Leave the North Sea

[capt tracy]

Hey Chaps,

Infighting again, and no results!
If you have half a brain, you go and earn 60K plus as a chap on narrow body aeroplanes.
The wonderful thing about aeroplanes is that you have a career that progresses to something fruitful for the family.
Poor old chaps in the North Sea goon suits, on a dark and windy night in January look forward to surviving. Reminds me of the Berlin airlift.
Must tell you, I'm off.
Experienced captains should be in the 80K bracket! It's not an easy job.

[212man]

"...you have a career that progresses to something fruitful for the family."

I'm sure that's what the guys who went to Dan Air, Air Europe, BIA and Debonair all said.


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Another day in paradise

[Arfro Veesquared-Ess]

Cap'n Tracey, Oi reck'n yewm roight!
Just the same for Gingerbeers of course (unless big Al's loyalty bonus traps you)...If as we hear, work's dropping 10% pa, then it's a bit like the licencing system, one day there will only be half a dozen and they'll cost £20 million each to renew...
Still, by way of evidence that pylitz is bryter than engrs, you're leaving N.Sea....but I've done it twice already (and I still look up every time they fly over, sad git)
Mind you, big planks are SO BORING...... ;)

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Water, please...

[elpirata]

as someone who has changed career to become a helicopter pilot, and having spent the last 3 years doing my AFIC course,my QFI upgrade then my CPL's and now got an ATPL and done more than 1000 hours instructing and some commercial work. and then having bided my time waiting for north sea recruitment to pick up, and having finally been accepted and soon to join you chaps, I find it v.depressing to hear nothing but negative stuff.

Please can someone tell me something good, that will encourage me rather than depress me.



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elpirata

[Speechless Two]

elpirata - I spent 26 years flying in the North Sea and I have to say that all of the views expressed in the recent posts on pay and conditions give me a distinct feeling of deja-vu.

I've heard it all before and in my time was part of the effort over the years to improve our lot, but I'm afraid that for some reason the North Sea pilots never have been able to get their act together and speak with one voice. I really hope they manage to do it this time.

You'll enjoy your first 5 or 6 years, elpirata, but I'm afraid that by then the management attitudes will have worn you down and you'll be looking for pastures new back in the fixed wing side of things.

The big mistake everyone is making is that they think the North Sea helicopter operators are interested in providing a career and salary structure for them. They're not - all they want is ATPL/H bums in seats at the cheapest cost - and all the clients want is the cheapest contract price possible.

If all that leads to accidents, well, their attitude seems to be that they've got insurance policies to cover that side of things. It's a sad, sad reflection on an industry that operates in a hostile environment and needs real experience in the cockpit, not a continuing turn-over of staff.

Go for it guys - start speaking with one voice. Hope you manage to achieve more than my generation ever did.