Senior Pilot,
Thanks!
Helimark,
Wouldn't it be safer if you were flying a twin with Class 1 performance?
Of course some object to the Police/Border Patrol/Forest Service use of ex-military helicopters for commercial reasons - the agencies aren't buying sparkly new helicopters which help (say) Bell's bottom line, and give business to a dealer, etc. That's not what I'd call a good reason.
But others object for more 'high minded' reasons. The airworthiness of (inevitably very old) ex-military aircraft, once they're being outside the military airworthiness and engineering environment is sometimes questionable, otherwise there'd be fewer restrictions on civilian operators using them.
Incidentally, I understand that one organisation which does not require CPLs in all of its flying 'billets' is the Border Patrol.
I believe that there have been questions about pilot quality in some areas of the Forest Service and some of its associated state-level bodies.
I quoted a report about one Sheriff's Department.
Some here acknowledge that there are a very, very few bad apples.