Depends how you define "profit" thornbird. The days of RFDS relying on the CWA to sell cakes to keep the local aircraft in the air, are long gone. To continue providing the mantle of care, other avenues are required to obtain these funds in the modern environment.
So "profit" to the RFDS, is simply excess money that they have after receiving money from various contracts etc., that they can then further invest into providing a health service to ALL Australians. Classic examples - new aircraft. I believe VH-FDN, a brand new 350 for QLD, touched down in Australia the other day.
The RFDS annual reports are all on their website. Nothing to hide. While I'm sure that the directors etc. are all earning comfortable salaries, I doubt that they are extravagent.
Spyderpig,
Yes, there is. Regardless of hours, they're looking for the right type of person. Get the right type of person, and after a while, hours fade away into the background.
A37575,
Do I sense some sour grapes or something? I spent a number of years working at RFDS, and "Superman pilots" definitely was not the attitude by any of the pilots. We were/are all quite down to earth guys who were lucky enough to be flying for an organisation which put the effort in to employ people with the right attitude and the will to learn the tricks of the trade.
One thing that was heavily heavily stressed during every training event, was the need to not become complacent any time you were in the cockpit. Recognition that single pilot was our downfall, so therefore self discipline and a non-complacent approach to every flight was required.
I did several years at RFDS. Enjoyed it, learnt a lot, got some invaluable experience out of it, saw some things that I'd rather not see again in my life (both in the cockpit and behind the curtain, or on the tarmac), and met some people who were true characters in many ways.
One thing I will add - don't go to RFDS purely to get some flying experience, you won't last. The 'air ambulance' bases, you could get away with it for a while, but if you're sent out to the 'traditional' bases, then you're there to provide a service and a helping hand to the community. They (the community) expect someone who is professional in every way, and approachable and easy to talk to, especially when their loved one is lying on your stretcher with the doctor and nurse busy working on them, and you're the only person there for that person to talk to. You are the RFDS to those people, so make sure you live up to the reputation of professionalism.
morno