Was Gulfstream just a convenient 'staging post' all along...?
No. Definitely not.
Gulfstream made a determined effort to headhunt Nick from Sikorsky, eventually succeeding by making him an offer no sane person could have refused and, as is the nature of the man, he put his all into his role at Gulfstream.
It's not surprising Nick has been headhunted again, by another manufacturer seeing the value of having someone of his calibre on board.
I wish Nick well, not only on a personal level because we've been good friends for some years but because, as
Brilliant Stuff says, no-one would want to see Bell flounder. If anyone can reverse the trend of recent years, Nick is the man to do it.
FL