It is most unlikely that police pilots are going to comand the sort of salaries that N Sea pilots get. In the end it will be down to 'where does the money come from'
The N Sea pilots are providing a service to the Oil Companies and contractors that is an indespensible part of the whole offshore operation. The Oil Companies need those helicopters and have more than enough dosh to pay the current (or an increased and more realistic) rate.
The Police Helicopters are funded by the local Police Authority, these are organisations that are looking to save money wherever they can, with most of them having recently funded new and expensive helicopters, they are unlikely to want to shell out even more money to pilots (they all imagine we get about 50K anyway!).
So that leaves Police pilot payrises to come from one source. The operating companies, and as they all say that they make no money from police aviation I suppose its going to be a long wait.
Yours, the devils advocate
To Christopher Robin
If you don't object to the idea of living in Scotland, and you don't want to fly fixed wing give the N Sea a go it isn't quite as bad as people would have you believe
