Debbie Amman, senior vice president finance and administration was acknowledged for working with Flying Colours President John Gillespie for more than 40 years, as was Tony Barrett senior vice president technical services, who has worked with John for 37 years. Both were present to witness the company evolution to a full MRO, interiors and modification business in 1989.

Achieving his AME license in 1985 Barrett became Flying Colours Director of Maintenance in 1988 and has experienced the company’s development from a single hangar and a small team, as he progressed from AME to DOM to VP Maintenance. As the size of the aircraft increased from Pipers and Beech 99s through to Bombardier Challenger types up to Bombardier CRJ size, so Barrett’s career progressed to where as Senior Vice President he is supporting the company’s ambition to be a team of 500 by the end of the year. “It has been a tremendous journey for me personally and professionally over the decades at Flying Colours. The opportunity to join as an AME and develop a career path through to senior VP at the same business is a rare one. It is an honour to have worked here for so long. I’m still excited to see what the future brings for Flying Colours as it continues its exponential growth,” said Barrett.

At the celebration, Flying Colours provided a catered lunch for employees and honoured 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30-year employees. In all, 111 employees from operations, production, engineering paintwork, maintenance, administration and management groups celebrated a milestone anniversary and received a customized plaque. The ceremony was preceded by a town hall-type discussion where employees were encouraged to ask questions of senior leadership; a hallmark of Flying Colours commitment to transparent management.

“We’re proud that we’ve created a culture where employees are valued and where they choose to stay. We’re fortunate to be in a growth mode right now and we’re looking for additional people to join our work family, especially skilled craftspeople and aircraft technicians. We’re confident that once they join our team, we’ll one day be celebrating their service anniversaries, too,” says Sean Gillespie, Executive VP Flying Colours Corp.

Photo Caption: Tony Barrett, one of a 111 long term employees celebrated by Flying Colours

A combination of existing and new roles will be highlighted during the two-day showcase. The business is hoping to fill in excess of 50 openings in its paint, avionics, maintenance, interiors, cabin installation and upholstery departments by the mid-summer, and is using the recruitment event as a platform to showcase the types of roles on offer, the dynamic work environment and the career opportunities the business presents. Many of the new roles are being created to support the addition of a new paint and maintenance hangar, which when finished will add a further 100,000 squared feet to the Peterborough facility. Existing employees will be on hand to explain their roles, management will respond to specific company questions and the HR team will be accepting resumes and organizing interviews. Flying Colours specializes in the custom completion and maintenance of mid to large size business jets. Every project is unique and requires the talents and skilled labour of a variety of technicians and artisans to perform detailed, hand-crafted work.

“We’re looking for additional people to join our work family as we continue to expand. We’re interested in everyone from recent grads who want the opportunity to work towards their license to seasoned professionals, skilled craftspeople and aircraft technicians,” says Sean Gillespie, Executive VP Flying Colours Corp. “Many people in other industries might not realize that their skills are transferable, which is why we’re holding this event. People working in electrical, carpentry, sheet metal and upholstery trades who want to use their talents in an atmosphere where they are valued should definitely attend.”

Participants will be able view a business aircraft and learn about how working at Flying Colours provides the opportunity to earn a good wage, excellent benefits and enjoy career progression while performing interesting and varied work. Flying Colours has operations in the U.S. and Asia as well, and employees interested in international opportunities may have the opportunity to transfer. Further recruitment events are planned for the U.S. facility too.

The event will be held Friday 22 March from 5 pm to 8 pm and Saturday 23 March from 10 am to 4 pm. Human resource and technical professionals will be on hand to meet prospects and discuss opportunities. To preschedule an interview, resumes can be sent in advance to HR@flyingcolourscorp.com with FCCN Careers in the subject line.