Gill Airways

[HighandTight]

Anyone about who can give me some info on the current state of things at Gill???

Does anyone know if they are hiring and what the salary and conditions are like?

Any info at all appreciated folks. Thanks!

[HiSpeedTape]

You cannot be serious!! They're a crappo outfit. A joke in fact

[Waveman]

Gill doing ok, taken on around 10 new f/os recently. Reputation as one of the most friendly airlines and good quality training.
Starting salary only around £16k plus flying pay but goes up quite quickly. Few night stops. You could do worse....

[wysiwyg]

Before people like Hi Speed Tape go knocking Gill, just bear in mind that when you are a wannabee and have been looking for work for a couple of years companies much lower down the food chain than Gill are pretty desireable. Let's not start slagging off without any qualified fact backing it up.

By the way I've never worked for Gill but would have been exceedingly pleased to have started my career there.

[2bad]

Started career with Gill five years ago, at a cost of £9000. ( % of ATR Rating )Although they were taking advantage, of the then shortage of jobs, they gave me what I wanted, a foot on the ladder. I moved on after two years. A happy company? then yes. A career company? Of course not. If they are your only offer, then take it. From then onwards always try and move up in terms of career progression and never sideways because you are having a bad day. All the best.

[salapilot]

You have to admire any company that can come back from virtually being bankrupt.Hispeed i think you need to engage your brain cell before slating someone.....I certainly would not knock a job offer from Gill :mad: :mad:

[IanBowden]

Nor me! i'd love one, and now they have the f100s too, maybe a chance to get some jet work in if you can hang with them long enough. ATR? not a bad plane to start on, i know when i get far enough to start looking for a job, if Gill offer me a job, i'll take it!!!

+ being from the North East, not far from Newcastle i would love it that way too!

Ian

[JimNich]

Just out of interest I did my CPL skills test a couple of weeks ago with a MR Mike Gill. Although he doesn't have any financial interest in the company any more he obviously knew his onions as far as what the company's problems were and what they did to rectify them.
He was a top bloke (and yes I thought that even before he did my test) and had a lot of good things to say about the current outfit.
When I get to the stage of job hunting I will definately be sending Gill a CV.

P.S. did you know, Gill are actually the fourth oldest airline in the country.

[ 16 July 2001: Message edited by: JimNich ]

[Biz]

Gill used to fly in and out of Norwich, don't know if they still do. But I had a couple of dealings with the crew from time to time, who appeared to be very nice people, completely happy in their jobs! The company itself also appeared to be very professionally run! I certainly wouldn't mind getting a foot on the ladder with them!Hope this is of some help! :p

[HiSpeedTape]

I can only say as I find. Why on earth do you think they teter from one financial crisis to the next. Ask where the money you poor suckers pay to them to further your career goes. As for the F100 Ha! another joke.

[GonvilleBromhead]

HiSpeed,

I have no idea if you are a pilot or wannabe pilot, however are you seriously saying that knowing full well the state of the job market you would advise any newly qualified pilot (or low hour jobhunting pilot) NOT to take up an offer of employment from Gill should one arise ?!? :confused:

A bit harsh I would have thought, and surely quite unrealistic ?!?

[IanBowden]

The F100 is not a joke it's a jet, something that, if the opportunity arrises, will help to further a pilot's career by giving him/her experience on jet a/c, which as we all know is something that is important for many jobs is it not?

Ian :p

[Spoonbill]

Wannabe - pay no attention to high speed, he's obviously got a serious chip on his shoulder about something.
Gill are a good outfit, but, as with any airline who have had the squeeze put on them, thet're operating to very tight margins.
That said, the crews operate to the highest standards, and us on the ground have noticed a significant improvement in their professionalism and operating techniques since they re emerged.
Biz: Yes, they still operate out of Norwich, only on one route though, 3 times a day to ABZ and back - current load factors are about 80% in an ATR43, in direct competition with Eastern Airways.

Anyway, if I were in your position, I certainly wouldn't step over Gill to go and work for High Speed. :D Good Luck.

[HighandTight]

Well, seems I've started something here!

Gill have not always struggled, and any company which can come out of a financial crisis and still operate deserve a lot of respect.

Hispeed obviously has an axe to grind, like many Ppruners he forgets the point of this forum.

I'm looking for my first airline job and most certainly would not turn up my nose at an ATR42 or F100. Should I be in the fortunate position that I get a job offer from them I will gladly accept.

If anyone out there currently works for them and wants to email me privately with any helpful info I'd really appreciate it.

At least they are still operating and providing jobs for Wannabes whom other airlines will not look at due to lower hours (not enough in a 152!)

Thanks guys!

[HiSpeedTape]

Well to answer your questions. Yes I am a pilot and I did once work for Gill so I speak from experience. The F100 operation is a joke and has been since day one (or rather day seven when their first one was taken out by a stray GPU which it was'nt insured against) Then there was the time when a few million quid was misappropriated by one or two directors and managers. The staff (some of them anyway)were asked to make up the shortfall by volunteering to reduce their wages by 20 percent. I have to say however that when I worked there things were OK and all of the bad stuff has happened since. Mr Bowden - keep on wannabeeing but raise your sights a little higher. Someone local that I know has just got in with Britannia with a US gained frozen ATPL and very very few hours. The boy done good- has'nt had to pay a crappy little airline a lot of money to give him a job and should immediately start to earn enough to pay for his ATPL costs.

[wysiwyg]

Well life would be just dandy if the likes of Britannia, etc had enough jobs to go round for every 200 hour FrATPL in the market. Coming back to the real world, just about everybody has their gripes about their early employers (particularly in the regional sector) as these airlines tend to run a little closer to the wire than the larger outfits. Gill still seems to be no different to many others in that respect. The important thing to bear in mind is that most people who join these regionals progress to very good positions on shiny jets as a direct consequence of the experience gained.

regards
wizzy

[IanBowden]

Have just noticed you are from the north! I am aiming high don't worry, all i am saying is that i would not turn a gill job down if i was offered it, unless it was along side a job flying a 757! i just love the look of that plane! Who do you fly for now, would love to know how you got to where you are etc. email me if you wish! Also, do you live in Newcastle itself? i live in Chester-le-Street.

Ian