This is an “us and them” situation. Why?
The aviation professionals (and in this topic I refer to the pilots - mainly) and the oil company professionals who fly with them are both in the same boat. So why don’t we see the same groundswell of opinion among the flyers? Because, of course, most pilots have, throughout their careers done their own assessment, accept there is an inherent risk in their profession and therefore strive, via training, experience and discussion to minimize that risk as much as possible. And in general they succeed, though I would suggest that most of them who have been flying for more than a few years personally knew someone in their profession who was killed or injured in an aviation related accident. So, that’s a fact – and it’s their choice.
Their passengers on the other hand generally have no such choice, other than to change their profession- and there’s the rub. So perhaps their employers should offer a choice, boat transfer or air transfer – up to you. Of course, this would play havoc with rostering, but it could be done.
The oil companies could also do more. Most either have their own aviation auditors or hire them. I don’t suggest these audits are mere ticks in boxes (though some are), but generally they follow a certain pattern – conducted usually once a year checking management, training, experience, engineering and line flying. But there is no day to day involvement and perhaps there should be; possibly in the form of one of their own crew seconded to the helicopter operator for the duration of the contract. I don’t for one moment suggest this would improve standards, on the N Sea they are already very high, but it would be a useful link between passengers, management on both sides and flyers.
But the bottom line is that by its very nature, helicopter flying and offshore oil support has its risks and no matter how high the professional standard, these will from time to time result in incidents – and these incidents, despite the hysteria regarding the current location, will be random.