aeroguy, I believe it is most definately different. My interpretation of the ATO allowable self-education deductions is you can only claim the course as a deduction if it allowed you to be promoted within the company you where employed with at the time of study.
See this
Airline employees
As you have to have a instructor rating to be employed as an instructor this course was taken to "
get you a job" which is not deductable. If you worked for the flying school doing Ops before I believe you still
cannot claim it as a deduction as it comes under
income from a new-income activity?
I was able to deduct my MECIR which went through fine as I was employed with a Charter company flying Day VFR on a single went away and did my MECIR and am now flying twin IFR
with the same company.