Jim, there aren't many S76A models left. I don't know what those operators do. With the A++, stayup isn't a huge problem, especially when flown from an airport. In most (not all, unfortunately) Gulf Coast bases, there is lots of flat, open ground for takeoff. Operating from the few places that have cranes, boats, towers, etc in the way, than loads may have to be reduced. PC1, 2, or 3 isn't even mentioned in the FARs,
AFAIK.
I have to agree with Nick, in that if money is going to be spent, it needs to be spent on other things that are more important, like communications, radar coverage, weather reporting, EGPWS, TCAS, etc. If you look at the reports, more people have been killed in midair collisions than in accidents caused by engine failure in twins, by a huge margin. More people have been killed flying in bad weather, by a wide margin. When we go out, we go without current weather reports, without radar coverage, and without ATC radio communications, in many cases. I regularly file and fly IFR without a weather report at the destination, with no communications with the rig, and with no assurance that we will maintain communications with ATC. Radar coverage is lost about 50 miles from the beach. All hope of the government funding anything was lost in Bush's tax cut. The oil and helicopter companies could fund these, but that would cut their profits by perhaps a percent, at least in the case of the smaller companies.
I'll always take more power and more reliability, but that's not what is killing people. I prefer to spend money correcting the things that are killing us.