I think anybody with a basic helicopter licence contemplating breaking into the O&G sector any time in the next few years is dreaming. The reality is, the pilot tree is full of recently unemployed pilots with thousands of hours experience. If there is an upswing in demand for pilots it is unlikely to be any time soon, and when it comes, the first to fall out of the tree will be those guys with the experience. Who I expect will accept any salary on offer. Taking out a loan to complete a pilot license would not result in work as a pilot to pay back that loan. Only spend the money if you could afford to blow it all at the casino, because your odds at the casino are much better.