Mission statement and summary for a support group for pilots who have survived an aircraft accident.
Name: To be determined. Should not appear to be judgmental sounding, but uplifting instead. An example could be “unbent wings” to symbolize an indomitable spirit. Another example is “Surviving” to indicate moving forward, or any other name that is positive and uplifting. An alternative, such as a generic name like “Pilots” could be used without defining what the group is.
Target group to be served: Pilots who have experienced the aftermath of a general aviation accident. Other interested people may want to become involved, and that could be good. However, the emphasis should be on accident pilots.
Reason to consider creating this organization: Much of the post accident emphasis has been to question the knowledge base of the accident pilot, improve his or her knowledge deficiencies and present that information to other pilots as examples to learn from. One relevant view can be that most pilots who have had accidents already had sufficient knowledge to have avoided them. The reasons for failing to use this knowledge have also been examined, but often, the emotional and mental aftermath is not adequately addressed. This organization would seek to provide a safe and non judgmental forum for the target group to discuss their experiences, and seek to help each other recover from the aftermath. A primary goal would be to focus on recovery emotionally and mentally, as opposed to focusing mainly on the cause of the accident.
Organization structure: informal and casual at first, evolving into a more formal structure if warranted:
Organizational vision: To help pilots who have experienced the aftermath of a general aviation accident learn to cope with the emotions, stresses and anxieties that might be present.
Actions to avoid: The group members would be advised to not reveal information that could be misinterpreted, or used by authorities or litigants against them. This may be difficult to do while still offering assistance to members. A trained mental health professional could assist by identifying situations where professional counseling would be more appropriate for an individual.