Don't forget all the ex-mil Pilots leaving after GW2, Afghan, drawdown in the FW market etc etc. Mate of mine ATPL H and A, looking for a job with over 3000 rotary and the last 4 yrs flying Airbus, no joy yet..
Has the US military actually recruited 'extra' (as in more than the armed forces usually required) helicopter pilots for a conflict since Vietnam?
I heard someone say that they trained 40,000 RW pilots for Vietnam. Even if only half of them continued flying after the war I'm sure they would be getting near retirement age (or passed it).
I don't think we will see 150 hr pilots flying EMS helis anytime soon but I think it will definately lower hour requirements across the board. Lately I've been reading old helicopter magazines from the late 80's through to late 90's and as far as I can tell the minimum hour requirements have come down dramatically.
Also there are more helicopters in the air than ever before, due to a number of factors, and I can't see the industry slowing down anytime soon. Probably the opposite in fact.