The course in question:
The course is conducted full-time over 7 days (with a weekend in between) and includes the following training, presented in a commercial aviation context:
Cessna 210 Type Familiarisation – with minimum of 5 hours on type achieved during the course (plus there are no additional charges if more hours are achieved in the course!!);
Remote / Unsealed Airfield operations – including an “overnight” on a simulated charter operation;
Land & Hold Short Operations (LAHSO) training – a qualification necessary for efficient operations at Darwin International Airport and attractive to prospective employers;
Darwin airspace familiarisation training – including a visit to Darwin ATC;
General Emergency Training (formerly CAO 20.11) including Wet Drills (life jacket training); and
Customer Service Training delivered in the context of GA operations.
In addition to the specific training above, pilots on this course will also receive guidance on other useful skills such as drum refueling and how to best present for potential employers when seeking that elusive first job (how to prepare a resume, how to present for interview and likely interview topics).
Candidates are also offered opportunity to visit the local CASA office to meet with local Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs), Airworthiness Inspectors (AWIs) and educational officers to gain better awareness of the role of the regulator in the local aviation environment.
So essentially it’s 5hrs in a C210, a few briefings and site visits. Isn’t this the operational training a charter company should being performing and paying for themselves after they’ve employed a fresh CPL grad? It looks as if they’re just transferring the cost of such training to the pilot with no guarantee of employment.