Ryan

I would ask the employer to expand on their meaning of "trouble free" in West Africa... it's a badly misleading statement. I'm pretty sure I could guess the country you're talking about. While it is true that it's a beacon of civility when compared to it's neighbours, that's not saying much. In truth it's barely even a compliment. As for the pay, check to see if you get catered food services or if you have to fend for yourself in the grocery stores. Food out here is between 2 to 4 times the price back home so get a good meal allowance if required. Ask if they have incentive pay... they better have something to offer considering the location.

Meh, I'm bored. So here's a few more shots I collected over the last few years. Vulture juice on the blades Military AS365 landing behind us in Mauritania Dry lake bed in the Sahara

Oh God I hope not lol

Managed to dig up a good heli photo (Credit goes to D.C.) S76C+ on the Jade platform in Malabo, ready for some night deck landings to keep us current.

I got my start with Helijet in 2005 as ground crew in Victoria. In '06 after getting my IFR and night ratings I was very fortunate to get on the flight line as a very green co-pilot with a whopping 140 hours total. My first year I flew about 750 hours on their scheduled service between Vancouver and Victoria. The start of year 2 had me flying on their EMS contract and I got a little over 250 hours that year. Year three had me back on the scheduled service and then flying tours off Grouse Mountain that summer in a 206L. The 4th year was a mix of EMS and scheduled service work before I got the call from CHC that fall. I had applied a year earlier with them and they now had an opening for a co-pilot so I was off to the races. Gave Helijet a month's notice I was leaving, then joined CHC in December '09. Got put into the meat grinder at West Palm Beach, ate a steady diet of Humble Pie and I somehow came out the other end intact. Got upgraded to S76 Captain close to a year ago now. Life is good.

Howdy stranger! Drop me an email sometime dude, I was starting to think you didn't love me anymore lol.

The Jade platform about 40 miles off the coast of Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. Good food, okay beds... and very easy to find at night

Sorry for the lack of a helicopter in the shot, but it's the best I got for now

Am I the only here who sees this quote as the definition of complacency?

Both :up:

Very true! Once you have automation you wonder how you ever got by without it lol

Anything of worth that can be said has been, and days ago by now. Can we please get a moderator to close this?

I can see your point Mike, and you're speaking your peace far better than the other guy. In my opinion, the whole "#### happens" saying isn't what it might appear. As pilots, when things like this happen, we have to say that otherwise we wouldn't come into work the next day. It would just eat at you and make you crazy with anxiety. I realize it probably sounds fairly nonchalant but it's quite the opposite. The way a pilot might typically look at something like this is: Plan for the best, Expect the worst... And even then, #### happens. We're human and make mistakes and we know it (well most of us know it lol). Sometimes things happen beyond our control, and despite all our best effort sometimes we fly ourselves straight into ####. It happens and the best we can hope is to learn from it and not repeat it.

That's exactly my point, thank you for seeing it yet not quite understanding it. You also have no basis for anything you're saying here, you are not a pilot.... and having worked in close proximity to a few doesn't make you qualified to judge anything regarding what we do. Just like I would never have a leg to stand on if I were trying to judge your performance as a medic. I too would be totally full of ####. To compare this minor incident with a dreamt up fireball scenario is a low blow buddy. Almost everyone here has lost at least one friend in a fiery crash. We do not need you reminding us of what happens when things go very very bad. We also know far more than you ever will what is at stake every time we go to work.

I'm sure R.H. was 105 lbs at some point in time. Cute.... the jury is still out on that. :prop: