I've already owned up to being one of those "jabbering ballast" in the back.
To Fareastdriver - you have obviously never sat in the back for 3 hours plus. The 332 family are at best an unpleasant passenger experience.
I still recall my first ride in the 'new' 225 - marginally better seats but the same crush, where was the new aircraft?
I also remember riding in the 234. Frankly the only people you could force into the damn thing would be squaddies. Noisy, vibration levels which could shake you out of the seat and a seat pitch which makes the 332 seem spacious. Only oil companies thought them a good idea as they represented potential cost savings.
Obviously this is a pilot's forum, but I never cease to be surprised by helicopter pilots not understanding that they only have jobs to get, offshore at least, passengers safely from one place to another. All the pilot aids and wonderful other stuff counts for nothing. Then remember that if the passengers were actually paying for the flights and choosing the carrier / aircraft a lot of these aircraft would be lying in the back of a hangar.
The S-92 is the best of a poor lot. Still got high vibration levels and noise and the windows are far too small. But is just about does it. 139 just big enough and almost pleasant. 76? great with half load not nice otherwise. 200 series Bells? squaddy material again.
Worth remembering that the jibbering masses are the reason offshore types have jobs. Comparing the early days of offshore exploration with today's timetabled, mass transport very much ignores most of the progress of the last 30 odd years. On a modern platform just getting to and from it represents half the risk an offshore worker faces. They feel they have some control over their half, they have none over the helicopter portion. So then the new, "better, safer" types come in, and set the safety improvements a long way back........