In answer to your enquiry, Gulf helis is still operating and has been training new pilots by the dozen since last spring to replace the exodus of pilots leaving for better terms/conditions and management. Many have left already of course for better deals abroad!
Pay went up (well, sort of) at the end of the year by way of a 'dollar currency adjustment' which is basically a variable monthly -daily rate allowance to counter the plummeting value of the US $ right now. However, the company still hasn't bitten the bullet and just increased basic pay and many fear that all of the many various 'add-on' allowances will eventually vanish. Much easier to just pay a better fixed daily rate, accept that you will have to therefore pay a better annual gratuity and by so doing attract the BEST people!
Anyhow - the engineering problem has certainly strained resources and yet things still hang in there. Promises of more spares this year might help. Shame that a company that earns such fat profits from such a fat-cat industry can't just pay better wages and not be run like a private train-set by a non-aviator. Maybe companies are just addicted to bean-counters as managers! Still, are supposedly still available for those with reasonable quals and GHC have recently opened the doors to the over-60's club I am told - so maybe there is life after that tender age, after all?
