Crab
You are right in some ways I am a glorified bus/taxi driver (well paid though
) and but my priorities while flying are only slightly different to what yours are. We both have to satisfy the client - in my case the oil company and in my RAF career it was either the Army or the survivor. The balance sheet has nothing to do with how I operate so I am not sure what you mean by doing the right thing?
The main difference is that to the oil company I am just another contractor who is expected to provide a service. While this may be fairly routine during normal days it does get very challenging when the weather is on the limits and the customer wants max payloads. That is when I earn my money. The camaraderie is still there amongst the pilot work force but the fun factor may not be the same. There again I am only expected to fly the helicopter while providing the best possible payloads to the customer, nothing else so my working day begins and ends around that. There are no secondary duties.
I think that the major challenge that ex-mil pilots have to face is the realisation that they are not in a position of influence when they join an offshore helicopter company. They are required to fly and that is it - management manages and pilots fly - once you realise that it is brilliant!!
I have the best of both worlds, however, as I also fly for the RAF in my spare time and get the "fun factor" by being upside down at 4000ft
giving air experience to an ATC cadet.
HF