Mason,
As for the requirement for SIC, unless the standard has changed it is pretty much that you have your license.
I was one week away from my Comm. V-ride, when I was asked to go and "watch the gauges" as you say in the S-64 flying fires. That would have meant flying SIC in the Skycrane with 150 hours total time
sadly they couldn't wait that week
As mentioned earlier in the tread, V-ref is a plus, and forget logging mountain-time just for flying over 7000....
As I said, things may have changed though.
Good luck anyways.