I had already winkled out a posting to the North Sea when Operation Sandstorm took place. The true account of how it all happened and how close some were to not making it out makes for an interesting evening at the Pub!
The old days of Bristow were very much different since the Old Man sold it off and went on to other pursuits. He and the early management were pioneers and folks who definitely thought outside the box.
Going into business in any country in that part of the World requires some serious due diligence and soul searching (IMHO).
Perhaps the lure of riches might be clouding one's perspective if you think lucrative and exotic.....and not fraught with much risk of all sorts.
Same goes for West Africa and the old Gold Coast.
Add in the ups and downs in the Oil Patch and its related Helicopter utilization....and you can begin to understand why companies like the current Bristow, CHC, and others are having such a hard go of things nowadays.