Holding Short

Episode 37 is out today! This episode was hosted by our producer Cameron in Laura's stead.

This episode involves discussions around Trauma, Mental Health and Mental Healthcare. We recognize that this topic may be difficult for many listeners. If you are not up for that conversation, for any reason, please take a moment to click away.

Phil Ralph, CD, Captain (Ret'd), currently serves as the Director of Health Services for Wounded Warriors Canada and has served in various capacities throughout the organization’s history, including serving as Chair for two years. As Director of Health Services, he oversees the implementation of a robust and exciting slate of transformative culturally appropriate group-based interventions that are clinically facilitated and grounded in evidence that draws upon leading trauma research benefiting veterans, first responders, and their families.

For over a quarter century until releasing from the Canadian Armed Forces in 2016, Phil served our nation as the Regimental Chaplain to the 32 Combat Engineer Regiment (formerly the 2nd Field Engineer Regiment). In that capacity, he was exposed to the challenges and needs of today’s veterans. Having seen firsthand the effects of deployments on our veterans he has a passion to contribute to assisting today’s veterans towards wholeness and healing. As the son of a firefighter whose family's service extends back into the 1800’s he has also witnessed first-hand the challenges that face first responders and their families.

Padre Ralph has served as Directing Staff at the Canadian Forces Chaplains School and Centre located within Canadian Forces Base Borden on several occasions. He has also served as the Senior Chaplain at Blackdown Cadet Training Centre, supervising his staff as they cared for a Camp of 3,000 personnel including up to 2,500 young people.

Phil holds a Bachelor of Theology degree from Ontario Bible College and a Master of Divinity degree from Ontario Theological Seminary. Beyond military and congregational ministry, Phil has been active in the wider community by serving on the Boards of several agencies dedicated to assisting those in need. For his work in the community, he was awarded the Canada 125 Medal, given for “Significant Contributions to Canada.” and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal. He is also the recipient of the Canadian Forces Decoration.

For more information on Wounded Warriors Canada, please visit their website at www.woundedwarriors.ca or find them on social media. They can be found on instagram @woundedwarriorscanada, facebook @woundedwarriorscanada, and on twitter @woundedwarriorCA. Phil can be found on instagram @ralph_phil.

Episode 35 is out today with guest Allison Couch! This episode was recorded for this year's Candian Women in Aviation Virtual Symposium, where it is available to stream in video format. All of this year's virtual symposium content will be available to stream until April 2022. For more information, please visit CWIA's website, or find CWIA on social media @cwiacommunity.

At an early age, Allison was introduced up-close to the intricate details of airplanes by her father, as he was an aircraft maintenance engineer. “I vividly recall the excitement of attending air shows with the roar of jet engines contrasting with the tranquility of a glider display. I have been hooked ever since,” reflects Allison Couch about her early days growing up.

Since graduating from the aviation management program at Georgian College, she has held diverse, international job experiences with Emirates Airlines, Skyservice Business Aviation and Ornge Air. As Allison explains, “I learned how to work as an integrated team member with colleagues from a multitude of cultures and backgrounds.”

Two years ago, Allison made the bold decision to transition her career from flight attendant to commercial pilot. She left her job with Emirates Airlines and enrolled in the Integrated Airline Transport Pilot Licence program at the Brampton Flight Centre. She graduated in April of this year and is now flying as First Officer on a Pilatus PC-12 for a corporate operator. In addition, she fulfills the role as their company Safety Manager.

Allison holds a Master’s Degree in Aviation Management, and can be found on Instagram @pilot.allison and Linkedin.

Anna Pangrazzi received her Private Pilot Licence in 1977, later completing her commercial licence, and instrument, multi-engine and float ratings. She graduated from York University with a B.A. in Economics in 1985 and completed a degree in Humanities in 2002.

All of this she has done in addition to accumulating extensive flying experience all over Canada and North America as the President and Founder of Apex Aircraft Sales, founded in 1988. Anna also became an agent for the sale of new Cessna Aircraft for Leggat Aviation Inc. in 1996 and would go on to receive the Robert Ames Gold CSTAR Award from Cessna, for Excellence in Retail Sales in 2000 and 2001. More recently, she and Leggat Aviation Ltd. were named the Eastern Canada Sales Representative for the Cessna Caravan.

Anna is a long-time member of the International Organization of Women Pilot’s and The Ninety Nines, continuing to be active in the First Canadian Chapter having held various offices over the years. She has previously been the Governor of the East Canada Section and also the head of Operation Skywatch: a joint program encompassing the flight monitoring and photographing of land, water and air pollution in Ontario by volunteer pilots of the Ninety-Nines in collaboration with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment from 1985-1988.

In addition to her numerous professional roles, Anna volunteers her time as Vice-President of the Northern Lights Aero Foundation, an organization formed in 2009 to recognize women who have made significant contributions to Aviation and Aerospace in Canada.

In 2013, Anna received the Governor’s Service Award from the East Canada Section of the Ninety-Nines. In 2014, she was inducted into the Ninety-Nines International Forest of Friendship. She has also been recognized by the 2013 Women’s Courage Awards in the Amelia Earhart category and has been recognized by the Women of Influence organization as a Diversity Champion for her work on the Northern Lights Aero Foundation. She has also previously been Director for the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame.

A member of AOPA, COPA, WIA (Women in Aviation International), WOAW (Women of Aviation Week) and WIA-C (Women in Aerospace – Canada), a Director on the Board for Hope Air, and the current co-chair of Rally for the Cure for the Ewings Cancer Foundation, Anna is busy coordinating events and air rallies across Canada. She lives in Toronto and has one son, Jesse.

The Northern Lights Aero Foundation can be found on their website (https://northernlightsaerofoundation.com/), Instagram @northernlightsaero, and Facebook @northernlightsaero. Apex Aircraft Sales can be found on their website (www.apexaircraft.com), Instagram @apexaircraft and Facebook @apexaircraftsales. Anna can be found on LinkedIn.

Aaron Doherty has been fascinated by everything associated with the sky above us his entire life, with both flying and learning being at the forefront of his interests. It makes sense then, that once he found himself in aviation he was drawn to instructing as he began working with Harv’s Air.

Aaron enjoys learning, and brings his enthusiasm for knowledge to his teaching, both in the airplane and on the ground. For him, the teaching aspect of flight training is almost as much fun as flying itself, and his work through PilotTraining.ca and Harv's Air has guided many aviators as they make their journey towards the heavens above.

In fact, Holding Short’s entire production team has been instructed by Aaron through PilotTraining.ca, without ever having been in the same class room! One of the most recognizable ground school instructors in Canada, we are so excited to have him join us!

For more information on courses available through pilottraining.ca, please visit their website (www.pilottraining.ca) or you can find Harv's Air on Facebook @harvsair and Instagram @harvsairschool and Harv's Air Inverted on Facebook and Instagram @Harvsairinverted

Dr. Farah Alibay has been a Systems Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the past seven years. She is currently a system engineer on the Perseverance rover, which landed on Mars on February 18, 2021. She has held a number of tasks on this mission, including testing its mobility system, supporting preparations for surface operations, and now leading tactical shifts during surface operations as well as being the operations interface with the Mars Helicopter technology demonstration: Ingenuity. Ingenuity performed the first powered flight on another planet in April 2021.

Prior to joining the M2020 team, Dr. Alibay worked on the inSight Mars Lander, as well as its companion: the Mars Cube One (MarCO) CubeSats.

Dr. Alibay possesses an undergraduate and master’s degree from the University of Cambridge in the U.K., and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, all in Aerospace Engineering.

Dr. Farah Alibay can be found on Instagram @trifarahtops and on Twitter @farahalibay. Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory can be found on their website, as well as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @nasajpl.