video format on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcolE-AfelXHlfWWw-KR74A 

To find out more about Aerobility, and to get involved, please visit our website: aerobility.com

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.

Episodes released every Friday afternoon. Available as a subtitled video format on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcolE-AfelXHlfWWw-KR74A 

To find out more about Aerobility, and to get involved, please visit our website: aerobility.com

In the second episode of series 2, Emma shares how her love of flying first began at the age of 18, and how a series of coincidences led to her 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 shares 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 of discussion 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’.

Episodes released every Friday afternoon. Available as a subtitled video format on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcolE-AfelXHlfWWw-KR74A 

To find out more about Aerobility, and to get involved, please visit our website: aerobility.com

Inspire-Ability is 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!

Episodes released every Friday afternoon. Available as a subtitled video format on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcolE-AfelXHlfWWw-KR74A 

To find out more about Aerobility, and to get involved, please visit our website: aerobility.com

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 will be back in the new year with season two. Available as a subtitled video format on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcolE-AfelXHlfWWw-KR74A 

To find out more about Aerobility, and to get involved, please visit our website: www.aerobility.com

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 Tetyana’s role as a UK Aviation Ambassador for the Department for Transport.

Episodes released every Friday afternoon. Available as a subtitled video format on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcolE-AfelXHlfWWw-KR74A 

To find out more about Aerobility, and to get involved, please visit our website: www.aerobility.com

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.

Episodes released every Friday afternoon. Available as a subtitled video format on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcolE-AfelXHlfWWw-KR74A 

To find out more about Aerobility, and to get involved, please visit our website: www.aerobility.com