AIPA ‘Stick With It’

Send us a text
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Brendyn Appleby, a seasoned strength and conditioning coach with over 25 years of experience in elite sport. Brendyn has worked with top organisations including the WA Institute of Sport, Western Force (Super Rugby), and the Australian Men’s Hockey Team across three Olympic Games (Rio, Tokyo, and Paris). Today, he serves as a Senior Lecturer in Allied Health at Murdoch University.

Brendyn shares his journey coaching professional athletes and how he’s translating that knowledge to the world of aviation. Discover the fascinating parallels between high-performance sports environments and piloting, and why mindset, preparation, and health are critical for success in both fields.

To help pilots monitor and achieve their personal health goals, Brendyn founded Huperco — a business dedicated to bridging the gap between elite athletes and everyday people.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:44 - Meeting at the airport heading to Olympics
03:03 - Brendyn's Career Background
04:14 - What does an S&C Coach do for professional athletes
06:37 - Bring a High Performance Mindset to Piloting 
07:49 - FlyingFit Initiative 
21:10 - Simple Things for Pilots
38:09 - Outro
Fly safe and stick with it.

Send us a text
Welcome back to Stick With It.
In this episode, we are joined by Captain John Cawood, a Check and Training Captain on the Boeing 787 with Jetstar.
John’s aviation journey began in South Africa, where he flew with the South African Air Force before moving into commercial aviation with South African Airways. His career then took him to Emirates, where he gained experience flying long-haul operations across multiple continents. Over the years, John has flown an impressive range of aircraft types, including the Airbus A340, A330, and A320, building a wealth of knowledge and expertise across both widebody and narrowbody fleets.
When Jetstar introduced the A330 into its operations, John was offered to take on the role of Training Captain, helping shape the airline’s training culture and supporting pilots transitioning onto new aircraft types. Today, he is based in Melbourne as a Check and Training Captain on the Boeing 787, continuing his passion for developing and mentoring the next generation of pilots.
In our conversation, John reflects on his early career and the lessons learned flying with both military and commercial airlines, before sharing his perspective on the unique challenges faced by today’s new pilots entering the industry. With more graduates coming straight from training academies and entering the airline with relatively low flying hours, John offers valuable insights into how training programs are structured, what skills are most important to develop early and how both resilience and discipline play a role in a pilot’s success.
This is a fascinating discussion for anyone interested in the path for student pilots, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at how training standards are evolving to meet the demands of modern aviation.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Introduction
00:48 - Early Flying & South African Air Force
04:27 - Airline Career Path
06:51 - Joining Jetstar
13:07 - Training & Development
21:34 - Evidence Based Training 
29:47 - Supporting Pilots During Training
33:40 - Satisfying Part of Being a Check Captain
35:34 - Aircraft Variants in Jetstar
36:28 - South African Airforce During War
39:30 - Closing Remarks
Fly safe and stick with it.

Send us a text
In this conversation, Andrew Taylor and Head of AIPA Legal - Matthew Warburton discuss the ongoing long haul negotiations and the in-principle agreement reached. They delve into the drafting process, the implications of unprotected actions, the voting process, and the potential consequences of a no vote. The discussion also covers the risks associated with industrial action, negotiation strategies, and the importance of incremental gains in agreements. The conversation emphasises the need for pilots to be educated about the process and to vote wisely.
EDIT:* We have updated the podcast as the timeline has since changed.*

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Long Haul Agreement
00:37 Drafting the In-Principle Agreement
02:42 Voting Process and Member Engagement
05:50 Consequences of a No Vote
10:27 Industrial Action and Its Implications
15:58 The Role of Fair Work Commission
17:31 Incremental Gains in the Long Haul Agreement
19:11 Trust and Negotiation with Qantas
24:20 Conclusion and Call to Action
25:20 Understanding Employer Actions in Industrial Disputes
27:25 Navigating Unprotected Industrial Action
29:12 The Importance of Seeking Expert Legal Advice
Fly safe and stick with it.

Send us a text
Welcome back to Stick with It. Today were joined here with Dr Jeremy Robertson, Qantas Flight Medical Officer and First Officer on A321.  
Jeremy started out life as a pilot, completing the UNSW Bachelor of Aviation degree in 1998, then spending three years in GA instructing at Bankstown and charter/scenic flying in the Kimberley. He joined Qantas in 2001 as a B744 S/O and was promoted to B767 F/O in 2006. In 2010 he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes which resulted in the loss of his class 1 medical and a medical termination from Qantas.  
After leaving Qantas, Jeremy completed a Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering before deciding to pursue medicine as his next career, graduating from a Bachelor or Medicine / Bachelor of Surgery in 2015. For the last decade he has worked in a variety of medical roles including two years in the emergency department at Hornsby Hospital in Sydney, a brief stint as a GP registrar, running his own private DAME business, and as Medical Officer at Virgin Australia (including six months as their acting Group Medical Officer during the COVID Delta outbreak). 
In parallel to his medical career, Jeremy continued to fly whatever aircraft his level of medical certification allowed. This has included RAAus instructing, GA instructing, skydive flying, and in-house corporate flying for a number of businesses using TBM850’s. Jeremy rejoined Qantas in 2023 and has been working in a mixed role of 50% line flying as a B737 F/O and 50% with Group Medical as a Medical Officer. 
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Intro
03:03 - Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis 
08:31 - Dealing with Adversity
14:06 - Medical School
16:37 - Time as a GP and Passion for Flying in the Background
20:28 - Side effects of Type 1 Diabetes
24:35 - Getting Class 1 Medical Back
28:17 - Return to Flying 
30:35 - Qantas Medical 
33:19 - Health Topics for Pilots
38:51 - Closing Remarks
Fly safe and stick with it.

Send us a text
In this snippet, Capt. Andrew Taylor and AIPA Treasurer F/O Glen Hunter explore the intricacies of the Long Haul EA briefings and the negotiation process that resulted in the current agreement.
CLICK HERE to watch the full episode.
Fly safe and stick with it.