Delivering for Scilly | Issue 11 | May 2023

Delivering for Scilly World Pilot Gig Championships

How we overcame four days of weather disruption on one of the busiest weekends of the year.

New vessel update

Find out the latest news on funding for our vessel replacement project.

New pilots

Skybus welcomes two more pilots to the team.

Steamship

Steamship

Steamship Isles of Scilly

Steamship

Delivering for Scilly

All service links are now up and running for the 2023 season.

(pg 6-7)

Welcome to the spring issue of Delivering for Scilly magazine, full of the latest company news. It has been a busy, eventful and, at times, challenging season so far. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you, as always, for your continued commitment.

Congratulations to our new Hangar Foreman, Kevin Rouncefueld. (pg 12)

Committed to delivering for Scilly - our customer feedback.

(pg 8-9)

New brand partnerships with Red Paddle Co and Forthglade.

(pg 10-11)

Celebrating 10 years of our Land’s End Airport’s passenger terminal.

(pg 14)

New vessels update - private funding secured.

(pg 18-19)

We’d like to send a big warm welcome to all our new and returning seasonal employees!

The 2023 edition of our exclusive onboard magazine, S-Mag, is out now. It is the result of months of work from the marketing team – from researching and writing features to advertising and design. We hope you agree it’s a great read, and probably our best magazine yet1

With grateful thanks to all team members who’ve helped contribute articles and photos. Opinions expressed are the authors’ and not necessarily those of the company. Whilst every effort is made to ensure total accuracy Isles of Scilly Steamship Group cannot be help responsible for any errors or omissions within this magazine.

Application for an ADS-B Zone

Further to the Radio Mandatory Zone airspace being granted at Land’s End Airport in November 2021, we are now applying for an ADS-B Zone. This will allow an aircraft to broadcast its GPS position, enabling Air Traffic Control and pilots to electronically “see” each other – a game changer in aviation.

Meetings with the Civil Aviation Authority started in March and the application process is expected to take up to two years to complete.

Breathing apparatus exercise

In February, St Just Community Fire Station visited Land’s End Airport to perform a breathing apparatus exercise.

During the evening, firefighters performed a number of tasks including search techniques, door entry procedures, entry control and first aid.

The station has thanked Isles of Scilly Steamship Group for allowing firefighters to use the airport buildings, giving them the opportunity to practice off station, while gaining an understanding and familiarisation of the buildings.

Electric car charging points

Five electric vehicle charging points are now up and running in the car park at Land’s End Airport. Each point provides up to 7kW of charging power from a standard 32Amp, Type 2 socket (bring your own charging lead).

The EV points are available through the Tap Electric app and are charged at 40p per kW including VAT.

Cafe Updates

Western Rocks Café at Land’s End Airport has had a makeover – and a total menu overhaul – to kick-start the 2023 season.

The café, which has incredible views, now has a growing reputation among locals as well as from people flying from the airport.

This is mostly due to the efforts of supervisor Rohan Wingham, who, with 10 years’ experience in hospitality, took over the running of the café last October.

He explained: “When I joined the café we were buying everything in, but I want to ensure quality and freshness – and to grow our trade – so now we champion homemade and Cornish produce where possible.

“We try to utilise the skills we have on the team, so we make things like our own sandwiches, soups and nachos with fresh local ingredients, and use local suppliers such as Paul’s bread, which is delivered daily, and a local bakery called Lavender’s for our pasties and pastries.

“We are also catering for different dietary requirements, including vegan, dairy free and gluten free, and of course now sell alcohol after gaining a licence in January. There have been a lot of positive changes.”

Rohan estimates 85% of café customers are Skybus passengers, with the remaining 15% being passing trade.

He said: “The location makes it really unique. Not only are there views of the sea and the coastline but the busy airfield too. It’s quite unusual for an airport café to be open to the public as well as passengers.”

As well as the new menu, the café gift shop now stocks Skybus branded merchandise, including mugs, keyrings, magnets and pencils, and has introduced a “Scilly Showcase”, with work from a different island artist/maker each month.

Western Rocks Café is open from 07:15 to 17:00 six days a week.

Gig weekend THANK YOU!

An almost unprecedented four days of foggy weather meant we had to pull out all the stops to transport hundreds of disrupted gig rowers to the islands in time for the World Pilot Gig Championships over May Bank Holiday weekend.

Skybus was forced to cancel all flights in the three days leading up to the championships due to poor visibility.

But thanks to meticulous forward planning and remarkable teamwork from all involved, we’re delighted to say every disrupted passenger was contacted in advance to discuss their travel options.

The efforts have been a shining example of the Company at its best - proactive transport management by all departments and all with the outstanding service our customers have come to expect.

Chief Executive Stuart Reid said: “There have been many hundreds of positive social media messages online and positive BBC radio interviews from gig rowers about the care given to passengers and

continuous communications which has kept passengers updated.

“This dedicated service would not have been possible without an amazing team effort over the past four days with all employees going above and beyond and with some very early starts and late finishes.

“A very big thank you on behalf of the Company to all departments for your hard work, exceptional customer care in transporting passengers (and their luggage) and for ensuring a successful start to the gig championships.”

Skybus flew 223 of the 1,513 passengers due to travel between Wednesday 26th and Saturday 29th April. These were all on Wednesday 26th, when the weather was better than forecast.

1,034 passengers were transferred to Scillonian III, with an extra sailing arranged on Friday 28th for the disrupted Skybus passengers

There were 472 transfers to Penzance for the departure

at 6.30am. Coaches departed from Exeter Airport at 3am and Land’s End Airport at 5am to transport passengers to the quay.

Skybus operations and passenger handling teams at St Mary’s and Land’s End contacted passengers and gave advice on their options as well as keeping disrupted passengers up-to-date at the airports and finding accommodation when their flights were cancelled. The phones literally did not stop ringing from Tuesday 25th when the first advisory was issued until the ship sailed on Saturday 29th.

Over in the passenger relations team, all 482 passengers booked onto Scillonian III’s scheduled sailing on Friday 28th were contacted and moved to a new sailing time of 1.30pm to allow for the additional 6.30am sailing.

Staff worked incredibly long hours; came in on their days off; changed their plans and helped out in different departments, with everyone going the extra mile.

PHOTO CREDIT: SAM NOYE

The Company has supported the gig championships since its inception in 1990, transporting thousands of gigs to and from the islands over the years. There’s no doubt it is one of the busiest and most demanding times of the season. It’s a huge logistical operation, and after more than 30 years, it’s one we’ve got down to a fine art.

The first of 113 gigs were transported to the islands in February, and it’s been a steady stream ever since.

We can take two gigs on Scillonian III and six on Gry Maritha, so between February and the championships there have been gigs on every sailing. Scillonian has carried 52 in total and the Gry 61.

As well as transporting thousands of passengers and the gigs themselves, we ship record amounts of freight and careful planning begins months in advance.

But despite all our efforts, the one thing we can’t control is the weather.

Well done Steamship Company, you always try your best to get things sorted.

Thank you for keeping us informed and I hope you don’t get any misplaced abuse on here, but instead get lots of appreciative comments for all that you are doing. Isles of Scilly Travel always goes over and above.

Thank you Isles of Scilly Travel for organising a plan B for all of us. Fingers crossed that it’s not needed, but great to understand in advance what will happen.

Cheers – thanks for your hard work getting us all moving!

Thanks for the speedy planning, much appreciated.

2023 season underway

“We are proud of the relationship we’ve built over the last 30 years and look forward to many more years of flying to come! The link to the Isles of Scilly remains a very popular choice for our Cornish passengers, along with connecting many UK cities with the beautiful islands.”

Skybus is celebrating more than 30 years of flying from both Exeter and Newquay airports, with the first flights of the year taking place in March and April respectively.

Skybus has been flying from Cornwall Airport Newquay since June 1992 and is the airport’s longest serving airline.

It has flown almost 400,000 passengers on more than 40,000 flights from Newquay to Scilly.

It will be operating one flight a day on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays through to midOctober.

Skybus started flying from Exeter Airport to Scilly in May 1991 and has flown 227,284 passengers on 20,657 flights.

It will be operating up to three flights a day, six days a week through to mid-October.

Stephen Wiltshire, Managing Director of Exeter Airport, said: “We’ve enjoyed a long and successful partnership with Skybus and we’re delighted to welcome them back to Exeter again this year for what we expect will be a busy season.”

Amy Smith, Head of Commercial, Cornwall Airport Newquay, said “It is with great pleasure we welcome back our longest serving airline.

Stuart Reid, Chief Executive of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group, said: “Both Exeter and Newquay have always been popular routes, making the islands so accessible to people all over the country.

“We’re proud to have established such long-standing relationships with both airports and anticipate another busy season ahead as more people discover the unique charm of Scilly.”

Scillonian III’s first sailing of 2023 took place on March 20th – a welcome sight for many islanders and holidaymakers alike.

She carried visitors to the islands, gigs in preparation for the championships and even a trailer of cows.

It is Scillonian III’s 46th year of service and we wish happy sailing to all who travel on board this year.

Our 2023 schedule has been coordinated with day trips to the islands in mind. Over the season, we have several opportunities each month to make the most of our reduced day trip fares, earlier sailing times and later returns, giving visitors more time to enjoy the islands.

Our transport services are now fully up and running for 2023, marking the start of another busy season.

“ I would like to express our thanks to Emma for getting us on a flight this morning to Land’s End Airport. Phone calls with updates and changes and excellent communication and customer facing service. ”

Customer

Our customers are at the heart of everything share some of our recent comments with to all our employees for making these

“

ORCA would like to extend our thanks to the Isles of Scilly team for their valuable contributions to ORCA’s conservation efforts. ”

“ A huge thank you to all the staff at @islesofscillytravel who have given up their Sunday to open the airports in Scilly and Land’s End to make sure people could get home and a big thank you too to @trescoboats and @brandon_k00 for getting us back to St Martin’s and Fran at @keigwinpenzance for putting up with a houseful of stranded islanders - what a team! ”

“

“ I just wanted to say thank you so much for all the emails you have been sending. It’s great to have this level of information and I very much appreciate it. In the past we’ve probably been a little in the dark and it’s reassuring to have these updates with just the right level of information. I also know how stressed everyone must be trying to get repairs done and getting things signed off.

It’s amazing that you were able to send the Gry with the tug alongside. I hope everyone knows how much we appreciate all the work they do to keep us supplied with food. ”

I just took a call from one of our passengers, Louise Upton, who asked that I thank you all for the fantastic service she received when travelling last Sunday. She was extremely complimentary and grateful, so on behalf of Louise, thank you so much for sacrificing a valuable day off to provide such a professional service to our passengers after a difficult & disrupted few days prior. ”

Feedback

everything we do and we’re delighted to with you here. A big thank you, as always, these comments so commonplace.

“ Isles of Scilly travel were fantastic to collaborate with, and I thoroughly enjoyed my PR trip with them. Zoe was always on hand to help from start to finish, and her wealth of local knowledge and professionalism ensured our trip ran seamlessly, and we had the privilege of experiencing some amazing highlights in the Isles of Scilly. The campaign outcomes were clear, and the clear lines of communication assured us that she was one of the best PR colleagues we have worked with. ”

“ Big thanks to the airport staff for being awesome as always and keeping us posted throughout the day. ”

“ The reason I write is to say ‘thank you’something all Islanders should do more often rather than simply having a whinge! I was discharged from St. Michael’s on Thursday afternoon, 48 hours after a second hip replacement. We all know what a palaver it is getting home to Scilly after major surgery, but I have to say after getting out of the taxi into a wheelchair at LEQ, I couldn’t have been in better hands.

Imogen on the desk is superb, she’s one to hang onto, her manner and care, for such a young girl in a new customer facing role was exceptional. Andrew, also new, who wheeled me to the plane was lovely too.

I have to say there’s nothing better than seeing Richard Ashby’s cheeky little grin, he and his copilot got me on that Otter with the same care and kindness I’ve always been used to with Skybus staff, they go above and beyond their job description literally, and I for one really appreciate it. ”

“ Thank you for helping get so many of us back home on a Sunday. I did say thank you to a few I saw, but could you pass on our thanks to all your colleagues. ”

“ Thanks for such extraordinary efficiency, I am so, so excited to be finally getting to Scilly!. ”

“ I’ll be there for a day in May and I can’t wait! Your website is very helpful. ”

Brand Partnerships

We are proud to have teamed up with two exciting international brands this year – Red Paddle Co and Forthglade.

Brand partnerships are beneficial to both sides, and we hope to be able to reach new audiences and expand our customer bases by our work with Red and Forthglade.

We targeted both companies as we believe we have services that appeal to their customers.

These exclusive collaborations, which entail months of research and work before they are launched, will allow us to engage directly with the large databases of each company via their social media platforms and newsletters.

We are working with Forthglade, a natural dog food company, to help us showcase the dog-friendly side of travel to the Isles of Scilly.

We will be working with them throughout the season – and possibly beyond – and have lots of promotional activity up our sleeves, including an

exciting competition; top tips for travelling with a dog and the best spots to enjoy with a fourlegged friend on the islands.

One of the main focuses of our marketing campaigns this year has been on experiences and adventures in Scilly, including what visitors are able to do in just one day on the islands.

As paddleboarding is fast becoming one of the most popular activities for people visiting Scilly, we felt a collaboration with Red Paddle Co would hit a prime target audience.

Again, we have many opportunities to promote our work with Red and will be rolling out various streams of

marketing activity throughout the year.

Both Forthglade and Red will be hosting blogs and features about Isles of Scilly Travel on their websites, as well as promoting what we do to their thousands of social media followers and newsletter subscribers.

Additionally, both companies provided us with exclusive discount codes for S Mag readers, which can be found in the current issue.

We hope this will be the beginning of many future relationships with trusted brands.

Skybus Engineering Hangar Foreman

Congratulations to Kevin Rouncefield, the new Hangar Foreman at the Skybus engineering department at Land’s End Airport.

Kevin joined the Company in 2013 after a career in the Royal Air Force, including ten tours of Afghanistan.

He worked first as an aircraft fitter, before qualifying as a B1 licensed engineer – which took seven years of hard work.

B1 licensed engineers are specialist aircraft mechanics responsible for planning, organising and carrying out maintenance to our fleet of four Twin Otters and three Islanders.

The Hangar Foreman is a key role for the Skybus engineering team, and Kevin has responsibility for ensuring the department runs smoothly.

He is the main point of contact between the engineering department and the rest of the Company and will co-ordinate tasks and organise personnel, parts and aircraft.

Safety is the department’s number one priority. The team of nine is responsible for the maintenance, safety and airworthiness of all Skybus aircraft.

Each plane undergoes pre and post flight inspections daily; as well as routine three-day maintenance every four to five weeks, which varies in complexity.

On top of this, each aircraft spends a month during the quieter winter season having its mandatory annual maintenance and progressive work that is carried out on a cyclical basis.

Kevin, who lives in Newlyn, said: “The engineering department is an extremely busy, constant operation and the Hangar Foreman role is a focal point for the team.

“I am delighted to take on this role and look forward to working closely with the rest of the team.”

Gry Maritha crew trained as marine mammal surveyors

Gry Maritha’s stalwart crew have added another string to their bow – being trained as marine mammal surveyors for charity ORCA.

We have a long history of working with ORCA, with marine mammal surveyors conducting surveys for whales, dolphins and porpoises on board Scillonian III since 2009.

Training the Gry crew means vital wildlife data can be collected all year round, rather than just during Scillonian’s sailing season.

The ORCA team provided a bespoke, interactive training course for the Gry crew, where they learnt how to identify the many species of whale, dolphin and porpoise sighted in the Celtic Seas, and how to interpret these sightings into collecting meaningful data, using the charity’s OceanWatchers app.

They also enjoyed exchanging stories of the wonderful whale and dolphin sightings the crew have had in the past.

The crew has already provided a large amount of data and are looking forward to even more throughout the year. The information they collect will complement ORCA’s Marine Mammal Surveyor data to help further understanding of the abundance and distribution of whales, dolphins and porpoises in the Celtic Seas so they can be adequately protected in the future.

Justin White, a Navigating Officer on Gry Maritha, said: “Thanks to ORCA, I’ve become part of its mission and recently started using the bespoke app. Within seconds of opening my first survey at sea on the ORCA app, my watchkeeping lookout alerted me to dolphins swimming towards us.

“From this point, I realised how easy it is to record each sighting, so you can maintain a lookout and quickly be ready for the next potential sighting. I like how my past surveys remain visible to look back at, and the list of species, including detailed descriptions, is nicely laid out.

“The ORCA team has created a brilliant app and allowed me, a wildlife conservation novice, to positively contribute towards the protection of whales and dolphins. Thank you, ORCA. Keep up the good work.”

ORCA has thanked the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group for its valuable contributions to ORCA’s conservation efforts.

We would like to extend our thanks to the Isles of Scilly team for their valuable contributions to ORCA’s conservation efforts.

Land’s End Airport 10 year anniversary

Staff at Land’s End Airport celebrated the 10th birthday of its million-pound passenger terminal in April.

In the decade since the new and improved facilities were built, more than 550,000 passengers have made their way through the airport and 120,000 aircraft movements have been handled safely by air traffic control.

The terminal, which opened its doors for the first time on April 9th 2013, included a new café, baggage handling facility, air traffic control tower and upgraded car parks.

There has been an airport at Land’s End since 1935, when landing rights were secured

between Penzance and St Mary’s by Cobham Air Services.

Preparations started at a field in Kelynack with a 2,100ft runway, 4,000sq ft hangar, booking office, fuel store and basic servicing facilities.

Aviation has been a vital part of island life since the 1930s, but it really took off in 1980 when Skybus started operating a scheduled air service.

Isles of Scilly Steamship Group purchased the freehold to the airport in January 2012 and started the investment works in June 2012.

Chris Pearson, Land’s End Airport Manager said: “Last year we had

20,000 more passengers flying from Land’s End to St Mary’s than we did a decade ago.

“Our passengers love travelling through Land’s End Airport and it’s easy to see why. Not only is it a modern and vibrant setting, with incredible views, but it also makes the whole travel experience really special.”

The Isles of Scilly Steamship Group operates year-round Skybus flights out of Land’s End Airport to St Mary’s Airport, providing a lifeline service to people living on the Isles of Scilly.

School and group visits

There have been several school and community group visits to the Company over the last few months.

These visits are important to us as they not only showcase what we do, but also build our relationship with the local community.

In February, Penzance Sea Cadets visited Scillonian III. The group of 10 split into two groups for a tour of the vessel. They visited the bridge and asked lots of questions.

Master Victoria Bolitho said: “They also got to see the crane in action, which they really enjoyed. I think the adults were just as interested as the cadets.”

In March, a group marine engineering students from Falmouth Marine School had a tour of Scillonian III while she was in dock.

Nigel Phillips, from Falmouth Marine School, said: “The visit was organised as a method to expose the Falmouth Marine School entry Level 2 Light Marine Engineering students to the local shipping industries.

“The students really enjoyed the day out despite the heavy rain on the day. Great interest was shown during the engine room tour with the engine room staff providing a very informative lecture and answering all questions asked. The visit to the bridge was also very informative.”

Meanwhile, Land’s End Airport has had visits from Newlyn School and Mousehole Primary School in January.

The children, who were learning about the weather and the South West, visited the fire department, Air Traffic Control tower, checkin and a Skybus aircraft.

All involved have thanked Isles of Scilly Steamship Group employees for their time and efforts in making these visits so worthwhile.

Celebrating

International Women’s Day

We are proud to have a strong female workforce –in fact, 28% of our staff are female, including ship and airline captains, firefighters and senior managers. As a company, we are committed to championing women, encouraging and inspiring them with their careers both now and in the future.

We have long supported women working in our industries and have a history of female workers in senior roles who have helped pave the way for women to pioneer careers in their fields.

To mark International Women’s Day in March, we shared the stories of a few of the females we are honoured to call our employees.

Scillonian III Captain Victoria Bolitho, age 34

Victoria started training for a career at sea aged 22 – a decade later she was promoted to Captain of Scillonian III.

She said: “Passing my Master’s Unlimited qualification was an achievement which made me really proud. On average it takes 10 years in this industry before you can sit the qualification.

“To any women looking to get into a similar career at sea, I’d say do your research. Although it’s a rewarding job that can take you worldwide, it can be very demanding. The hours are often long and

you can be away from home for months at a time.

“Thankfully, I’ve never felt that my gender has made my job more or less challenging. While working aboard the ship, we simply see each other as crew.”

Skybus Captain Emily Curnow, age 39

When a career in meteorology wasn’t to be, Emily focused on pursuing her hobby and long-term part-time job in aviation. Fast-forward 13 years, and Emily is one of three female captains on our own airline, Skybus, flying Twin Otter aircraft for the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group.

She said: “For all society

argues we are equal, gender balanced and open-minded, you’d be surprised at how many comments we still receive from passengers remarking on the fact a woman is flying their aeroplane. And if there are two women in the cockpit that can really wrongfoot some people!

“But my female colleagues and I have found that if we let our flying speak for itself then people’s opinions very often change by the time we’ve landed and they are quick to apologise and admire the job we are privileged to do.

“Combining a career with family life can be a juggling act, and if your aviation job requires frequent travel away from home that is an additional factor for consideration. Thankfully, employment laws and progressive employers mean with the right conversations there are flexible working arrangements and support packages available that make this career as accessible as many others.”

From a young age, Rosie had big ambitions and took a Public Service Diploma course designed to equip her with the skills and knowledge to enter the public services. She is now a fully qualified Domestic and Aviation Firefighter at Land’s End Airport, with a long, progressive career ahead of her.

She said: “It’s physically demanding and it challenges your resilience but it’s worth it. I love every minute of what I do and would not change my career path for the world.

“There is a high possibility you will be the only female as part of your crew – I am. It was daunting at first, but as time passed I became more and more comfortable and now we are like a family.

“Luckily, I’ve never experienced any problems at Land’s End Airport because of my gender. I’m part of such an inclusive workforce, which provides diverse life experiences and makes my department more flexible, proactive and better able to adapt to new challenges.”

personal trainer and was even the landlady of the Bishop and Wolf pub on St Mary’s for six years.

Emma started her career with Island Carriers, our delivery service on St Mary’s, in 2018 as a driver and has worked her way up to become Operations Supervisor.

She said: “I’ve been very lucky to have the opportunity to do lots of things and I’m really proud that I’ve overcome my dyslexia and not allowed it to hold me back, or used it as an excuse.

“The best advice I’d give other women is to always say yes to training - it’s never too late to retrain. Also, there is nothing you can’t achieve if you work hard and stay focussed.”

Firefighter Rosie Tonkin, age 23

Rosie joined the Steamship Group for a career in aviation firefighting in June 2021, after becoming a retained firefighter at Penzance Fire Station at the age of 19.

Island Carriers Operations Supervisor Emma Squire, age 46

Before she joined the Company, Emma had a variety of jobs, including as a horse riding instructor,

New Vessels Update

We announced in April that we have secured private funding for our vessel replacement project, and this has been welcomed.

Scillonian IV and two new freight vessels will set sail by March 2026 in what will be the single biggest investment in the 103-year history of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group.

The £42m project will be financed through a £33.6 m loan arranged with Lombard NatWest.

The news reaffirms our long-term commitment to maintaining the lifeline link to the islands, providing certainty, reliability and a clear timeline for replacing the current ageing fleet.

We launched the vessel replacement programme in 2019 to replace Scillonian III, Gry Maritha and Lyonesse Lady. At 46, 42 and 32 years old respectively, the existing vessels

are coming to the end of their service life, suffer reliability challenges and are increasingly costly to maintain.

In 2021 we teamed up with partners on the islands to support a bid to the Government led by the Council of the Isles of Scilly. This saw a conditional offer of £48.5m of Levelling up Funding (LUF) in October 2021 to the Council for new vessels and infrastructure. However, with no tangible progress made in the last 18 months following the initial offer, significant changes to the terms of the offer and growing frustration with the delay both on and off the islands, we reverted to our original plan of privately financing the new vessels.

Stuart Reid said: “The Group has a long and proud history of providing a lifeline route to the islands for more than a century and a dedicated

team of experienced staff who understand the unique nature of the islands and the needs of its residents and businesses.”

“We are delighted to be announcing this major investment for the islands which will see vessels coming into service by March 2026. These new vessels will deliver a significant improvement in sea link services for the community and the visitor market. It provides certainty for islanders, island businesses and visitors, and the more than 200 staff that we employ on the islands and the mainland.”

For updates and to answer any questions, please visit our microsite:

www.islesofscillytravel.co.uk/newvessel-replacementproject

This is great news for islanders and visitors. Still very disappointing that despite the initial promise there’s been no Levelling Up Fund money. This is essential transport infrastructure for islanders who depend on it for mainland services, especially healthcare.

So pleased to hear this. Can’t wait for this project to finally get off the ground. Thank you to all those involved.

This is fantastic news. We are right behind you.

Excellent news. Good luck with this huge and essential commitment.

Positive news. Seems like there has been a lot of hard work going on in the background.

Exciting times ahead. I cannot wait to get on board.

Just returned to mainland on Scillonian III yesterday, a lovely passage. Well done on securing funding on Scillonian IV. A real asset to ISSG and the islands for years to come.

Welcome Dragos and Harry!

In January, we welcome two new Skybus pilots – and both are in agreement that it’s the “best job you could possibly imagine”.

Romanian-born Dragos, 33, had a career as a skydiving instructor before he trained to become a pilot, with more than 5,000 jumps under his belt.

He said: “In 2016 I decided to start flying. I first got my microlight licence, followed by my private pilot’s licence and my flying instructor rating, which meant I could teach people to fly light aircraft.

“I started flying for the parachute centre, and through this I met Skybus pilot Pat Keen, who used to come and examine the pilots there.

“He told me about Skybus and I was very intrigued. I was familiar with the Twin Otter as I’d done thousands of jumps out of the back of them!”

Dragos qualified as a commercial pilot last year and applied for a job with Skybus.

“Four months in and I’m loving it,” he said. “It’s the best job you can possibly imagine. It suits my style of flying. The planes don’t have autopilot, so it’s true stick and rudder flying.

“When you add in the views and getting to live in Cornwall, I couldn’t think of anything better really.”

Harry, also 33, qualified as a commercial pilot in 2010 but has worked in the nuclear industry for the past decade.

“I’ve always flown as a hobby and worked as an instructor in Dorset, hoping that one day I’d get into it commercially, but flying long haul has never appealed to me,” he said.

“Then I saw the advert for Skybus and decided to go for it. My job before was office-based, working on spreadsheets, so this couldn’t be more different.

“I’m so excited to be able to be able to finally give it a go. It’s a very satisfying feeling flying with passengers on board. I absolutely love it.”

Dragos Lupu and Harry Miller joined the Company as First Officers, taking the total number of Skybus pilots to 23.