texdoc, you mentioned about the experience of the military drivers going loose at 250 hours, Would i be wrong that obviously that isnt charter or RPT type work?
Would it be more aerial work therefor the risk factor can be higher?
The grunt gets paid and ordered to jump into that helicopter, the usually punter uses the aircraft much differently and is paying for a service.
come on experience does hold to its weight, I seen drivers (low houred) in civil that would kop it on the chin fly anywhere over weight etc, reason "at least they have got job". And not to put down our highly trained military drivers, but ive seen some average joes come out of that camp, which no doubt is a minority of them. But when they have trained on a helo type and cant remember how to check the oils???????? theres concern. True they might be able to fly out of sight in a dark night. So basically the military is military and the civil is civil......
ok why cant we use military aircraft as civil aircraft for charter ops, like straight of the shelf no mods? and registered.
Gee the military drivers must get sick of the" them and us" as just as much as we do.
one more question how would you feel if an engineer who just got his licence on that aircrfat started working on your ship that had a prob, when you had the opportunity to used an enginner that you had known for years to help you out..
So as long as there are the smiling thiefs out the that under cut to try and get the work and not pay the driver a decent pay it wont change.