You are correct that there are too many helicopters for too little work in NZ. That equals stiff competition and too little money for most in the industry.
Duty, or 'on call" times, are generally high. If you divide the time you are at the employers call by the final remuneration it is pathetic in many cases. But there is always someone waiting to fill your seat so the cycle goes on.
Decreasing the amount of allowable duty time, and therefore the requirement for more pilots, probably would make it even harder to make a living there. The limited revenue returns, already being fought over by too many operators, would have to be shared amongst more pilots so the pay would probably decrease further.
I don't see an answer myself, other than pilots refusing to take low paying jobs, but that is never going to happen. I could be classed as one of them by some standards.
I left an overseas position to try to live in NZ. The pay cut was more than 20%, and it took twice as long to earn it. Sure, the life style was better than before, but you realize that as a pilot you are sliding back in terms of living standards unless you have another income. That left going overseas again with a better appreciation of why we have to do it.
At its worst the NZ situation even affects overseas operations. So many good NZ pilots are working overseas, for what is better money for them, that this can undermine conditions for those from other nations where better conditions are expected.
Sorry I cant give any solutions. I think we, as pilots, are as much part of the problem as the operators that are there.
