Interesting, all that.
Sure comes across as ranting & raving by former employees with a chip on the proverbial shoulder. Not very professional, I must add. Then again, maybe that's why they left in the first place.
Being associated with this particular operation, and on the chance of looking like the defence counsel, I feel I have to put the record straight for a bit.
I happen to really enjoy my work, as well as my splendid collegues, including the elusive he-who-is-known-as-Crusty.
Us team-players tend to not pass judgement on what collegues do in their personal, free time. We tend to take those who professionally mess up aside, but we prefer to do so in-house, in a civilised way. Like over a drink.
All I can say is that within the confinements set by Dutch group headoffice and the African environment on the one hand and the various customers on the other hand, a pretty decent job is done.
There are issues of course, nobody is perfect, in true aviation spirit experience only comes with the ticket, and wherever people work together compromises are called for, with not surprisingly basic two-way communication remaining a major headache.
This operation is spread across four operating bases in two African countries, working basically for three different customers, with (tele)comms being a challenge. A high level of autonomy is called for, which some handle better than others.
Having had our fair share of non-compatible staff, it is interesting to note the various means these people seek to vent their frustration. Letters to ExxonMobil, postings on sites like this, what's next? A secretly positioned webcam?
We had a highly personable fellow who just could not fly, period. He was even sent to Flight Safety in an effort to boost his (claimed) long-forgotten skills, but of course failed that.
We had a pilot fly with us until his next medical: he left because he was color-blind and would only go to his physician in Canada.
Then there was a self-styled helicopter pilot, "Captain Buck", who refused to come around to our way of thinking, and left.
We had a pilot who flashed his ass to management not 2 days after arriving in country. We had been warned about this one...
A pilot trying to set up his own operation with a Schreiner customer, and was found out.
A pilot complaining of not flying enough, and then too much, only to not return from leave. No word, nothing.
A couple of I-do-not-know-what-I-want-to-do types, job-hopping, resigning, rejoining, resigning again....
Who did I forget? Answers on a postcard, please...
Then, some staff simply lost it. Incompatibility with the group or with the continent of Africa, professional problems, homefront problems, local girls, F&B, or a sweet cocktail of the ingredients mentioned before- they all left. This job is not for everybody.
Reference minimum standards: main customer ExxonMobil is fully in the loop on all operational matters, including licensing and requirements, through their own locally based Aviation Adviser ("he who audits most is surely remembered longest…").
Reference losing business: as with most projects of this size, project assets and staffing levels have gone up and down as laid out in the multi-year contract which called for set increases and reductions at certain intervals, further influenced by unforeseen project and economic realities.
With the limited information I have, I would argue that a lot was done in order to try and keep assets and staff on the projects, as is presently done in pursuit of new contracts.
Max.