Wow - I think I must have made it big now - I get a thread including my name! So now I can retire.....OK maybe not!
Bristow Group (OLOG as was) were always going to buy the S92. Since they are USA based you can hardly find that surprising. It was bound to get into their fleet eventually. I have posted this many times.
As far as I know, the 2 mentioned are not destined for the UK, but I don't doubt that at some point we will get some. The main reason is that they are cheap and available, unlike the EC product which is expensive and not very available. There will always be a market for the cheaper option, some (most!)oil companies are primarily driven by cost and if both aircraft fit the bill on paper, why not go for the cheaper one?
But at the moment in the UK by early next year its 6 EC225s plus 2 for CHC, zero S92s. We Brits always did have an eye for quality...
From the passenger's point of view there is not much to choose between them - you can either have the slightly larger-cabined but vibratory 92 or the slightly smaller but smoother 225. But I know that the Norwegian offshore wokers unions have repeatedly complained about vibration levels on the 92 - I suspect they would prefer the 225 if they tried it.
From the oil companies point of view, unless you need the extra range / payload of the 225 for long trips, the 92 does the job cheaper than the 225.
But as I have always said, from the pilot's point of view there is no contest... So I remain very glad that I get to fly the best (civil) pilots' helicopter in the world. The detractors are welcome to their 92s - they are speaking in ignorance because they have never flown the 225 and don't know what they are missing.
HC