Bristows on the way out?
Boudreaux was taking a long evening in the Blue Dog in New Little Siberia....and well into the evening his neighbor ran into the bar looking for Boudreaux. Upon sighting his friend he shouted out..."Boudreaux...your house has burned down!" There was not much response from Boudreaux...so the neighbor told him again...and still got no response. He then shouted at Boudreaux...."how can you stand there when your house is gone?"
Slowly Boudreaux put his beer Pearl Beer down and rummaged around in his pockets....looked at a set of keys and then picked his beer up again. His friend said..."Boudreaux...why you look at you keys...you house is gone!"
Boudreaux....turned to him and said..."What dat you say Man? How can it be gone....I got the keys right here in my pocket!"
Slowly Boudreaux put his beer Pearl Beer down and rummaged around in his pockets....looked at a set of keys and then picked his beer up again. His friend said..."Boudreaux...why you look at you keys...you house is gone!"
Boudreaux....turned to him and said..."What dat you say Man? How can it be gone....I got the keys right here in my pocket!"
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Interesting how a simple observation, turns into a deduction and then assumes "fact". Sometimes a bit of perspective is required to settle things down a bit. The fact that this thread hasn't really taken off suggests that many of the comments made are a little of the mark.
Shlaaper - Bristow's are not being squeezed out of the Woodside contract on the NWS. The CHC machine took over from a Bristow machine whilst it was in Broome and then followed the contract down to Karratha. The Bristow machine in question was required for another Woodside contract in Melbourne which was deemed the priority by Woodside.The fact was that Bristow couldn't do both and CHC had spare capacity. This situation is hardly unique - Bristow's and CHC have covered each other on numerous occasions when machines go U/S, SAR and other recovery jobs pop up etc. This is not done out of the goodness of their hearts. It's about business and the commercial ramifications incurred as a result can be considerable for all concerned parties.
S70IP - You are spot on. There is plenty of work going about on the NWS. Further to that, there is plenty of work generally in the offshore game in Australia and around the world. Last Mon, the ABC did a piece on the lack of skilled personnel in the aviation game (in relation to both pilots and engineers), particularly in the growing oil and gas areas. Both Rob Rich and Paul Gliddon (Bristow Australia's GM) featured, stating effectively, that the sector's aviation growth will be limited by a lack of suitably qualified and experienced personnel.
Shlaaper - Believe it or not, CHC were 'helping out' filling in the shortfall that a lack of Bristow resources left (keep in mind my comments above). I don't think you appreciate some of the difficulties even companies such as CHC and Bristow's have in expanding their fleets in a rapidly expanding oil and gas industry. With the price of oil being as it is, exploration and indeed production are going ahead full steam. This means that the resources available to these companies is in demand, not just here in Australia, but all over the world. What is even more difficult to address is putting suitable bums on seats. For every new machine you bring into country, you need at least 12 pilots to man it 24/7 when you take rostering and SAR coverage into account. I can assure you that even the big players find this a difficult situation to address with other competing issues such as seniority and promotion, qualifications and experience, overseas secondments and so on thrown into the mix. With the military also trying to recruit (and retain) it's aircrew and the spiralling costs of training on civvy street, there aren't many people around ready to jump into a Super Puma or S76 and fly off-shore that meet CHC's and Bristow's stringent requirements
Bell Ted - Your comments about Bristow's being "below par" and about ascertaining who's "on the ball" are interesting but somewhat lacking in substance. Likewise, Shlaaper's comments that Bristow's have apparently "lost their enthusiasm" for the job are purely emotive. I would much prefer you back up such comments with some facts otherwise it is indeed just "Bristow bashing" and serves no real constructive purpose.
ALANBRISTOW & Shlaaper - Your remarks about job security were again 'interesting' but show a lack of appreciation of how the industry actually works. It is all about supply and demand - simple. Are there insufficient or too many suitably qualified personnel for the industry to employ? Currently, there is, and will continue to be for the forseeable future, a shortfall in meeting demand. This is of course good news for all of us. The trick is to be be in the right place, at the right time with the right skills and experience. Likewise, I appreciate that if and when a downturn occurs, job security does become a genuine concern to all players involved. Within Australia, the oil companies cannot, and do not, want just one player to dominate. To do so would invite a lack of competition and an increase in costs. What's more, it becomes very expensive to introduce a new player to fill in the void that would be left, again raising costs. In the past, if one player has lost a major contract to the other, many of those vacated pilot and engineering positions have in fact been filled by employees of the outgoing operator. A quick check of some of the more 'senior' employees within CHC and Bristow's will show many have in fact worked for the competition previously. This highlights the whole skills shortage issue.
Bell Ted - You mentioned that CHC are acquiring more aircraft and recruiting more aircrew for Karratha. Perhaps a quick look in recent Friday editions of the Australian will show that Bristow's too are trying recruit pilots and have been for some time. Some balance reporting here would have shown that it's not CHC that is expanding, but rather both players are trying to expand but are having difficulty employing suitable candidates. It only highlights what I have mentioned previously.
Cheers,
Papa68
Shlaaper - Bristow's are not being squeezed out of the Woodside contract on the NWS. The CHC machine took over from a Bristow machine whilst it was in Broome and then followed the contract down to Karratha. The Bristow machine in question was required for another Woodside contract in Melbourne which was deemed the priority by Woodside.The fact was that Bristow couldn't do both and CHC had spare capacity. This situation is hardly unique - Bristow's and CHC have covered each other on numerous occasions when machines go U/S, SAR and other recovery jobs pop up etc. This is not done out of the goodness of their hearts. It's about business and the commercial ramifications incurred as a result can be considerable for all concerned parties.
S70IP - You are spot on. There is plenty of work going about on the NWS. Further to that, there is plenty of work generally in the offshore game in Australia and around the world. Last Mon, the ABC did a piece on the lack of skilled personnel in the aviation game (in relation to both pilots and engineers), particularly in the growing oil and gas areas. Both Rob Rich and Paul Gliddon (Bristow Australia's GM) featured, stating effectively, that the sector's aviation growth will be limited by a lack of suitably qualified and experienced personnel.
Shlaaper - Believe it or not, CHC were 'helping out' filling in the shortfall that a lack of Bristow resources left (keep in mind my comments above). I don't think you appreciate some of the difficulties even companies such as CHC and Bristow's have in expanding their fleets in a rapidly expanding oil and gas industry. With the price of oil being as it is, exploration and indeed production are going ahead full steam. This means that the resources available to these companies is in demand, not just here in Australia, but all over the world. What is even more difficult to address is putting suitable bums on seats. For every new machine you bring into country, you need at least 12 pilots to man it 24/7 when you take rostering and SAR coverage into account. I can assure you that even the big players find this a difficult situation to address with other competing issues such as seniority and promotion, qualifications and experience, overseas secondments and so on thrown into the mix. With the military also trying to recruit (and retain) it's aircrew and the spiralling costs of training on civvy street, there aren't many people around ready to jump into a Super Puma or S76 and fly off-shore that meet CHC's and Bristow's stringent requirements
Bell Ted - Your comments about Bristow's being "below par" and about ascertaining who's "on the ball" are interesting but somewhat lacking in substance. Likewise, Shlaaper's comments that Bristow's have apparently "lost their enthusiasm" for the job are purely emotive. I would much prefer you back up such comments with some facts otherwise it is indeed just "Bristow bashing" and serves no real constructive purpose.
ALANBRISTOW & Shlaaper - Your remarks about job security were again 'interesting' but show a lack of appreciation of how the industry actually works. It is all about supply and demand - simple. Are there insufficient or too many suitably qualified personnel for the industry to employ? Currently, there is, and will continue to be for the forseeable future, a shortfall in meeting demand. This is of course good news for all of us. The trick is to be be in the right place, at the right time with the right skills and experience. Likewise, I appreciate that if and when a downturn occurs, job security does become a genuine concern to all players involved. Within Australia, the oil companies cannot, and do not, want just one player to dominate. To do so would invite a lack of competition and an increase in costs. What's more, it becomes very expensive to introduce a new player to fill in the void that would be left, again raising costs. In the past, if one player has lost a major contract to the other, many of those vacated pilot and engineering positions have in fact been filled by employees of the outgoing operator. A quick check of some of the more 'senior' employees within CHC and Bristow's will show many have in fact worked for the competition previously. This highlights the whole skills shortage issue.
Bell Ted - You mentioned that CHC are acquiring more aircraft and recruiting more aircrew for Karratha. Perhaps a quick look in recent Friday editions of the Australian will show that Bristow's too are trying recruit pilots and have been for some time. Some balance reporting here would have shown that it's not CHC that is expanding, but rather both players are trying to expand but are having difficulty employing suitable candidates. It only highlights what I have mentioned previously.
Cheers,
Papa68
Last edited by papa68; 5th Feb 2006 at 09:32.
Pappy,
Does all this shortage of Bums equate to increasing wages and benefits packages? Where's all the advertising for these open positions? Are the overseas guys coming back to OZ to work or they still staying away chasing the money?
Does all this shortage of Bums equate to increasing wages and benefits packages? Where's all the advertising for these open positions? Are the overseas guys coming back to OZ to work or they still staying away chasing the money?
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SASless,
To answer your questions:
Advertising for such vacancies is normally done through Friday's edition of The Australian newspaper. Of course some positions are filled through personal recommendations and word of mouth but I believe there is a legal requirement to advertise for all such vacancies. In all cases, you are still required to go through the formal induction process.
The skills shortage has and will continue to cause salaries and conditions to rise. Of course, like any commercial operation, these incremental increases are not just handed out on a platter. They are hard fought for by the company Pilot Committees over a 3 year EBA negotiation period on behalf of the respective pilot bodies. Both CHC's and Bristow's EBAs are in the public domain which is how the pilot bodies (and committees) keep abreast of what the competition is up to.
The guys who head overseas on secondment do it for a number of reasons but predominately for the tax free salaries. Some don't last for the duration of the agreed secondment, most do and some remain overseas indefinitely. It depends on the individual and their circumstances. Having talked extensively to some of the guys who have been overseas, the general concensus is mixed. Some of them loved it and some would never do it again.
Hope this helps,
Papa68
To answer your questions:
Advertising for such vacancies is normally done through Friday's edition of The Australian newspaper. Of course some positions are filled through personal recommendations and word of mouth but I believe there is a legal requirement to advertise for all such vacancies. In all cases, you are still required to go through the formal induction process.
The skills shortage has and will continue to cause salaries and conditions to rise. Of course, like any commercial operation, these incremental increases are not just handed out on a platter. They are hard fought for by the company Pilot Committees over a 3 year EBA negotiation period on behalf of the respective pilot bodies. Both CHC's and Bristow's EBAs are in the public domain which is how the pilot bodies (and committees) keep abreast of what the competition is up to.
The guys who head overseas on secondment do it for a number of reasons but predominately for the tax free salaries. Some don't last for the duration of the agreed secondment, most do and some remain overseas indefinitely. It depends on the individual and their circumstances. Having talked extensively to some of the guys who have been overseas, the general concensus is mixed. Some of them loved it and some would never do it again.
Hope this helps,
Papa68
We have all known for years that a shortage of twin IFR pilots was coming due to the retirement of a large portion of the Vietnam era pilots over the next few years, & as luck would have it this period in history is coinciding with record expansion in the oil/gas industry. The last figure I heard was that 1 in 3 commercial rated Helicopter pilots are currently flying for a living in Australia at the moment so I believe the recent comments by Rob Rich in the media saying that the flying schools need to ramp up is incorrect. We have more than enough CPL pilots, but they are not qualified or experienced enough for IFR offshore, so I can't see how pumping out more inexperienced CPL's will change this. The fact that Bristows & CHC mostly employ the people who are already trained &/or experienced highlights a basic problem in the structure of the industry - the training costs are being borne by those who can least afford it, so the supply of experienced & qualified pilots is limited by the resources of individual pilots & the small operators who get these pilots from 100 hrs to 1000hrs & beyond. I don't blame the big boys one bit for putting on a turbine experienced IFR pilot instead of me as it makes good economic sense. Unfortunately for the small operators they will have to continue to train pilots at great expense & then lose them to the big boys, so the cycle continues. Unfortunately for the pilots like me who have spent the equivalent of a family home on training, we will have to continue spending on the IR etc to give ourselves a shot with the big boys.
My point is that people like Paul Gliddon should be finding ways to finance the training of people so his company can provide the service the customer needs, not commenting on impending disaster & leaving it to individuals & GA to finance the solution. Before I get shouted down I know that the big boys will train people if they have to, but I'll bet both testicles that this will only happen when the pool of "ready to go" pilots has been exhausted.
If I was a Woodside manager I'd be happy to pay a little extra on a contract to ensure a supply of pilots & engineers. Nothing pisses a rig pig off more than missing out on his ride home.
Now that my rant is over I'm off to transfer $10000 to the flying school so I can do the IR & try to jump on board the offshore band wagon!
My point is that people like Paul Gliddon should be finding ways to finance the training of people so his company can provide the service the customer needs, not commenting on impending disaster & leaving it to individuals & GA to finance the solution. Before I get shouted down I know that the big boys will train people if they have to, but I'll bet both testicles that this will only happen when the pool of "ready to go" pilots has been exhausted.
If I was a Woodside manager I'd be happy to pay a little extra on a contract to ensure a supply of pilots & engineers. Nothing pisses a rig pig off more than missing out on his ride home.
Now that my rant is over I'm off to transfer $10000 to the flying school so I can do the IR & try to jump on board the offshore band wagon!
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Pilot Shortages
It is not just a southern hemishere problem. Up here in the frozen north of Scotland, both CHC Scotia and Bristow are short of pilots. The pool of suitable recruits is rather shallow! Very few qualified pilots and high requirements set by the oil companies mean that CHC and BHL are jointly about 25 to 30 pilots short already.
As for this shortage pushing up salaries etc, there is a problem. Those newly qualified CPLs with huge training debts are only too happy to sign the first contract a company puts in front of them. At BHL that means no pay until line training, which could mean up to three months without pay! An allowance of £20 a day, means new pilots cannot even pay for accomodation; so the very kind company will pay their rent for up to two months! The rent is then added to the training bond!! Very generous! As for training bonds, some companies still get pilots to sign bonds for type ratings they already have! Unless those new pilots are vigilant, they will get 'stung' by the company. Of course, the threat is always there; if you don't sign, your job will be offered to someone else!
So a final word to those PPruners looking for employment with either CHC Scotia or Bristow in the UK;
DON'T SIGN THE FIRST CONTRACT YOU ARE GIVEN. ASK TO SPEAK WITH A UNION REP TO EXPLAIN THE PITFALLS.
bondu
As for this shortage pushing up salaries etc, there is a problem. Those newly qualified CPLs with huge training debts are only too happy to sign the first contract a company puts in front of them. At BHL that means no pay until line training, which could mean up to three months without pay! An allowance of £20 a day, means new pilots cannot even pay for accomodation; so the very kind company will pay their rent for up to two months! The rent is then added to the training bond!! Very generous! As for training bonds, some companies still get pilots to sign bonds for type ratings they already have! Unless those new pilots are vigilant, they will get 'stung' by the company. Of course, the threat is always there; if you don't sign, your job will be offered to someone else!
So a final word to those PPruners looking for employment with either CHC Scotia or Bristow in the UK;
DON'T SIGN THE FIRST CONTRACT YOU ARE GIVEN. ASK TO SPEAK WITH A UNION REP TO EXPLAIN THE PITFALLS.
bondu
Pappy,
I was not talking of the pilots who are "seconded" by a company to a foreign operation within the company. I refer to the number of Ozguys that went north to find decent pay (at least that is what they were telling us) as they felt the rates of pay within Oz were below par.
The trend lately in the Middle East has been to recruit Spanish speakers....as one senior manager said to me...."They work cheap!". The ME operators have found that concept had some flaws. It does seem one gets what one pays for just as in other business transactions.
Are we seeing a need to raise the age limits for pilots.....is 60 to young to require them to retire?
Why can not the industry find a way to sponsor young folks for their training and bond them to the company for a fair period of time? Will there come a period of time the industry will have to pay for the training and not even dream of a "bond"?
In defense of the BHL boss wallah in Oz....he is a good guy who works for a bunch of higher ups. He swings a lot of weight but only that which he is allowed to have by the OLOG (Bristow Group) bosses in Houston/Aberdeen or wherever his strings get pulled.
Bondu...
Now tell me this again....No pay until line trained and advanced lunch money. Now I am impressed!
I was not talking of the pilots who are "seconded" by a company to a foreign operation within the company. I refer to the number of Ozguys that went north to find decent pay (at least that is what they were telling us) as they felt the rates of pay within Oz were below par.
The trend lately in the Middle East has been to recruit Spanish speakers....as one senior manager said to me...."They work cheap!". The ME operators have found that concept had some flaws. It does seem one gets what one pays for just as in other business transactions.
Are we seeing a need to raise the age limits for pilots.....is 60 to young to require them to retire?
Why can not the industry find a way to sponsor young folks for their training and bond them to the company for a fair period of time? Will there come a period of time the industry will have to pay for the training and not even dream of a "bond"?
In defense of the BHL boss wallah in Oz....he is a good guy who works for a bunch of higher ups. He swings a lot of weight but only that which he is allowed to have by the OLOG (Bristow Group) bosses in Houston/Aberdeen or wherever his strings get pulled.
Bondu...
Now tell me this again....No pay until line trained and advanced lunch money. Now I am impressed!
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Papa68
Thanks for the excellent explanation, and I agree about the lack of pilots in the industry worldwide. The company that I work for has been running 40 plus pilots a day short, for the past year. Last year no pilots were allowed vacations, this year they are trying to work this out, one of the in ways was to increase overtime rate, at this time is 1.3/4 a day. I would like to see the industry developed a way to use new pilots when they earned their CPL. I know Bristows is in the middle of a reorganization, and I believe upper management is trying to improve all the companies under the Bristows Group. Good Bye OLOG
Thanks for the excellent explanation, and I agree about the lack of pilots in the industry worldwide. The company that I work for has been running 40 plus pilots a day short, for the past year. Last year no pilots were allowed vacations, this year they are trying to work this out, one of the in ways was to increase overtime rate, at this time is 1.3/4 a day. I would like to see the industry developed a way to use new pilots when they earned their CPL. I know Bristows is in the middle of a reorganization, and I believe upper management is trying to improve all the companies under the Bristows Group. Good Bye OLOG
Gomex,
Are you suggesting OLOG and the attendant management philosophy that went along with it....went away with the change in name or is it just a change in name alone?
That Bristow Group company in the GOM known as Air Log had a bitter Union fight a while back....have there been some "lessons learned" from that episode that are paying dividends today? Change of attitude in the management as a result?
Are you suggesting OLOG and the attendant management philosophy that went along with it....went away with the change in name or is it just a change in name alone?
That Bristow Group company in the GOM known as Air Log had a bitter Union fight a while back....have there been some "lessons learned" from that episode that are paying dividends today? Change of attitude in the management as a result?
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SASless,
Apologies for misinterpreting your original question regarding pilots working overseas.
The reality within the 'world' off-shore game is salaries & conditions vary considerably. For instance, pilots flying for the bigger operators in the North Sea undoubtedly enjoy some of the best conditions within the industry both in terms of salaries and the fact that many of them are not required to tour. If you look at Africa, the salaries are again very competitive but the touring cycles can be problematic, security is often a concern not to mention malaria and other problems associated with living and working in a 3rd world country. The ME also offers competitive salaries but again the conditions under which you work may not suit everyone.
I can't stress enough that market forces ultimately determine what people get paid, based on the conditions they are required to endure and what individuals are willing to put up with. Australian salaries (within the off-shore game) are reasonably competitive if you weigh up all the pros and cons involved, such as political stability, medical access, touring cycles, cost of living etc. If on the other hand, you consider only money then Africa and the like would appear more appealing. When you take all these factors into account and then make an informed decision, you become the determinent of market forces.
With regards to the hiring of personnel by the bigger operators, the minimum criteria is 500 hours command (no turbine time required) and an IREX. The reality is slightly different however. They certainly don't get all their pilots from this in-experienced pool. Nor do they just hire experienced pilots to fill their vacancies. They prefer to take a mix of pilots in accordance with their requirements at the time. The reasons for this are many but perhaps the main one is you don't actually want a pilot body structure in place where everyone is of similar experience vying for a limited number of SFO and then ultimately Command slots. It would make for a very disgruntled workforce. If an operator needs a few FOs to remain as FOs for 4 or 5 years because of a glut of Commanders higher up, then it'll look for personnel that meet that criteria. The reverse would also be true with suitable candidates being 'fast tracked' through the seniority system for Command, that is, you'll achieve Command status before people above you on the seniority list.
The interesting question posed relates to how does the industry satisfy this demand? The comment made that the bigger operators will in fact train people as a last resort is true but it doesn't occur within Australia as far as I'm aware. Eventually market forces will determine how this occurs. Perhaps the industry as a whole will subsidise some of the costs. Perhaps when salaries increase above a certain threshold, the industry will appear more attractive to would be pilots. The possibilities are numerous but I don't pretend to know the answer.
I hope this answers some of the questions asked more satisfactorily.
P68
Apologies for misinterpreting your original question regarding pilots working overseas.
The reality within the 'world' off-shore game is salaries & conditions vary considerably. For instance, pilots flying for the bigger operators in the North Sea undoubtedly enjoy some of the best conditions within the industry both in terms of salaries and the fact that many of them are not required to tour. If you look at Africa, the salaries are again very competitive but the touring cycles can be problematic, security is often a concern not to mention malaria and other problems associated with living and working in a 3rd world country. The ME also offers competitive salaries but again the conditions under which you work may not suit everyone.
I can't stress enough that market forces ultimately determine what people get paid, based on the conditions they are required to endure and what individuals are willing to put up with. Australian salaries (within the off-shore game) are reasonably competitive if you weigh up all the pros and cons involved, such as political stability, medical access, touring cycles, cost of living etc. If on the other hand, you consider only money then Africa and the like would appear more appealing. When you take all these factors into account and then make an informed decision, you become the determinent of market forces.
With regards to the hiring of personnel by the bigger operators, the minimum criteria is 500 hours command (no turbine time required) and an IREX. The reality is slightly different however. They certainly don't get all their pilots from this in-experienced pool. Nor do they just hire experienced pilots to fill their vacancies. They prefer to take a mix of pilots in accordance with their requirements at the time. The reasons for this are many but perhaps the main one is you don't actually want a pilot body structure in place where everyone is of similar experience vying for a limited number of SFO and then ultimately Command slots. It would make for a very disgruntled workforce. If an operator needs a few FOs to remain as FOs for 4 or 5 years because of a glut of Commanders higher up, then it'll look for personnel that meet that criteria. The reverse would also be true with suitable candidates being 'fast tracked' through the seniority system for Command, that is, you'll achieve Command status before people above you on the seniority list.
The interesting question posed relates to how does the industry satisfy this demand? The comment made that the bigger operators will in fact train people as a last resort is true but it doesn't occur within Australia as far as I'm aware. Eventually market forces will determine how this occurs. Perhaps the industry as a whole will subsidise some of the costs. Perhaps when salaries increase above a certain threshold, the industry will appear more attractive to would be pilots. The possibilities are numerous but I don't pretend to know the answer.
I hope this answers some of the questions asked more satisfactorily.
P68
Heliduck
You will find that regarding Bristow, your info is slightly incorrect. Mins for a First Officer entry are 500hrs, pass in the IREX (not an "IR") and some turbine time preferred, but not essential.
Sasless
Endorsement, IR and Night Rating are provided, no cost and no bond.
So it all depends on your veiw of "experienced." A lot of recent hires have come straight from their first gig, which is usually tourism!
You will find that regarding Bristow, your info is slightly incorrect. Mins for a First Officer entry are 500hrs, pass in the IREX (not an "IR") and some turbine time preferred, but not essential.
Sasless
Endorsement, IR and Night Rating are provided, no cost and no bond.
So it all depends on your veiw of "experienced." A lot of recent hires have come straight from their first gig, which is usually tourism!
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Papa68,
Being a Bristow employee I would have to agree with everything you've said.
The amount of mis-information that gets spread around is quite amazing.
Blind Freddy would realise that if Bristow lost the Woodside contract CHC would not have the aircraft to service the contract. There is a worldwide shortage of Super Puma's. Not to mention appropriately experienced Pilots and Engineers. It is important to realise that the Woodside contract doesn't only include Karratha. Bristow have two AS332's in Melbourne under Woodside, Broome is going to be a permament thing and Port Lincoln is meant to be happening as well.
The only reason CHC are in karratha is because Bristow doesn't have enough resources at the moment to meet demand. Rumour has it that Woodside doesn't want CHC anywhere near Karratha and that it's only because of necessity that they are there.
As far as professionalism is concerned, who was it that lied about the S76 performance capabilities to secure the Woodside Contract back in the mid 90's. I know it wasn't Bristows and Woodside has a long memory.They are still not impressed.
Sure, I agree that Bristows is probably not the Company it once was. It hasn't been since the Old Man sold up. Nevertheless, the fact that Bristows have 83 pilots and are still recruiting, and there is still a shortage of crews and machinery, tells me there is enough work to go around for everybody. I feel my job is very secure. Whats more, if the worst does happen, I'm sure I'd be snapped up by the opposition or would find work somewhere within the Bristow group, given the current worldwide envoironment.
Cheers
34000NG.
Being a Bristow employee I would have to agree with everything you've said.
The amount of mis-information that gets spread around is quite amazing.
Blind Freddy would realise that if Bristow lost the Woodside contract CHC would not have the aircraft to service the contract. There is a worldwide shortage of Super Puma's. Not to mention appropriately experienced Pilots and Engineers. It is important to realise that the Woodside contract doesn't only include Karratha. Bristow have two AS332's in Melbourne under Woodside, Broome is going to be a permament thing and Port Lincoln is meant to be happening as well.
The only reason CHC are in karratha is because Bristow doesn't have enough resources at the moment to meet demand. Rumour has it that Woodside doesn't want CHC anywhere near Karratha and that it's only because of necessity that they are there.
As far as professionalism is concerned, who was it that lied about the S76 performance capabilities to secure the Woodside Contract back in the mid 90's. I know it wasn't Bristows and Woodside has a long memory.They are still not impressed.
Sure, I agree that Bristows is probably not the Company it once was. It hasn't been since the Old Man sold up. Nevertheless, the fact that Bristows have 83 pilots and are still recruiting, and there is still a shortage of crews and machinery, tells me there is enough work to go around for everybody. I feel my job is very secure. Whats more, if the worst does happen, I'm sure I'd be snapped up by the opposition or would find work somewhere within the Bristow group, given the current worldwide envoironment.
Cheers
34000NG.
pohm1,
I am aware of the minimums for bristow & never said that an IR was a minimum requirement. A minimum requirement for applying for a position is vastly different to a minimum requirement for being competitive for that position in competition with others.
I am aware of the minimums for bristow & never said that an IR was a minimum requirement. A minimum requirement for applying for a position is vastly different to a minimum requirement for being competitive for that position in competition with others.
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Heliduck,
Bristow have taken on a number of pilots with minimum requirements.
Experience isn't the only thing bristows looks at during the recruitment process. Things like how someone will cope with being away from home for two weeks at a time, how the family will cope, how a person will mix in with work mates, how someone will cope with sharing accom with another, peronalities etc are also taken into account.
Bristows have interviewed some Military and civilian pilots who meet all the experience requirements and much more, and knocked them back because of interview performance or personality. Phyce tests are also done.
Cheers
34000NG.
Bristow have taken on a number of pilots with minimum requirements.
Experience isn't the only thing bristows looks at during the recruitment process. Things like how someone will cope with being away from home for two weeks at a time, how the family will cope, how a person will mix in with work mates, how someone will cope with sharing accom with another, peronalities etc are also taken into account.
Bristows have interviewed some Military and civilian pilots who meet all the experience requirements and much more, and knocked them back because of interview performance or personality. Phyce tests are also done.
Cheers
34000NG.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Australia
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G'day all,
Just to tidy up the assertion that Bristow's might be "on it's way out" and that CHC might be taking over all and sundry on the NWS I thought the following might be of interest to keen followers of the offshore game in Oz.
As of yesterday morning (23/2) the CHC Super Puma left Karratha after providing logistic support to the Attwood Eagle on behalf of WEL (for all the reasons mentioned in a previous post). The aircraft is now following the Stena Clyde (previosly serviced by the Bristow Super Puma on Barrow) up to Broome (contractor unknown).
This should in no way infer that CHC was unprofessional during it's time in Karratha or that their management has "lost it's enthusiasm" for this or any other contract in Australia and is further proof that there is plenty of work about for both operators.
P68
Just to tidy up the assertion that Bristow's might be "on it's way out" and that CHC might be taking over all and sundry on the NWS I thought the following might be of interest to keen followers of the offshore game in Oz.
As of yesterday morning (23/2) the CHC Super Puma left Karratha after providing logistic support to the Attwood Eagle on behalf of WEL (for all the reasons mentioned in a previous post). The aircraft is now following the Stena Clyde (previosly serviced by the Bristow Super Puma on Barrow) up to Broome (contractor unknown).
This should in no way infer that CHC was unprofessional during it's time in Karratha or that their management has "lost it's enthusiasm" for this or any other contract in Australia and is further proof that there is plenty of work about for both operators.
P68
