Last reviewed: October 25, 2026. This page restates what offshore helicopter operators say on their own pages and postings. Offshore hiring and requirements change by contract and region. Check each link before acting.
Quick answerOffshore helicopter pilots fly crews, supplies and equipment between shore bases and offshore energy sites. The three operators with readable postings show a wide spread of minimums: 1,000 total helicopter hours with 500 PIC at Rotorcraft Leasing Company, 1,500 PIC hours at PHI Aviation, and 3,000 total hours at Bristow for one captain role outside the U.S. Rotation patterns are mostly unpublished on employer career pages, and no dollar pay figure was found for U.S. offshore pilots.
What the job is
Offshore energy flying moves people and cargo to platforms and vessels. Bristow describes its helicopters as the lifeline for personnel, supplies and equipment that keep offshore energy operations running. PHI describes passenger transport to and from offshore exploration, pipeline production platforms and vessels. Both also list related work such as search and rescue, offshore wind support and, for PHI, marine pilot transfer to ships.
Offshore operators are usually a step above entry level in required experience. For how this track compares with others, see helicopter pilot jobs by track and the requirements overview.
A typical day as employers describe it
This site does not describe a day in its own words. The employers say the following.
- Bristow says every flight includes a detailed safety briefing for passengers, that its bases have passenger terminals, and that its offshore work can include offshore construction services and hoist work such as wind farm development. Its careers page adds that the nature of its business requires employees to travel domestically and internationally as work demands. Sources: Bristow offshore energy services and Bristow careers.
- PHI says it carries more than 400,000 passengers each year, with flight crews positioned at energy basins around the world. Its energy page also lists offshore wind transport and marine pilot transfer. Source: PHI energy services.
- Rotorcraft Leasing Company (RLC) says initial training for its pilots includes OSHA water survival and OSHA H2S training. Source: RLC pilot training.
No operator page read for this review describes an hour-by-hour day, and none is invented here.
Aircraft commonly used
- Bristow says its offshore energy services use the largest fleet of AW139, AW189 and S-92 helicopters in the industry, plus a range of light single, light twin, medium and heavy helicopters. Source: Bristow offshore energy services.
- PHI lists, on its fleet page, these models across its business: Airbus H175, H160, H145, EC135 and AS350; Sikorsky S-92A and S-76C++; Leonardo/AgustaWestland AW139, AW189 ER and AW109; Bell 412 and 407; and BK117. The page covers the whole PHI fleet, not only offshore aircraft. It also says the fleet is more than 200 helicopters across six continents. Sources: PHI fleet and PHI energy services.
- RLC: no aircraft list was read.
Published minimums and ratings
| Employer |
Minimums as published |
Certificates |
Source |
Date checked |
| PHI Aviation (Captain, VFR Oil & Gas, REQ000550, Lafayette operations) |
1,500 hours PIC |
FAA commercial pilot certificate with an instrument qualification; current Class I medical; high school diploma |
PHI Workday posting |
Oct. 25, 2026 |
| Bristow Group (AW139 Captain, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, R-0005764) |
3,000 total flight hours; 1,500 as PIC; 1,200 on multi-engine helicopters |
Valid ANAC AW139 type rating; valid U.S. visa; ICAO English proficiency Level 4 or higher preferred |
Bristow Workday posting |
Oct. 25, 2026 |
| Rotorcraft Leasing Company (RLC) |
New pilots: 1,000 hours total helicopter flight time with 500 hours of helicopter PIC |
Commercial helicopter rating; second-class medical |
RLC pilot training |
Oct. 25, 2026 |
Notes:
- The PHI posting was shown as posted more than 30 days earlier and may be closed. IFR and other offshore roles may carry different minimums. The PHI careers page itself lists no pilot minimums.
- The Bristow row is a captain position in Brazil. It is not a U.S. Gulf of Mexico role. Bristow's careers page publishes no pilot minimums, and its U.S. pilot postings could not be read, so U.S. offshore requirements at Bristow are unknown to this site.
- The RLC page is undated. Confirm current minimums with the operator.
Schedule patterns employers publish
Rotation patterns are mostly not published. The only schedule found is in the title of a Bristow posting for a VFR offshore oil and gas captain (Pilot - BSEE, New Iberia, Louisiana, requisition R-0005633), which names a 5x2 schedule. The posting text could not be read, so this site does not define that pattern further. PHI's posting and careers page, Bristow's careers page and the RLC page read for this review state no rotation. Ask each employer for the schedule and the days-on, days-off pattern before applying.
Where the bases or operating areas are
- PHI: corporate headquarters in Lafayette, Louisiana. The REQ000550 posting is a Lafayette operations role in the Gulf of Mexico pool. Its region selector lists U.S., Trinidad, EMEA and APAC. Sources: PHI careers and the posting above.
- Bristow: the Louisiana posting above is based in New Iberia. The company says it operates worldwide; its locations page was not read for this review. Bristow's history page says the company combined with Era in June 2020, and describes Era's start as Economy Helicopters in Alaska in 1948, with petroleum support work added by 1950. Source: Bristow history.
- RLC: the pilot training page describes it as a Gulf of Mexico operator.
Pay data we can source
The full dataset is on helicopter pilot pay scales. The offshore rows already on that page are restated here.
| Employer |
What is published |
Source |
Date checked |
| Bristow |
No dollar figure. The careers page offers "market competitive benefits and compensation" and lists items such as attractive salary and major medical. The New Iberia captain posting lists relocation support and "supplemental comp available in addition to base" with no number. |
Bristow careers |
Oct. 25, 2026 |
| PHI (offshore / oil and gas) |
Nothing found. The REQ000550 posting lists duties and qualifications but no salary or pay items. |
PHI Workday posting |
Oct. 25, 2026 |
This site does not quote a number for offshore pilot pay because none was found on an employer page. For broader pay context, see the helicopter pilot salary guide.
How to get in
- Get the certificates. The postings above list a commercial certificate, an instrument qualification and a medical (Class I at PHI, second class at RLC). See the roadmap and training overview.
- Build pilot-in-command hours. The lowest published figure here is 500 helicopter PIC hours (RLC), and the PHI posting lists 1,500. See how long it takes for the method of estimating the hour-building stage.
- Check the type of hours. Offshore postings may count multi-engine or turbine time separately (Bristow lists 1,200 multi-engine hours for the Brazil captain role).
- Watch for type ratings. The Bristow Brazil role lists an AW139 type rating. Ask what training the operator provides.
- Apply directly. Use the operator links below; openings are on applicant sites that change often.
- Military route. Some pilots arrive with military multi-engine time; see military to civilian helicopter pilot.
Named employers and their careers pages
See also who's hiring.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours do you need to fly offshore helicopters?
It depends on the operator and the role. Postings read for this review list 1,000 total helicopter hours with 500 PIC (RLC), 1,500 PIC hours (PHI), and 3,000 total hours with 1,500 PIC (a Bristow captain role in Brazil).
Did Era Helicopters merge with Bristow?
Bristow's history page says the company combined with Era in June 2020.
What is the offshore rotation?
Employers read here do not publish a rotation on their career pages. A Bristow posting title for a New Iberia, Louisiana captain role names a 5x2 schedule. Ask the employer for the days-on and days-off pattern.
How much do offshore helicopter pilots earn?
No dollar figure was found on the Bristow or PHI pages read. Bristow says only that it offers market competitive compensation. See the pay scales page.
Is offshore flying an entry-level job?
Every posting read lists hundreds to thousands of hours, so it is generally reached after other flying. Read the specific posting.
Sources
- Bristow Group, Careers. https://www.bristowgroup.com/careers. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
- Bristow Group, History. https://www.bristowgroup.com/about/history. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
- Bristow Group, Offshore Energy Services. https://www.bristowgroup.com/services/offshore-energy-transportation. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
- Bristow Group, Workday posting R-0005764 (AW139 Captain, Brazil). https://bristow.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Careers/job/Americas--Brazil--Rio-de-Janeiro/AW139-Captain---Brazil_R-0005764. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
- Bristow Group, Workday posting R-0005633 (Pilot - BSEE, 5x2 Schedule, New Iberia, LA; title and pay items as recorded in this site's pay dataset). https://bristow.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Careers/job/Americas--US--Louisiana--New-Iberia/Pilot----BSEE--5x2-Schedule---New-Iberia--LA_R-0005633-1. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
- PHI Aviation, Join Our Team. https://phihelico.com/careers/. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
- PHI Aviation, Energy Services. https://phihelico.com/energy/. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
- PHI Aviation, Fleet. https://phihelico.com/fleet/. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
- PHI Aviation, Workday posting REQ000550. https://phigroup.wd12.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PHIAviationCareers/job/Captain--VFR-Oil---Gas_REQ000550. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
- Rotorcraft Leasing Company, Pilot Training. https://rlcllc.com/pilot-training. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
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