Meteorologist to Dispatch

Vortmax

Vortmax

Well-Known Member
Hi All,

Though I have not posted, I've been reading this forum for some time now, and enjoy reading everything on here. I just was hoping to get some advice on my current situation. I completed my Dispatch License in 2006 and was offered a job with Flight Options as a flight follower. I didn't really want to move to Cleveland from Salt Lake City, and I decided to complete my degree in Meteorology before jumping into the workforce. After graduation from the University of Utah, I was picked up by the FAA as a Controller at Salt Lake Center. While at the FAA Academy I was contacted about a job in Meteorology-it turned out that I was referred to a local private sector meteorology company for a position. I then had a dilemma on my hands. Upon completion of the FAA Academy and when I was supposed to start at ZLC, I decided to take the job in Meteorology. I was young, and the thought of strictly talking to airplanes for the next 25 yrs didn't sound amazing, and I had gotten enough of a glimpse into the ATC environment that I was doubting whether or not that was for me. I knew I wanted to end up closer to aviation meteorology than strictly ATC. Anyways, here we are.....3 years later, still working for the Meteorology company. The experience has been great but I'm ready to move along.

Through various experiences, I've really learned that I enjoy the weather and the aviation end of things, and I have decided I want to transition into Flight Ops. I think my ATC and Dispatch would be a nice compliment to my experience in Meteorology and I hope I can make the transition. I applied for a National Weather Service position over the summer as a forecaster for the Center Weather Service Unit and was the 2nd choice. I decided then that I really do belong in the aviation end of things. I love working in a busy environment and I love working with people.

Do you think I could be hired as a Dispatcher? I'm trying to decide what the best approach might be or where to begin. I know that traditionally, starting pay is low for Dispatch and I'm not sure where I could expect to start (salary-wise) given my situation. I know there are several factors that decide pay obviously, but it is still an issue. Bottom line is I want to get into Flight Ops. Thanks in advance for any response.
 
Well talk about burning a birdge with the FAA....

Regardless, with your resume you shouldnt have any problem getting an interview for a dispatch position and its never too late to get into it. But I feel I should add with your resume and meterology experience I would skip part 135 ops (Flight Options) and start applying for regionals or majors as a dispatcher.

Have you ever considered becoming a weather or NOTAM guy at a major airline? Majors like United/UPS have their own weather people to build TAFS and what-not. Your still in the ops part of it all and surly meet the qualifications. After a year or two if you get bored transfer to a dispatcher position.
 
Hi Isanti, thanks for the response. I am aware that some airlines have weather guys. I know Delta has a team of about 30, and Southwest has a couple. I was unaware that UPS and United employed in-house Meteorologists. That would be my end-goal, to be an in-house Meteorologist for one of those guys, but if that never happened, I think I'd enjoy any part of airline ops really. Like I said, I really miss having coworkers ( I have a few now, but we're a very small company), and I miss stress. I know that sounds crazy, but I miss having a busy work environment. Is there a specific reason I should skip part 135 ops and go right into 121? Also, would a Major or good sized regional hire a guy (into Dispatch) that has not worked DIRECTLY in Dispatch? I have seen some Jet Blue openings and thought about applying, but I know how competitive everything is right now.
 
"I was unaware that UPS and United employed in-house Meteorologists" My old FAA overlord at my first regional used to be a met guy for United. I cannot promise UPS and FEDEX have their own but I am willing to bet they do considering the size of their airlines depth. My airline contracts Televent for our custom weather, we just call them and say we want forecasts for XXXX.

"I miss stress. I know that sounds crazy" Not as crazy as you think, much of us love the fast paced, high stress decisions we have to make every day. :)

"Is there a specific reason I should skip part 135 ops and go right into 121?” Well for example pay and responsibility. In part 135 you have zero legal responsibility to your job and the pay can kind of trend with that. But don’t get me wrong the pay at a lot of 135 ops can pay much better than some regionals, but that isn’t really saying much. I interned at a 135 outfit while in school, started at a 121 regional and moved up to an international 121 airline. The majors like to see you have 121 experiences over 135 any day in my opinion.

"would a Major or good sized regional hire a guy (into Dispatch) that has not worked DIRECTLY in Dispatch?" You have to start somewhere, most regional’s hire people with zero experience, and a lot of majors hire internally, send people to school and sit them at a desk with zero experience. Its all luck of the draw or who you know.

" I have seen some Jet Blue openings and thought about applying, but I know how competitive everything is right now. " Its free to apply and a NO thanks doesn’t kill you. You never know, maybe with your MET experience they may love you.
 
United did have their own meteorology guys but during their last Chapter 11 they fired them and hired some back as contractors. I don't know about UPS. There are several companies such as WSI, Kavouras, etc. that provide weather products to airlines....Delta's meteorology department (formerly Northwest's) does this as well. I wouldn't think you would have trouble getting a job dispatching with your background - I would shoot for one of the larger airlines right off the bat, although depending on the major they might want you to have actual dispatch experience. We have a person where I work that has a Master's in meteorology that has said the top-out pay for dispatch at a major is higher than what most meteorologists make, so you might keep that in mind as well when choosing what you want to do next.
 
UPS was looking for a meteorologist back in September/October if memory serves me right along with the Assistant Dispatcher position. Delta is a tough nut to crack. I know that they were hiring Flight Supervisors (Dx'ers) last January. Aside from that, your better off working for DL as a bag thrower and then transferring internally as they are infamous for promoting from within.
 
UPS does have meteorologists, but they are not an OPSPECs approved weather source. They're kind of like the Weather Channel having a call-in line to ask questions to live as far as dispatch is concerned. They are not authorized to write TAFs, and the dispatchers do the EWINS forecasts. If they went away next week it would be just like the weekends when they're not there....

They hired a meteorologist from within. They actually had two with credentials interviewing as internal hires from outside of SDF.

Our meteorologists make probably, at best, 2/3 of what a dispatcher tops out at. It's most likely closer to 1/2, but I ain't for sure. This is not bad coin by any means, but the money is in dispatch at Uncle Parcel.
 
Well, I applied to a National Weather Service opening over the summer as a Meteorologist for the Anchorage ARTCC (Air-Traffic Center) Center Weather Service Unit, and I ended up #2 out of 170 something applicants. I really do want to work in Flight Ops, and I have applied this week to a few openings just to test the waters. I have a little family, so I can't take just ANY job, and I'm currently employed too still obviously, but my search has begun. Thanks for your responses! I'd love to get on with an airline and begin in Dispatch and then work my way up. Hopefully I'll find an employer willing to take a chance on me. Do any of you have job boards that you follow that may be helpful to me? Currently the only aviation job board I'm aware of is http://www.agschools.com/jobs. I did apply with Hawaiian and Jeppesen. Hawaiian would be nice, I'm up for moving somewhere warmer.
 
Vortmax said:
Thanks for your responses! I'd love to get on with an airline and begin in Dispatch and then work my way up. Hopefully I'll find an employer willing to take a chance on me.
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See, I think this is the wrong attitude to have when looking for a dispatch position. I mean, it's fine to want to get into management, but as 69beers just pointed out, meteorologists at UPS make less than dispatchers. So, if you "worked your way up" from dispatch to meteorology there, you'd be doing so to make less money.

I'm just trying to point out that dispatching for a major pays quite well (once you've been there a while and moved up the pay scale) so it shouldn't necessarily be considered an "entry-level" position, unless your goal is flying for a living or moving into management. (Those are generally the only two airline career fields that potentially pay more than dispatching, although maintenance has pretty good pay as well - but still usually less than dispatch on the top end of the scale.)
 
manniax said:
See, I think this is the wrong attitude to have when looking for a dispatch position. I mean, it's fine to want to get into management, but as 69beers just pointed out, meteorologists at UPS make less than dispatchers. So, if you "worked your way up" from dispatch to meteorology there, you'd be doing so to make less money.

I'm just trying to point out that dispatching for a major pays quite well (once you've been there a while and moved up the pay scale) so it shouldn't necessarily be considered an "entry-level" position, unless your goal is flying for a living or moving into management. (Those are generally the only two airline career fields that potentially pay more than dispatching, although maintenance has pretty good pay as well - but still usually less than dispatch on the top end of the scale.)
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I wasn't stating that I hoped to move up into Meteorology, I just meant move up in some form of Flight Ops. This could mean moving up to a Sr. Dispatcher, or a Mgr. of Flight Ops, or anything. I didn't mean to imply that I hoped to use Dispatch as a stepping stone to propel myself into Meteorology. I'm in Meteorology now. I'm hoping to use the experience I've accumulated in that field, along with my brief experience in ATC AND my Dispatch License (That I have though have never had an actual Dispatch job) to get into Flight Ops. :) Either way, starting to apply and have heard nothing yet.
 
manniax said:
See, I think this is the wrong attitude to have when looking for a dispatch position. I mean, it's fine to want to get into management, but as 69beers just pointed out, meteorologists at UPS make less than dispatchers. So, if you "worked your way up" from dispatch to meteorology there, you'd be doing so to make less money.

I'm just trying to point out that dispatching for a major pays quite well (once you've been there a while and moved up the pay scale) so it shouldn't necessarily be considered an "entry-level" position, unless your goal is flying for a living or moving into management. (Those are generally the only two airline career fields that potentially pay more than dispatching, although maintenance has pretty good pay as well - but still usually less than dispatch on the top end of the scale.)
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I have an issue with that really being a maintenance type. ..It took me 200 hrs to get my ADX and almost 2000 hrs to get my A@P. My take on it is that dispatch is a small group and the majors do not have many issues with throwing them more money but MX types there are just too many and it kills the bottom line. Thats why I encourage youngsters to never go into MX it is an unappreciated field. Go put in your 200 hrs and get your ADX get on with a regional get some experience and try for a major. That would be and is to this day my recommendation.
 
FXMXC said:
I have an issue with that really being a maintenance type. ..It took me 200 hrs to get my ADX and almost 2000 hrs to get my A@P. My take on it is that dispatch is a small group and the majors do not have many issues with throwing them more money but MX types there are just too many and it kills the bottom line. Thats why I encourage youngsters to never go into MX it is an unappreciated field. Go put in your 200 hrs and get your ADX get on with a regional get some experience and try for a major. That would be and is to this day my recommendation.
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For whatever reason, I'm not familiar with the abbreviation MX. :) I know thousands of abbreviations, but not that one.
 
So, I've applied recently to several of the dispatch jobs that have been discussed here (and some listed elsewhere), and NOTHING. Considering my experience in Meteorology and ATC along with having a Dispatch License I don't understand why I'm not even being considered for these entry level dispatch jobs. I applied to Ryan, Sky King, Jet Blue, Allegiant, Southwest, Atlas, Jeppesen & Hawaiian.

Was earning my dispatch license in 2006 too long ago to be considered relevant? I'm trying to imagine what the hang-up here is. Thoughts?? I have been an actual Meteorologist in my current position for 4 years. Perhaps that is the hang-up, I don't know. I really want to get into Dispatch and Flight Ops in one dimension or another.
 
Vortmax said:
I don't understand why I'm not even being considered for these entry level dispatch jobs. I applied to Ryan, Sky King, Jet Blue, Allegiant, Southwest, Atlas, Jeppesen & Hawaiian.
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Sorry to hear you havent had any luck so far.

I hate to say it but most of those jobs might consider themselves beyond entry level even with your experience. You might have to put some time in at a regional. Before I got my current job I had a year of regional 121 experience and Ryan, Allegiant, and jet blue told me I needed more experience.
 
Seems that Womanpilot 73 has an interview with Ryan and isn't even finished with school yet.
 
From what I can tell, all of those airlines with the exception of Ryan and possibly SkyKing require 121 experience. With Ryan I know they have a history of occasionally grabbing guys out of school but they have a very small dispatcher group and a lot of applicants, so I wouldn't read too much into it.

If you're serious about getting to those airlines listed, I would suggest initially lowering your expectations a little bit and start blasting out resumes to regionals.
 
Landing that first dispatching gig can be a lot like trying to hook up in a bar; lowering your standards = raising your average.

The reality is that most, but not all, of these airlines you're shooting for want to see at least some dispatching experience. Yes, your other professional credentials will really help you in getting a better job down the road, but right now you're competing with others having a few years of dispatch experience and possibly equivalent backgrounds applying to the same airlines.
 
FXMXC said:
Seems that Womanpilot 73 has an interview with Ryan and isn't even finished with school yet.
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Its all who know, not what you know.

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't she post a while ago that she contacted the SOC and toured it some time ago? Pretty smart idea is you ask me.
 
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