Paco,
As I am told....the shortage is what shortfall there is between butts to fill seats needed on a daily basis. There is more work available in the GOM than can be done due to the lack of aircraft and crews (pilots and maintenance staff). Thus it would appear at this time (in wake of Katrina and normal expansion with very high oil prices) there is a general shortfall of helicopter capacity in the GOM.
A fair number of pilots from the Vietnam Era are approaching retirement age and that point in life where medical issues become a problem. Combine that with the general inability of the American Helicopter industry to train and provide useful experience to the new guys coming in....then it begins to explain the problem.
The oil companies and insurance requirements demand "experience" and having 700 jetrangers (or equivalent) running about the oil patch does not allow for the use/training of younger inexperienced pilots.
It is not just the operators at fault but the old way of doing business in the Gulf and now EMS industries.
There are well experienced pilots out here but when you have to take a huge paycut and/or loss of lifestyle to take up the GOM flying....very few will make that trip. The whole way of looking at helicopter pilots in the GOM is going to have to make a quantum leap in philosophy before this situation will improve.
The younger guys coming into the business are not going to endure the treatment the old farts have....nor should they.
The only way for real change to occur will be when the oil companies and operators finally agree to the necessary changes and subsequent costs....or wait for a major depression to hit again and oil prices go back to Ten Bucks a barrel.
There is no chance of the latter happening thus I see the oil companies and the operators having to accept the inevitable and belly up to the bar with their wallets in hand.
The sad part of this is other places in the world have been doing the very things that would turn the GOM around almost overnight and the same oil companies pay the operators for those expenses.