General questions/training in Chicago

manniax said:
Yeah, you should always apply for any opening you see because you never can tell. But, while Hawaiian is definitely a large operation, I don't think they qualify as a major either.
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Hawaiian's annual revenue for 2012 was nearly $2 billion. Carriers need to hit the $1 billion mark to be considered a major airline.
 
mokulele said:
Hawaiian's annual revenue for 2012 was nearly $2 billion. Carriers need to hit the $1 billion mark to be considered a major airline.
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I stand corrected. I should have been more specific as I was referring more towards the major legacy carriers, along with Southwest. I think they should probably have their own category...super-major maybe? Anyhow per Wikipedia there are about 18 major airlines based in the US:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_carrier

But even if they meet the definition, I have trouble thinking of Kallita Air or World Airways as a "major" carrier. Or Skywest, for that matter. I don't think anyone here who got a job with any of those three airlines would come on here and say, "I've made it to the majors!" which is what I meant in differentiating Hawaiian from the likes of Delta, American, etc.
 
Better term might be legacy carrier like you said Manniax.
Or the places where you get paid for what you're worth for the job :bounce:
 
Sorry to continue derailing the thread. The majority of the class in question came from the regionals, and a few were hired internally with little or no part 121 experience. All the internals came from the NOC and mostly worked in dispatch support.

As for the actual topic, if you have an aviation background, I would reccomend doing one of the online classes at a larger school. It is usually only 1 or 2 week away and would be worth it for the networking and to be at an established school
 
BobDispatch said:
It is very easy I guess to start a school. That is sort of why I did not recomend this training center.
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Yeah, I think it is a bit too easy from what I have heard. But I have never tried it myself so I don't know what all the process entails.
 
I've only got a PPL, so I don't have much in the way of previous aviation experience.

I'm open to moving for a job if there are no other options, I'd just prefer to stay in Chicago. Training, however... there's simply no way for me to leave the city for several weeks and still have enough money to live on once I return. With that said, I started looking into the online program with the fast-track classroom instruction by AGS that ____**** mentioned, and it looks interesting. I'm still trying to figure out the benefits of training at Jeppesen versus the money saved by doing the online program. Do any of you have experience with AGS? Also, do airlines prefer hiring dispatchers that trained primarily through in-class instruction, or do they not care so long as you've got the cert? At this point, I'm deciding whether or not I should bite the bullet and take out a loan large enough to train with Jeppesen.

BobDispatch said:
Man we sure high jacked this thread with a bunch of silliness.

Hey chanjob1, you still want to be a dispatcher?
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7500... 7500...

Kidding. I'm enjoying reading all the responses to my thread. You all are helping me quite a bit :)
 
chanjobe1 said:
I've only got a PPL, so I don't have much in the way of previous aviation experience.

I'm open to moving for a job if there are no other options, I'd just prefer to stay in Chicago. Training, however... there's simply no way for me to leave the city for several weeks and still have enough money to live on once I return. With that said, I started looking into the online program with the fast-track classroom instruction by AGS that ____**** mentioned, and it looks interesting. I'm still trying to figure out the benefits of training at Jeppesen versus the money saved by doing the online program. Do any of you have experience with AGS? Also, do airlines prefer hiring dispatchers that trained primarily through in-class instruction, or do they not care so long as you've got the cert? At this point, I'm deciding whether or not I should bite the bullet and take out a loan large enough to train with Jeppesen.

7500... 7500...

Kidding. I'm enjoying reading all the responses to my thread. You all are helping me quite a bit :)
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I honestly don't think it matters to an employer how you got licensed - just that you ARE. Though there are some schools that carry a fair amount of weight in their reputation for turning out good dispatchers and "some" airlines weigh that.

Liked the 7500 comment. Haha...

You could always get an interest free credit card for 18 months to pay for Jepp. You'll have it paid in full well before that 18 month intro period is up. It's what I did, because I couldn't afford to just "go". And it sure beats paying interest on a personal loan. I have my PPL and IR but felt strongly that I needed to actually attend the full course, rather than doing an online version. That was a personal decision though because I know I don't do as well with online courses.

Good luck to you!
 
Flyingcandyman said:
Sorry to continue derailing the thread. The majority of the class in question came from the regionals, and a few were hired internally with little or no part 121 experience. All the internals came from the NOC and mostly worked in dispatch support.
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Thanks for the clarification. I think some were under the impression that dispatchers with no airline experience and a brand new license were hired into that class at UAL. Internal hires with no experience in dispatching are pretty common at most airlines. Being hired straight into a major as an external candidate with no airline experience and no dispatch experience is pretty rare these days and I can see how that could make people pretty upset if that did happen with so many at regionals working hard to build experience for the majors.
 
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chanjobe1 said:
Hi everyone, got a few questions about flight dispatch. I'm interested in getting my flight dispatcher certificate, but I live in Chicago and most of the courses I've seen are held in Texas, Florida, or Colorado. I've found one training center in Chicago (http://www.flightinnovation.us/), but no one I've spoken to has any experience with them. Do any of you know of a training center in Chicago (within the city proper; I don't have a car so commuting to the suburbs would take an obscene amount of time), or know anything about the school I linked above?

Got a couple more general questions, as well. Are there any benefits in choosing to train at a larger school (Jeppesen, etc.) over a smaller, local school? How difficult was finding your first job at a small/regional carrier? Finally, I know United has a dispatch center here, but does anyone know of a company within Chicago that would hire a newly-certificated dispatcher? I know I'll likely have to move eventually, but I do love my city and I'd prefer to stay here as long as I can.

Sorry about all the questions, and thanks in advance for any help you're able to give.
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I went to and just finished dispatch training at Institute of Flight Operations and Dispatch in DFW. 5 weeks of very intense classroom training. FYI, get the ATP/Dispatch test question study guide and weather books and start studying now as it will help when you go to school. I've been out of school since Feb.11, 2013 and have already had 6 interviews. As far as the majors go, yeah, anything is possible, but let's be honest, you have to crawl before you can walk. When you finish at IFOD you will have an FAA Dispatcher certificate and an ETOPS qualification. Best of luck.
 
Aviator-64 said:
and an ETOPS qualification.
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You will not have an ETOPS qualification from any Part 65 training program. ETOPS certification is 1) very, very rigorous 2) comes from the FAA, and 3) qualification is carrier-specific.

Where did you have your interviews at? Any luck?
 
ljg said:
You will not have an ETOPS qualification from any Part 65 training program. ETOPS certification is 1) very, very rigorous 2) comes from the FAA, and 3) qualification is carrier-specific.

Where did you have your interviews at? Any luck?
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Correct. A part 65 school can offer an introduction to ETOPS and it will give you an idea of what to expect if/when you move to a carrier with ETOPS. It is not however, a certification.
 
Flagship_dxer said:
Thanks for the clarification. I think some were under the impression that dispatchers with no airline experience and a brand new license were hired into that class at UAL. Internal hires with no experience in dispatching are pretty common at most airlines. Being hired straight into a major as an external candidate with no airline experience and no dispatch experience is pretty rare these days and I can see how that could make people pretty upset if that did happen with so many at regionals working hard to build experience for the majors.
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I too was shocked when he told me that - and he never said they were internal hires. Appreciate the clarification. :)
 
If I were the OP and wanted to stay in Chicago I would go to that dispatch school. Work hard and impress that owner who works for UAL and you might at the least have a good recommendation after putting in regional time. Who knows you may hit the jackpot.

Aviation Dispatch Institute in MEM makes good money running classes with Fedex employees who in turn get hired internally. IFOD and Sheffield both have industry connections. The school you choose is an opportunity to network and also gain a place in the industry. There are no guarantees but going to particular schools does help at some airlines.
 
Flagship_dxer said:
If I were the OP and wanted to stay in Chicago I would go to that dispatch school. Work hard and impress that owner who works for UAL and you might at the least have a good recommendation after putting in regional time. Who knows you may hit the jackpot.

Aviation Dispatch Institute in MEM makes good money running classes with Fedex employees who in turn get hired internally. IFOD and Sheffield both have industry connections. The school you choose is an opportunity to network and also gain a place in the industry. There are no guarantees but going to particular schools does help at some airlines.
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A very good point. One of the examiners at IFOD is a Southwest Dx and in the night class an employee with Southwest was getting her license to apply internally.
 
ljg said:
You will not have an ETOPS qualification from any Part 65 training program. ETOPS certification is 1) very, very rigorous 2) comes from the FAA, and 3) qualification is carrier-specific.

Where did you have your interviews at? Any luck?
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ExpressJet, Pinnacle, Metro Aviation, Elite Airways and a few others. Pinnacle is hiring 40-50 dispatchers by May for their OCC in MSP
 
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