Hedski and Johni
Hedski
One problem with the 365 range is its size. The downwash created by an even heavier 365 would not be acceptable. At the time we were selecting a replacement we were getting an average of 2 insurance claims per month from property damage claimants and the management were concerned about the safety implications. The old helipad was located next to Whitechapel High Street and even though we were 8 floors up it wasn't difficult to trash the market stalls down at street level if the wind was in the wrong direction.
We needed the biggest cabin with the smallest footprint and the 902 was (still is!) the best contender although the latest (Prince Wiliiam's) 145 looks like it may be in the frame although the downwash may be an issue once again.
Johni
In my current post I see many pilots from a variety of backgrounds and I want to add my observations to yours.
There are many good 'self-selected', self-improved, commercially trained pilots and not all military trained pilots are as good as they may imagine. That said it is important to realise that military pilots receive MORE training than their commercial colleagues, much more. This hands them an in-built advantage and so it is easier for recruiters to select ex-mil over commercial.
The current (it's been like this for 40+years) commercial training system has, in my opinion, nothing like the rigour of a typical military system. It's an imperfect world out there and so any attempt to pigeon hole pilots is problematic. Even my generalised statements require qualification but that's for another thread.
G