BB,
You are right.
The UK emergency services have relied too long on experienced pilots prepared, for a number of reasons, to work for a salary well below the market average.
One reason was a surplus of ex-services pilots at the time Air Support and Air Ambulance units were being set up in the early 1990s.
The main factor allowing salaries to stay suppressed appears to be that BALPA has traditionally shown little interest in this area of employment.
This caused this group of pilots to be reluctant to join BALPA, so the problem became compounded. I was at one time keen to join BALPA but events involving the North Sea market a couple of years back made me throw my completed application in the bin because I realised that I may as well throw the membership fees down the toilet. I have since moved on because I could not support my family and (relatively simple) lifestyle on the salary.
The providers of pilotage are now, unsurprisingly, feeling the pinch as existing pilots have woken up to the fact that they are not getting a fair deal and are leaving in some numbers. Also, there are no longer large numbers of heli pilots leaving the armed services. An increasing proportion of those that do are obtaining fixed-wing licences instead of rotary because of the better rewards available.
Air Support and Air Ambulance Units not directly employing pilots on a decent salary are now entering into a period of instability because pilots are NOT going to stay long, but will merely use this type of flying as a stop-gap employment. Both types of unit deserve better than this, after all they are providing an important public service.
The hierarchy need to wake up and be prepared to pay the market rate. I for one would go back to it tomorrow if this were to happen. Let's hope that the improved salary recently offered by Humberside Police is a sign of recognition of the facts and that others will follow suit.
But then we all have known this for some time, haven't we? A certain saying involving peanuts and monkeys is becoming relevant.
ShyT
