I would like to know where purplepitot has been offered £32-35k to start as an SFO on the North Sea. If these figures ars to be believed there must indeed be a difference in the salary scales of the operators. £32k may be reasonable if previous military experience is taken into account, but don't be fooled into thinking that it will rise much whilst you occupy the left hand seat!
In my experience £35k is the starting salary of a first year commander without Aberdeen loading and if the recent past is anything to go by it may take a while to swap seats. Eight years as a North Sea co-pilot is not unheard of!!!! My advice is that if you are in it for the money, GO FIXED WING!!!