John me old Son....
I distinctly remember being single pilot, two channel SAS, Mk 19 Decca (pre TANS), and flogging between Teeside and the Ekofisk in a S-58T, wearing a Musk Ox Rubber/Canvas Survival suit and Nomex flight suit.
When we started the Ninian Shuttle....as the field was being built....we were two Pilot crews.
I drew the line at night Single Pilot....Ma's favorite Son preferred having two feet solidly ashore once the Sun went down. It did not make me very popular with some of the Office Pilots but I am here today all fat and sassy.
We lost one 212 and almost lost a 58T doing single pilot night flights offshore. One disappeared and the other had to be rebuilt after going inverted (or some very unusual attitude in that the cabin attendant commented about standing on the overhead of the cabin).
What I am saying....is Bondu is closer to the truth than you are. Your experience was on the Brent Shuttle as I recall.
Bristow had been operating Whirlwinds, then Wessex offshore long before the S-58T and 212's showed up.
Also...my memory of the Mk 19 Decca is this.....I want to meet and shake the hand of any Man that ever did the Decca approach to Sumburgh, Single Pilot, at Night, IMC, in Snow, in a S58T or Wessex. That is the approach that required both a Map and Key change. I personally do not believe it is possible to multi-task to that degree! One would have to have the arms of an Octopus and the mental dexterity of a couple of Einsteins to get that done and remain greasy side up.
There has been a lot of improvement on the North Sea.....but there is no reason to stop improving yet.