Actually it's looking good! Don't be fooled by the various companies management telling you about the "stacks" of C.V.'s they have ...Most of them are useless, and unemployable. There is an upcoming shortage that we are starting to see the beginnings of. The companies are holding back to save profits and wanting more out of the work forces. In regards to Type rated pilots, (on the types still flying and needed) they are basically all dried up. Lot's have chosen different career paths, (fixed wing is booming and paying well and making it easier for the transition from rotary to fixed wing) other pilots have chosen other rotary operations and settled into other lives, and some have chosen different career path's or taken early retirement etc...
The harshest oil and gas cull happened 2 years back (Bristow's alone cut one third of it's pilots world wide) but this time round a large percentage of guys and girls have gone elsewhere and are not coming back. (I know any layoff is not good, but the offshore companies management must of had a training course in how to treat employees in the most disgraceful way imaginable, yet still expect them to fly, and then preach the safety card every chance they get?? (hence the reluctance to return)!
Onshore the wages are a joke. All of the onshore HEMS operators are short, but still expect Pilots to get paid day vfr wages when now they require NVIS and I.R.s, Multi crew CRM experience etc etc. The guy's and girls leaving the military has slowed and we are starting to see the impact of government legislation which changed the pension rules, 2006 onwards, so that the ex mil now leaving will not have an immediate pension to to up the poor wages offered onshore.
So all in all, companies, in the short and long term , whether they like it or not, will be forced to offer type ratings, better pay , rosters etc or the result is simply going to be losing contracts to those in a position and ready to take them on.
From just one year ago to today, check out all of the companies looking for pilots, onshore, offshore, oversea's etc, see the date of the advertisements and you will often see the same one again six months later...because of the trouble filling in the positions...and this is only the beginning........The only people telling you there is no shortage or is likely to be is from management??
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