Money is king...
It's cynicism, but only in the proper sense of the word, looking at things the way a dog would.
I was absolutely shocked to discover that most companies are in the flying game to make money. Well, that was about 30 years ago; I have got over it by now.
So, yes, there is always this tug-of-war between the bottom feeders and the outfits operating to higher standards. Sometimes the rope snaps (that is to say, there is an accident) and someone lands on his butt. And that's not always a bottom feeder, oddly enough.
I have voted with my feet a few times, as have most of us, I guess.
The situation in Nigeria is changing rapidly with CHC moving in and one thing and another. Since I am fixed-wing I am mostly a spectator to this but I am still somewhat involved. Most of you guys are committed.
(The difference between involved and committed: To give you ham and eggs the chicken was involved but the pig was committed.)
Each individual decision, regulators, management and ops, goes to make up part of the overall scene, especially how safe or unsafe it is. The more sense of empowerment, the higher the level of safety. Of course, now and then someone finds himself contemplating a sudden career change, meaning he just found the boundary of the possible. It can get pretty interesting to find a balance in all of this!