LUID
STATE OF
MIND.

TEMPORARILY GROUNDED — Andrew McDougall From growing up in Sydney with proud Scottish heritage to taking to the skies as a helicopter pilot, Andrew McDougall’s life has always been about moving forward. Raised by Scottish parents, with a police officer father, Andrew’s family eventually made the move to Kiama, from Sydney. Straight out of school, he joined the Royal Australian Air Force, beginning a career that would ultimately lead him to the Army and into the cockpit as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot. But recently, Andrew faced a very different kind of battle. Diagnosed with thyroid/lymph node cancer, he endured two major surgeries and confronted the frightening possibility that treatment could permanently affect—or even take away—his voice. For a man accustomed to discipline, responsibility and being in control, cancer forced him to face something he couldn't simply train for or fly around. Temporarily Grounded is Andrew’s story of service, family, fear, resilience and perspective. We talk about his Scottish roots, life in the military, becoming a helicopter pilot, fatherhood, the reality of a cancer diagnosis and what happens when life suddenly forces you to stop. Today, Andrew is cancer free and making the most of the life in front of him. Sometimes being grounded doesn't mean the journey is over. It just means you're preparing to fly again.