What Are Your Peeves and Problems as a Dispatcher?
- Thread starter TomatoFlames
- Start date
Krystal
Dispatch Betty
I like it when dispatch plans us to get to the alternate with 3000 lbs of gas. Seen it!
Oh wait, this thread is for awesome dispatchers complaining about idiot pilots. Carry on.
Exactly. So glad you see it our way!
McCrosky
Well-Known Member
I like it when dispatch plans us to get to the alternate with 3000 lbs of gas. Seen it!
Oh wait, this thread is for awesome dispatchers complaining about idiot pilots. Carry on.
Well depending on the type of aircraft and the weight, that could be ridiculously low or ridiculously high.
I had a conversation with a captain while we were both commuting, the gist being that 95% of the crews are great but the other 5% really make your day craptastic... He was surprised... He thought we had a much higher percentage of jerk crew members based on his experience.
Krystal
Dispatch Betty
Indeed. Like I said before, I have dealt with only a handful of diva pilots. But those few cause 90% of my headaches on the job. I pointed out an example once of Captain I had at a previous airline who was genuinely afraid to fly. He demanded alternates and extra contingency on any flight that wasnt 0000kts 10sm SKC. He would spend so much time fretting over a thunderstorm over colorado that he would delay out his flight from MSP-DFW until that Tstorm finally DID become an issue. On a good day, he would call no less than 5 times before each flight (Starting 4 hours before his first departure, from his hotel room) On a bad day, 2 or more dispatchers would be working with him, trying to convince him that bkn070 was safe to fly. You knew as soon as you saw his name that you would be bumping passengers to carry fuel. It got to the point where we had to keep a file on him for the chief pilot that included copies of the release and wx packets and asd screen shots of his route with and without wx overlays.
Perfect example of 1 pilot making an entire shift miserable.
Perfect example of 1 pilot making an entire shift miserable.
manniax
Well-met in the Ka-tet
I like it when dispatch plans us to get to the alternate with 3000 lbs of gas. Seen it!
Oh wait, this thread is for awesome dispatchers complaining about idiot pilots. Carry on.
Feel free to start a thread about idiot dispatchers in one of the pilot forums, if you're so inclined.
There are cases where we are required to carry an alternate on international flights where the weather doesn't really require one. So, if you're already weight restricted you might put on the closest legal alternate and minimal hold fuel, to try and get all the revenue passengers on board, and the fuel over alternate might look pretty low - until you consider the fact that the alternate is only required because of the type of flight you are flying. A 737-800 flying from EWR to BOG is a good example of this; Columbia requires all flights to have an alternate listed.
Autothrust Blue
Welcome aboard the Washington State Ferries
Recently, in Brasilia ground school:Feel free to start a thread about idiot dispatchers in one of the pilot forums, if you're so inclined.
There are cases where we are required to carry an alternate on international flights where the weather doesn't really require one. So, if you're already weight restricted you might put on the closest legal alternate and minimal hold fuel, to try and get all the revenue passengers on board, and the fuel over alternate might look pretty low - until you consider the fact that the alternate is only required because of the type of flight you are flying. A 737-800 flying from EWR to BOG is a good example of this; Columbia requires all flights to have an alternate listed.
"Release fuel? Hah! That's a good one."
Sent from Seat 3D
dasleben
That's just, like, your opinion, man
Thanks for the props but actually this flight was from, say, Cherry Point, NC to a military airport in SoCal (maybe RIV).
USA3000 never actually did anything with ETOPS. Just did the leg work for it. Didn't make much sense for a 168 passenger A320. In fact, we/they were going to add BGBW (against the advice of many) into B342/C070 to keep the airplanes out of ETOPS airspace just a bit longer and reduce the ETOPS CRIT FUEL. The ETOPS program made many question if it was only done as an exercise to make the certificate worth more $$$$
Was such a neat company though
Remember what I said about not flying the airlines only airplane
TomatoFlames
Well-Known Member
I like it when dispatch plans us to get to the alternate with 3000 lbs of gas. Seen it!
Oh wait, this thread is for awesome dispatchers complaining about idiot pilots. Carry on.
Not kidding, I would LOVE to read a thread with pilots' thoughts and challenges from dispatchers. Woudl be great learning for us, and also give us a chance to explain some more of our job to you.
Similarly, instead of you explaining to and educating us on what we say, you come off somewhat defensive and argumentative and are sizing your own shoes to be in that 5% category.
I had one of my busiest shifts during the crazy weather going on last night. Dealt with many pilots on many different topics and al of them were great. I really felt the teamwork.
Krystal
Dispatch Betty
Not kidding, I would LOVE to read a thread with pilots' thoughts and challenges from dispatchers. Woudl be great learning for us, and also give us a chance to explain some more of our job to you.
Similarly, instead of you explaining to and educating us on what we say, you come off somewhat defensive and argumentative and are sizing your own shoes to be in that 5% category.
I had one of my busiest shifts during the crazy weather going on last night. Dealt with many pilots on many different topics and al of them were great. I really felt the teamwork.
DasLeben doesnt like dispatchers. He would rather pilots plan their own flights.
McCrosky
Well-Known Member
300,000 lb. 767-300ER. About 15 minutes until you turn into a glider.
You'd think you'd have at least 30 minutes (intl hold) or 45 minutes (domestic reserves)
One of my favorites is " you have me planned to land at my Alternate with x amount of fuel". "Ok well we can delete alt at the redispatch". "Ok that's fine then". I don't understand. Nothing has changed. It's still the same wx and dest arrival fuel. Shrug.
dasleben
That's just, like, your opinion, man
Oh, brother. The mental gymnastics you've accomplished to get to that conclusion are impressive.
TomatoFlames
Well-Known Member
I'm trying to understand what is wrong with 3,000 alternate fuel. Can anyone explain?
dasleben
That's just, like, your opinion, man
International supplemental fuel requirement. Destination, then to furthest alternate, plus 10% of total flight time (unless B043, then only 10% Class II), plus 30 minutes holding at 1500'. 3000 lbs in a 767-300ER is about 15 minutes of fuel until flameout.
Autothrust Blue
Welcome aboard the Washington State Ferries
How do you type on that FMS with boxing gloves on?
I have a lot of experience with the 767-200/300 and I find it hard to believe it was planned at 3000 lbs. The reserves (FAR RSV) alone would be around 5,000 lbs minimum if the flight plan was flown correctly. Now I do believe that you can work the numbers to show 3000 lbs by saying the FAR RSV (30 min) is taken into account BEFORE the diversion if you had extra (XTRA) added to the fuel plan. However, that is not its purpose.
I just did a 767-200 International/Supplemental Flight Plan (ZZZZ - KMIA); below is the fuel burn data. I added an extra 10 minutes over the minimum reserves too.
--------------------FUEL----------ENDUR
BURNOUT.......28693..............02:46
10 PCT.............2603...............00:17
ALTN KFLL......1971................00:11
FAR RSV.........4506................00:30
REQD............37773................03:44
XTRA .............1527.................00:10
TAXI.................600..................00:10
CLEARED.....39900................04:04
Fuel At Touchdown in KMIA: 10600
Daslenen,
Like was said above, sometimes, as you're probably well aware, the alternate is just there for "sh*ts and giggles" simply because it is required by the regs (e.g. 121 supplemental). Even if its clear and a billion. KFLL is the perfect alternate for KMIA in this case even if the reserve fuel is on the lower end. It isn't practical to use KMCO, KTPA, or KJAX when its just a paperwork alternate.
I just did a 767-200 International/Supplemental Flight Plan (ZZZZ - KMIA); below is the fuel burn data. I added an extra 10 minutes over the minimum reserves too.
--------------------FUEL----------ENDUR
BURNOUT.......28693..............02:46
10 PCT.............2603...............00:17
ALTN KFLL......1971................00:11
FAR RSV.........4506................00:30
REQD............37773................03:44
XTRA .............1527.................00:10
TAXI.................600..................00:10
CLEARED.....39900................04:04
Fuel At Touchdown in KMIA: 10600
Daslenen,
Like was said above, sometimes, as you're probably well aware, the alternate is just there for "sh*ts and giggles" simply because it is required by the regs (e.g. 121 supplemental). Even if its clear and a billion. KFLL is the perfect alternate for KMIA in this case even if the reserve fuel is on the lower end. It isn't practical to use KMCO, KTPA, or KJAX when its just a paperwork alternate.
dasleben
That's just, like, your opinion, man
10.6 is about right for a shorter leg, though that doesn't leave much for a go-around at your destination. You'd go around, and pretty much high-tail it to the alternate, even though though FLL is right up the coast. Get stuck at a lower altitude for a while, and that 10.6 turns into 9.0 or so on arrival; safe, but everyone up front is glancing up every couple of minutes. IMO, it's really in the company's best interest to toss on an extra 2000-4000 lbs for contingencies, even if the weather is VFR. If the aircraft ahead of you blows a tire on the runway, the company is now stuck with a jet at some random alternate, which will no doubt disrupt operations.
I can't share the actual flightplan details, but the 3.0 was an error that was fixed before departure.