Bye Bye Bond

[industry insider]

The Bond name will finally disappear from the oil and gas industry aviation market as the company is re branded Babcock Offshore Helicopters in the next few days.

The Onshore division won't escape either being re branded to Babcock Mission Critical Services.

[vfr440]

I am sorry to hear of this development though perhaps inevitable. Who would have thought, 30 years ago, that in 2016 we would have seen the decimation of BAH, Bond, Bristow changed beyond recognition, and the demise of Alan Manns, and McAlpines, Dollar and PLM (and probably a few others, to whom I apologise if I didn't quote them).I guess nothing is forever ~ VFR

[cyclic]

II, close but no coconut.

[Apate]

It's a name change, yawn.

Time to move on and find something more interesting to read. :p

[Frying Pan]

Well it appeared interesting enough for you not to move on and instead make a comment.

Sometimes when a company changes it names, if that's indeed what happened, it's under a guise to change employee contracts or reduce liabilities. Some employees may be requested to sign new contracts which could reduce their seniority or leave entitlement, and of course pension arrangements and salary. So, what's in a name may be not quite be so trivial for some after all.

[Helilife100]

Goodbye Bond Helicopters. You were an admirable rival when I worked in Aberdeen and now you have a male chicken in your name…. amongst other things.

Speaking of Aberdeen and of things that pass. I visited the Helicopter Museum in Weston-Super-Mere last weekend and found a Bristow Super Puma G-TIGE on display. I didn't recognise her at first as she was in the 'wrong' colours but I stood trying to remember anything specific I had replaced or repaired on her. Nothing came to mind because there were so many aircraft and the work relentless and sometimes tough;although I did love it. It is the second aircraft in there to pass through my hands. The other is N5840T the W30 that is now stuck in a children's sandpit.

I am trying to say that although all these marvellous companies have gone. destroyed by greed, treachery, stupidity or just time. We are still here! and the spirit of the company and our friends and colleagues lives on within us. Just pass that spirit on amongst the young folk. Whatever the name is above the door. Loyalty, honesty, hard graft, Do it right the first time, are not useless affectations but what your friends and passengers deserve. Despite whatever our new managements and the bean counters do.

[Apate]

Nice post Helilife, some sage words indeed!

FP, are you saying that Babcock are changing staff Ts & Cs as part of the rebranding? I thought not :ugh: I stand by my original comment.

BTW the Bond name disappeared in 2002, only to return! So I don't think the OP should have said "finally disappear", as who knows what the future will bring. :ok:

Names and owners, who cares. It's the people that make companies great.

[DrinkGirls]

Apate, YOU are wrong, many Ts and Cs are changing

[Frying Pan]

Apate, please stop banging your head against a wall, that won't solve anything.

Read my post again and you will see I have included such words as 'could' and 'may'. I don't work for Bond so I don't really know the reasoning behind what they do. However, company name changes and internal factions often happen as a routine practice in the corporate world...unfortunately. This could be another, that's all I'm saying.

[Apate]

many Ts and Cs are changing

DrinkGirls, if true, perhaps the Babcock pilots need to get themselves unionised so that they are not responsible for a N Sea pilot Ts and Cs race to the bottom?

I won't hold my breath though, as history tells us collectively they don't have the _ _ _ _ _ (please fill in the blanks) :E

[nowherespecial]

Any idea on if the wider BMCS companies (the 2x Inaer operations) will also re-brand eventually?

[tu154]

Being unionised hasn't helped prevent change in T&Cs of the other companies. Bit of shouting by BALPA early on, then nothing. Far from Bond being the only one.

TU154.
(BALPA member).

[Rigga]

Even under Avincis they were being re-branded - BOH was/is going to a blue scheme! This is just a different brand as part of the takeover (it wasn't a merger) and I seem to remember it being mooted at the time.
Still, it's a good thing to happen. Some people needed a change of coveralls!

[DrinkGirls]

Apate, you are quite an angry man. I am in a union, but happily don't need it.
Details are in confidence, but a representative negotiated with management and a compromise was reached. Times are changing and others out there are trying to outbid the bigger companies for contracts. Sometimes you should fight, sometimes you should help. It's still a good company to work for

[nowherespecial]

Thanks Rigga

[heli1]

The Bond brothers are still alive and well,if not in helicopters at present. So don't be surprised if they're not resurrected for a third time!

[Rigga]

NWS, You're welcome! But don't take it personally.

[jimf671]

Rebranding?

Blue?

Like the sky?

Like the sea?

Like everybody else?


The search for intelligent life goes on. :ugh:

[cyclic]

The Bonds own Loganair and BMI Regional, amongst a lot of other things.

[DrinkGirls]

Official, no pay review for Bond employees this year. Thats going to make people want to work harder :ok:

[helicrazi]

Official, no pay review for Bond employees this year. Thats going to make people want to work harder :ok:

Just be grateful you have a job IMO

[roundwego]

You mean they have had a review and decided there will be no pay rise. Hardly surprising in the present climate, Doh:bored:

[PlasticCabDriver]

Oil and Gas company gets no payrise in the middle of a huge oil slump.

What a shock!

[Rigga]

BOH always got the oiled end of the deal...they always got higher pay but depended on their 'Industry' much more. - Did BAS get the same? - I doubt it.

[Apate]

I'm sure the lack of a pay rise will be repeated around the other North Sea operators.

[DrinkGirls]

I wasn't talking about offshore, so stop patronising.
BAS are doing well and got nothing.
Also they didn't do a pay review and award nothing, there will be no pay review across the companies

[roundwego]

By far the largest potential cash generator (and potential loss maker when things take a downturn) in the Ex-Bond group is the offshore division. If offshore sneezes, everyone else catches a cold.

Senior management obviously reviewed whether to have a pay review and decided they wouldn't review pay. Is that a review or not?

[SFIM]

I have never known a time when so many highly experienced pilots were unemployed, to talk about pay rises at all right now is almost unbelievable!

[belly tank]

Just be grateful you have a job IMO

Exactly. I along with many others have been layed off this week from a large offshore operator. :{. The shows not over yet. Sad times for a lot of guys indeed.

[DrinkGirls]

You are right of course, I DO realise that I am lucky.
On another day, if all other companies were doing ok and Bond Offshore were told no pay rise because BAS were losing money, you would all be equally understanding......... Or b.

[SFIM]

If the market allows the employer to not give a pay rise, why would they give it? they are not running a pilot charity down there in Staverton.

It's not like you will run off to better paid opportunities offshore right now, but in a year or two well maybe you would, so then a pay rise is possible.

[DrinkGirls]

I suppose that I am hanging on to the days when the brothers owned the company. The staff put the extra in because they felt 'part of the team'. They knew the bros would not use the job market as a threat. Some of us still start early or come in on days off to get ahead of the game. For the first time in many years I have lost that desire. Shame really, but hey ho, that's reality for you

[DrinkGirls]

That said, they would still be my company of choice so I am peeing on my own argument!

[SFIM]

I don't buy into this bond brothers 'team' business, sounds like a way they got you to do overtime for free to me.

[MINself]

Bond management jump on a plane to accelerate dismissal of personnel at Blackpool base due to withdraw of night standby cover.

It's disappointing to hear that loyalty and professislism is rewarded this way. I suggest Bond are no different than other offshore operators when it comes down to it.

Best keep on looking over ones shoulder, who knows where the hammer is falling next.

[TeeS]

Hi SFIM
I suspect DrinkGirls is trying to point out that old Bond, under David and then Stephen and Peter, ran a tight ship. Manning was set at the minimum level which meant that when times were good, we worked our bits off to meet the demand. The upside of this was that when the cyclical slumps hit, we weren't laid off, didn't suffer pay cuts and didn't get our rosters changed quite so much. Yes, they made a nice penny out of it but we kept on paying our HP agreements and gas bills. Some people didn't like the demands, plenty appreciated the reliability of payment and seeing the people they were actually working for around the office.
Cheers
TeeS

[bluesafari]

TeeS

Couldn't have put it better myself, I went there before it became Bond, the North Scottish days, and it was just as you say.

[DrinkGirls]

Thank you, that was exactly it.
I am still happy under the new regime, they seem to be moving forward. I was registering a bit disappointment that the companies have been 'bunched together' this time when it comes to 2016s pay review, unlike past years. BAS have just been awarded some major contracts, what a well done to everyone.

[Heathcliff]

I don't buy into this bond brothers 'team' business, sounds like a way they got you to do overtime for free to me.

Then you didn't work under it. We were a team and a family. We were loyal to the company and went above and beyond because we were proud of who we worked for and we were rewarded for it.

That has all gone under the new owners, but that's progress for you!

[SFIM]

Then you didn't work under it

I think if you go beyond your contract to help them out on a repetitive basis, that they should reward you with some flash cash, not just some half baked idea of job security in the bad times 🤕

And when they sold out and pocketed their cash around the millennium time, I presume they gave you all a big bonus ?

[Heathcliff]

Why would they?

It may be half-baked to you, but it seems to have worked OK for us.

[SFIM]

Why would they?

because you were a "team" 🤔

[Heathcliff]

You're wilfully misunderstanding what I'm saying, but it doesn't really matter. Those who worked for old Bond will know how it was, as TeeS says. Sadly, the faceless corporate world is the future.

[Rigga]

Even in my relatively short time at BAS I could see the movement from the family-run atmosphere and the slow transfer to a new 'corporate' image, to the one-size-fits-all conglomerate...

[industry insider]

Well, today is the day in the UK and my early information was close but not quite right so here it is from Helihub:



Bond Aviation Group Ltd. to Babcock Mission Critical Services UK Ltd.
Bond Air Services Ltd. to Babcock Mission Critical Services Onshore Ltd.
Bond Offshore Helicopters Ltd to Babcock Mission Critical Services Offshore Ltd.
Bond Helicopters Europe Ltd. to Babcock Mission Critical Services Design and Completions Ltd.
International Aviation Leasing Ltd. to Babcock Mission Critical Services Leasing Ltd.

Over the years, there have been lots of corporate re-brand exercises, some more successful than others, this one doesn't have success written all over it.

From an ATC point of view, we understand that the “Bond” callsign and “BND” flight prefix are being retained due to the cost of changing it with ICAO.

I would change it to COC ;)

[ScotiaQ]

I suppose it had to come but I have been involved with Bond since the mid 70s, it was NSH then. Through the years since then, I have worked in all areas of the Bond Group and thoroughly enjoyed it. A lot of years now and have subsequently retired.

As has been suggested in earlier posts, a lot of us went the extra mile, not necessarily for money but for the good of the Company, Job Security and yes, job satisfaction.While working for Bond, I never ,ever got up and thought "do I have to go to work today?" It was a good outfit to work for, in all areas and I was always well paid. Sad to see the name disappear along with the red colour scheme.

Also glad that I am retired.

[bluesafari]

ScotiaQ, And very often some fun as well, great bunch of people to work with, Sounds like you and I must have joined NSH at the same time. But I've not retired yet.

[griffothefog]

Started with NSH in 84, after crop spraying for 3 years and they gave me everything for free, twin rating, Instrument rating, and I repaid with 16 years of service. What a great family to work for and I spent many happy Years flying the first air ambulance in the uk and Trinity house in the late 80's with Geoff Bond who taught me so much.
Loved my time with Bond and a lot of it due to the foresight of Trevor Larman (wolfie) who's bark was worse than his bite 😜

[cyclic]

My induction interview with TL probably broke every PC rule in the book - fantastic! Watching him ground run a 105 in his suit because I wasn't there when the engineers asked...

[Thud_and_Blunder]

Unless you're ex ACC/RAF/RN don't even bother applying

Interesting opinion, johni - although as the ACC (Army Catering Corps) were subsumed into the RLC (Really Large Corps) (or was it the AGC (All Girls Corps?)) way back in the 1990s I shouldn't think there are many of them still around.

As for sticking with the known products of the military flying training system, I appreciate that this particular buoy has been rounded many times before, but have you considered that it may be down to the company's previous experiences of recruitment? It can take a lot of time and trouble to clear out mistakes made. Not that pilots from military backgrounds are necessarily guaranteed to be good, but their pasts are easier to put under the microscope.

During my always-interesting, professionally-rewarding and downright entertaining days with BAS, I found - as have many of the more-experienced correspondents above - that effort "in" was amply rewarded by loyalty "out". Not many employers would put a 57-year-old through a full IR, let alone do it all over again with another base pilot. Not to mention providing full TRI, IRI and TRE training to enable said 57-year-old to continue gainful employment within the industry. I wish all employees of BMCS(O) the very best of fortune for the future, and look forward to hearing how they continue to thrive in interesting times. With or without military backgrounds.

[QTG]

"During my always-interesting, professionally-rewarding and downright entertaining days with BAS..........."

All very well Thud, but you still deserted them in their hour of need..........and to fly round in circles looking at bits of wire, of all things!

[Thud_and_Blunder]

:) QTG

...BUT they'll doubtless thrive without me, and it's hard to turn down the opportunity to operate 9-to-5, Mon-Fri. Low-level ops, 700+ hours in the last 12 months - what's not to like?!

[Rigga]

Well, I guess the operator formerly known as BAS (TOFKAB) now has a real excuse to buy larger aircraft.
They're going to have a real hard time getting all that name onto a 135!!!