Dave Fielding studied Classics at Cambridge before making the perfectly logical step and becoming an airline pilot. He joined British Airways in 1993 on the Highlands and Islands Division, flying the BAe ATP. When Highlands Division closed he moved down to London on the B757 and achieved his command on the Airbus A320 in 2001. Since then he has been a captain on the B757, B767, B777, A350 and the A380, which is his current type. Dave has been a union rep since 1996, specialising in disciplinaries which led to an interest in alcohol and welfare cases and developing support programmes. Post Germanwings, he worked closely with BA and in January 2017 the Speedbird Pilots Assistance Network (PAN) became the first peer support programme in Europe to be launched after that accident. Dave is the Secretary of EPPSI, the European Pilot Peer Assist Initiative, and co-authored the EPPSI Guide to PSPs. In 2023 he became Chair of IPAAC, the International Peer Assist Aviation Coalition.