feathering tickles Wow, what a lot of negativity!
Where are all the pilots who love what they do and wouldn't change it for all the tea etc? - could it be that they're all out charging around the skies saving lives, hunting criminals or flying around the world's most beautiful places with the world's most interesting people...rather than reading some internet forum??
Not every single helicopter pilot is being well paid saving lives, hunting criminals or flying around the world's most beautiful places with the world's most interesting people and also with the best boss around to tap on your back and say "great work". Before working in aviation I thought it were just like you describe it above. It isn't.