Your path to becoming a dispatcher

J

justinisapilot

Well-Known Member
I would like to hear the different paths people took to becoming a dispatcher starting after high school and looking back on it, what you would have done differently. I had the opportunity to tour the Delta Air Lines Operations Control Center and shadowed a dispatcher for about an hour and was astonished to hear all the different paths they took to get there.

I will start
Graduated high school in 2005, obtained a Private pilots License in November 2005, Started college in 2006. transferred to Middle Georgia College in 2007. Obtained an instrument rating in July 2008. Obtained a commercial license in October 2009. Began multi engine training in Jan 2011. Became unable to maintain a first class medical in March 2011. Career path changes from Airline Pilot to Dispatcher in March 2011. Graduated from Middle Georgia College with an Airport Management Bachelors Degree in May 2011. Hired as a ramp agent in Atlanta in May 2011. Currently still a ramp agent and plotting out how I will pay for and where I will get the time to attend dispatch school at Sheffield or Falcon Aviation Academy hopefully in the fall.
 
I graduated HS in 2002, graduated college with a BS in Geographic Information Technology in 2006, and then worked for 5 years in the engineering/GIS industry (geospatial analysis, map design). After getting laid off, I realized that I wanted to make a career change, but I was unsure of what I wanted to do. I never had my PPL, but I have always loved everything about aviation and travel. I randomly came across information on the dispatcher career online a few months ago, did some research, and it seemed like a perfect fit. I am now scheduled to attend the Sheffield course in a month and I hope to land a job soon after! If I could do it over again, I would have gotten my degree in something more relevant and immediately get certified when I turned 23.

PS- I live in ATL and I also looked into Falcon AA. I could never seem to get an answer from them. I called and emailed numerous times and I never even got a response back, so I decided that I would look elsewhere if that is how they operate. Glad I did too, because dealing with Sheffield has been great so far. Best of luck to you!
 
Well I'm not there yet but am actively trying to find a position, do not really care where it is and I have applied to jobs from Alaska to Florida and Connecticut to Hawaii, basically as long as it is in US or Canada. Up until moving back to the US I even hit some spots in Europe. Funny thing I got a hit shortly, (5 days after moving back to the US) from a company in Germany. I applied to long time ago finally they contacted me. Too bad it was not a couple of weeks earlier when I had chance to change things, though it was only a notification and not an offer.

So I will answer this question as to what I have done up till now.

Working for the american government in Germany I was not happy about the way things were going. I decided like many other people to make career change. Something in Aviation, I like working on cars and I like planes so I said what the hell why not a A&P Mechanic. So I enrolled in ERAU worldwide, and obtain an UG Certification in AMT. Problem here was that I could not get the hands on time. Because to work on "N" Registered planes there were a so few places to do this, mainly the US bases but to get authorization you had to have TESA (7 years experience). Working on German planes was out because I did not speak enough German.

So the A&P was a no go at least by this point, after that I focused on BS in Professional Aeronautics with ERAU, which was changed by the school later to be just Aeronautics, while working for US Government. At the same time I did whatever I could do to try to break into the Goverment Aviation industry, next impossible, mainly because if you are a NAF employee (which I was) is very hard to shift to a GS employee (which was all the aviation roles).

Anyway, during that period I decided to get my Dispatcher License, and reviewed many schools. In the end IFOD was picked and after I got my license, I returned to Germany and proceed to a job interview, thanks to IFOD, in Salzburg Austria. I got the job but the operations center was moving to Malta, and Maltese government would not grant me a work visa as I was not a citizen of the EU. So I finished school got my degree and minors in aviation safety and management and thus here I am, applying for jobs.

I have plans to finish some goals made in the past such as PPL and eventually a CPL with time and maybe CFI. Get my master degree in Aeronautical Science.

Important note ERAU gave me 21 credit hours towards my degree and made my area of concentration aviation operations due to the dispatcher license. Suck part about this was that for me I had already done all my electives by this point, so the 21 hours were not usable, except for WEAX 201. So the lesson is for the college students always do your electives last! You never know what the school will give for a life experience later on.

And the drum beats on however with no regrets.
 
Was never interested in being a pilot. My dad was, and I made an informed decision that a pilots life was not for me.

Was never interested in airplanes. I can't notice the difference between a 757 and a 767 when it's in the air- nor have I ever cared to investigate, nor do I think that it's important. I know what I need to know and quite a little bit more, but there's no passion in the plane itself.

Once upon a time I worked as an aircraft marshaller (the guy with the wands), and after a while I wanted to see what was behind the curtain. What were the logistics behind these planes and their flights? What went on behind the scenes on the ground level to get these planes from point A to point B.

I have always been interested in impressive control centers. The airline I worked for let me have a peek inside their operations center - which was very impressive. A dispatcher there was kind enough to take me under his wing and walked me through international flight planning and following. You had me at ETOPS, sir.

Left my college degree program of music behind, quit my job, and headed down to Sheffield. Years later, I still consider that perhaps the best money ever spent on my personal behalf.

I still give less than two s**** about planes. I have zero desire to fly.

I'm a safety officer in the problem solving business. I'm a coordinator of information, a decision machine. Part lawyer, part meteorologist, part airman, part negotiator. Safety first, efficiency second, self last. Put yourself in the other guy's shoes- customer, pilot, no matter who. Understand what they need from you. And don't ever ever be complacent. Never be complacent.

And at the end of the day - if you make hundreds of decisions and execute as well as reasonably expected: then it sure makes for a satisfying ride home, where I get to come home to my wife every night.

It's a great job!
 
I was looking for something to do with my general aviation degree from Embry-Riddle (Professional Aeronautics, like E-ADX mentioned) after getting out of the Air Force (enlisted, F-15 avionics tech, and I had no interest in continuing in that career field.) While I was finishing up said degree, I happened to copy a Sheffield ad in an article I was using for writing a paper in one of my ERAU classes, and that caused me to do some research into them and the field, and it all sounded intriguing. So, I finished my degree, saved up some money (parents helped out also) and off I went. I got a job with a regional within a couple months of finishing class and I've been in the industry ever since, and at a major for over seven years now.
 
Graduated from high school in 2010 (not a scientific one), attended faculty of law for 2 years, then something happened and I couldn't keep on studying anymore..I simply realized that my real passion is civil aviation! Actually it's always been it, but I've never tought before to make it my future profession..so I went against my parents and all my friends, who advised me against leaving the university in order to run after a dream, dropped from university (I had a good GPA, still didn't make me change idea) and started looking around for any kind of opportunity available and most of all economically affordable. My real target is to become an airline pilot , but my parents will help me only if I find half of the budget so I need money, but I don't wanna do the waiter for years , therefore I found out the dispatch option..started studying english intensively with courses, but most of all by my self reading books and whatching every evening a movie without subtitles!!

Now here I am , graduated from Sheffield on the 6th of July , applying everyday towards each corner of the world, hoping for the best :)
 
Well for some reason the FAA is adamant that you need 20/20 vision (I'm 20/200 uncorrectable) to stare at a radar scope, so I thought there were no options for me other than chucking bags. Due to an FAA oversight, (shhh..... Don't tell them), dispatchers don't require a medical. So once I learned about the profession and figured out it was a perfect marriage of 3 of my passions (airplanes, meteorology, and ATC to some degree,) It was a no brainer that this would be the field for me. I love any chance I get to dispatch flights!
 
Never graduated from anything, got my license, got hired by a major right out of school and been making the big bucks ever since...

Ha, yeah right!

Graduated from an aviation college, took a tour of a now absorbed airlines SOC, got hooked, got my license, started off at a regional, then a supplemental and eventually made it to the majors after a few years clawing at the bottom. Luckily for me it has been a relatively quick climb to the top honestly. I know lots of people who would die for my situation and I am forever thankful about it. I am the a classic example of the "I know somebody at..." senario

If I can throw one piece of advice out there to all the newbies, that is DO NOT burn your bridges in this industry. With all the consolidation that has happened, everybody knows somebody at the big boys. I cannot stress that enough.
 
I graduated HS in 2001 and went to college, was not that interested in what I was doing, so I saved my parents a butt load of cash and left.
I have always loved airplanes. In order to help me transition towards becoming a pilot, and make some money I deceided to go and be a flight attendant. One of my coworkers introduced me to her now fiance in a bar one night, he told me what he did, and I went up for 2 shifts (a VFR day, and a complete mess of an IFR day). I loved it all. I left the airline to secure my time off (as they would not grant it to me), headed across the street to FlightSafety at LGA, and I have not looked back ever since.
This is an awesome career, and I cannot imagine myself doing anything else. After seeing how pilots get treated on the line with the long duty days/delays, etc, and knowing that I can go home at my scheduled time despite 3 hour GDPs at the major airports, makes me love this job even more.
My wife is happy with the paycheck, unhappy with how we have had to move from her hometown, but that too will pass. It has been one hell of an adventure, and I look forward to the future. PM me if you have any questions
 
Heh, okay, I'll have a go at this...

Dad was an airline pilot with a major for 32 years, retiring in 2000. As a kid growing up I wanted to be an airline pilot, but as I grew up I found that being a young adult was much more entertaining then sitting in class all day long, so I spent lots of time not doing the things I needed to do to knock out great grades.

Out of college (where I didn't get a degree in criminal justice) I was in the I.T. industry from '92 until the dot-crash in 2000. Managed to land in a position at Motorola for a year when they decided to eliminate my department and about 10,000 other employees and found myself in an industry that required alarmingly higher then I had qualifications. Since Moto was nice enough to drop a good chunk of money on my as severance I went off to AFDTC in Dallas and was awarded my dispatch license on September 5th, 2001 and a job that was to start on September 12th, 2001. For obvious reasons that job never materialized and I was suddenly left with a still wet ticket and an industry that wasn't looking too lucrative from a hiring standpoint. As luck would have it, a guy I went to class with also didn't get hired at the job he was hired at and went off to go do something else, and in November when that company went looking for him he referred them to me. Spent a few years doing the regional thing, then did a stint as a police and fire dispatcher before getting on with a supplemental carrier. Couple of years there before that company went tango-uniform and now, provided everything goes as planned I'll be starting at a major next month.

It's been a long and convoluted path for me, but I'm absolutely thrilled to be going where I am going. Definitely I can re-iterate what was said previously, no matter what happens, never burn your bridges in this industry. The dispatch community is small and tight knit, and you never know who you're going to run into again. As for me, my career would be nowhere if not for the relationships I built with my previous employers and co-workers.
 
I'm Ron Burgundy? Ok, my turn...

Let's see, I graduated HS in 2002, got a job with DL on the ramp. Did the college thing for a bit (Business Administration thing...but unlike the US Government, I didn't like spending money I don't have...about a year and half away from finishing my degree). Worked for NW as a cross-utilized agent at my home airport of GSP for about six months, then I got introduced to the world of being a Flight Follower for a Part 135 air-taxi service. The Ops Manager said that I had a natural knack for this, and he persuaded me to get my dispatch license. Seeing the cost of the program, I didn't think I could afford it, so I put it off for a bit. Then came my lucky break: FedEx held an open house looking for rampers at their GSP airport ramp location. I applied and I got selected. 2 people out of 80 people who applied got hired. I was one of those 2. So I started working for FedEx, and I found out about FedEx's tuition reimbursement program, and that program covered DX school. Not wanting to miss work, I chose the Distance Learning course from AGS, but the downside of the course was that the week that I would have to go to CVG to take my Oral & Practical would occur in December. December = FedEx, folks do you know what that means? Yes, well, fortunately, my boss was awesome, and he let me go to CVG and take my Oral & Practical. I passed, and FedEx paid for my DX license.

I had a job offer with ASA, prior to receiving my DX license, but due to DL restructuring their schedule, they were forced to withdraw that offer. Pinnacle was a bust (no big deal), but lo & behold, some supplemental carrier in Rockford, IL called out of the blue, and asked me to interview. They flew me up to ORD, and got me a rental car to RFD. After interviewing and viewing the place, the Mgr of DX said, "I don't normally hire people without any experience, but you're different, and I'm going to take a chance with you. YOU'RE HIRED!" If you're from RIA, he's the crazy guy who says, "My friend!" and he's from Cancun! I was at RIA for 4.5 years, until I could see that the ship was sinking faster than the Titanic.

I went down to XJT in ATL for a few months, until another carrier hired me as an SOC Duty Mgr, where I currently am located.

For all those people, who are thinking about DXing for a living, go for it, but heads up, it's not for everybody. This is a VERY SMALL COMMUNITY; we all know each other through someone or another. Also, NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK. Don't burn your bridge, because if you leave the industry, and you decide you want back in; your way in may be gone.
 
Hi, I'm McCrosky and I'm an alcoho... no wait, I'm a dispatcher. Well same thing.

I got out along this path as a child. My father worked for a large carrier based in ATL (not a dispatcher or pilot). My house was south of the city where i could sit in the front yard and watch planes turn onto final. By age 10 I could name almost any plane in the sky and what airline was flying it. I started with flying lessons in high school, but that fell by the wayside when I got a car. Went to college (Go Jackets!!) studying Aerospace engineering. Turns out, I hated calculus (only took to calc 5 to figure this out) so... after a few major changes I was just kind of lost for a career path. Meanwhile, I had started working part time loading boxes for FedEx, and eventually got through working the ramp and to a Ramp Agent doing weight and balance and supervising load crews. While doing that, one of the jobs was interfacing with GOC and eventually learned there a "dispatcher" job and what was required. A few of the fellow employees went to school to get their license, but I was broke spending money on college. FInally next year i figured out I hated what doing at Tech and took a quarter off and went to dispatch "school" (not a negative connotation,it was pretty much a one man show. But the instruction was excellent) in Atlanta (it don't think that "school" exists anymore). Luckily Fedex was willing to front me the entire cost of my dispatch license, which i earned in June of 2001. I didn't really look for a job, planning to just stay at FedEx and go into GOC and back to college and finish a degree. Neither happened. After 09/11 was told I would need experience if they were to ever tart hiring again. I did apply for a job with a supplemental carrier who's HQ was just outside ATL, and was offered the job. Best dispatch job ever. Such a fun place to work but made less than I did working for FedEx part time. (turns out, the starting salary was better than most regionals pay now). I eventually threw in the towel at FedEx, working both jobs for almost 6 months and being miserable.

After a year and a half or so of sending 727's (then eventually 757's and MD-8x) all over the western hemisphere (and applying for any major i could), I eventually got called by another local ATL supplemental carrier who went all over the World. It was a significant pay raise but a much more stringent atmosphere. No more Friday afternoon keggers on managements dime or Christmas parties where hotels wouldn't let us come back. I stayed with World sending heavies to every crap hole you could imagine. Africa was our specialty. Learned a lot about moving planes in countries that don't necessarily like Americans or laws. I may have bent an occasional rule here and there. Then there was a six month span where i went back to take a duty manager job, but soon saw the impending doom at TransMeridian and left back to World.

Couple years later, a few job applications, and a phone interview completed on vacation at 2AM local time outside the bar I'd been in most the night, I was brought up to the "majors". Ironically, this was the only carrier that seriously threatened me with furlough while making billions in profit. But that seems to have passed.

I will echo those who say both to network and do not burn bridges. Even now, I keep an ear to the ground just in case another furlough opportunity comes at me. Keep in touch with your former coworkers, they can be the best source of job opportunities on the horizon.

deltabobo said:
he's the crazy guy who says, "My friend!" and he's from Cancun!
Click to expand...

haha, i actually had a beer with "My Friend" a few months ago. Just more proof it's a small community. If you get a negative reputation it'll follow you.
 
Okay.....I graduated in HS in 1996.....worked for Delta from 1997 to 2003, moved over to SkyWest from 2003 to 2007, worked for Allegiant from 2007-2012 as a Supervisor in Reservations, now a dispatcher.

I was wanting to go into law enforcement but like many big cities with budget cuts, for some reason law enforcement was cut out of the budget.

I like being a dispatcher
 
I was a mid-life career changer discouraged by the job market and looking for some inspiration. My sister offered to pay for dispatch school and I hit the internet in search. That led me here, to Sheffield, and on to a new beginning. I have an aviation background so I just love airplanes and I love the job. I have benefited so much from this forum. Both jobs I have held had some link to my friends here. Thank you. And yes - the toes you step on today may be attached to the butt you will have to kiss tomorrow.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
 
Where to begin... Well in my former career I was a surgical assistant in various trauma OR's. Back in 2000 I decided to take a flying lesson and was immediately hooked. I started my private pilot training and decided I wanted to fly for a career. Sold my house in southern Oregon and moved to PHX for flight school. During my instrument training, 9/11 happened and as we all know, the industry was turned upside down. My flight school was one that did not go bankrupt and close down, but they were one that prices doubled overnight. I couldn't in my wildest dreams justify owing 120K, especially not knowing if there would be any jobs. The uncertainty was just too great. Though looking back and knowing what I know now, things worked out the way they were supposed to. I honestly don't think I'd have "loved" flying as a career. Instead I still fly, but just for the pure joy of it. So after finishing my instrument rating, back to Oregon and working in surgery I went. That is until I had a terrible injury to my back that required several surgeries and took me out of the workforce completely. When I got to a point of being able to work again, I knew that standing on my feet for hours on end wasn't gonna happen. So I started looking into what I could do in aviation. I literally stumbled on a link talking about aircraft dispatchers. I never knew such a job existed! The more I read, the more I knew this was the job for me! Being immersed in aviation again, for a mere fraction of the cost of flight training, is a dream come true. Everyone here on the forum was such a huge help to me in making my decision to get my license. And I'm so glad I did. Thank you all for the info, advice and support along the way! The dispatch family is awesome :-)
 
When I was young, I aspired to be an astronaut. I loved NASA and everything about space exploration. That interest still remains to this day, but I started to fall in love with aviation, particularly airliners more and more as I grew up. I remember flying on a Panam 747 to and from Europe as well as a TWA 727 to and from NY to FL many times. My goal was to become an airline pilot, so during my junior year in high school, I was fortunate enough to be able to start flight school. It dragged a lot due to certain issues, but in 2007 I finally earned my PPL. Unfortunately, that was when fuel was at peak and I couldn't really afford to continue my instrument rating. Prior to that though, at the age of 18, I was hired as a ramper for a major airline. I worked the ramp, gate, ticket counter and so on for about four years before deciding to continue pursuing a different career at my airline. Thanks to a good friend, he helped me make my way into the System Operations Center. During that time, I started learning more about Dispatch and realizing it might be something I really enjoyed. I eventually got my certificate and fortunately made my way into Dispatch prior to the hiring spree. While I'm not fond too of NYC, I do love my job and the company I work for.
 
As for me, graduated HS - oh never mind but probably before some of you were born. Worked for a crop duster in high school. Pawnee AirTractors and J-3 Supercubs. You thought dispatchers were a bit on the "far side" - crop dusters really need to have their heads examined. First flight lesson was in a Cherokee 140, it was awesome.
Spent time in the military (on the ATC side) and earned my PPL while living in Europe. I tease some of our crews that I have more international flying experience then they do. Also got some glider time in. Folks if you ever get the chance to take a glider flight - do it! The ones I did were launched from a 3000ft cable attached to a high power (V-8 engine) winch. Once the wings get lift, you end up on what seems a 60 degree nose up climb. Also tried skydiving.

Got out of the military, ended up in a 9-5/M-F job. Liked the job, hated the hours. Gawd I don't see how those normal day workers do that. Started looking and had seen the ads for dispatcher in assorted aviation magazines. Inquired and read the course description and said to myself - I basically know something about all the subjects..

So off to Sheffield I went. Its rough when one HAS to go to south Florida in the winter. Was hired 2 months after completing the class. I personally found the course easy and I ended up helping other students. To this day I have know idea what my score was on my practical, as all I was told was I passed.

Sheffield helped me in my job search and I am forever thankfull for this.

My first dispatch job was at ATA (American Trans Air) and I'll admit it was the toughest job to learn but the most fun. I have dispatched to all ICAO regions except the one that begin with A - as in Antartica. Our planes would go places and do things that even the majors wouldn't or couldn't do. For those of you who have worked or do work at World/Tower/NAA/Ryan - you know exactly what I am talking about. From having your crews carrying a suitcase with 6 figures in cash for handling fees to only being able to give your crew a hand-drawn diagram of their destination and a freq to call upon arrival. Having to issue a release via Stockholm radio - RPITA!!!, dealing with EuroControl before they had their route checker, to diversion for all sorts of issues. Overflights for Egypt that never ever were correct. I could go on and on

As seems to be the standard business model for the airlines, bankruptcy is a requirement and I have dealt with two. (ATA and F9), those chapters really makes one think about the career choice one makes.

So now I am on airline 3.5 CO/UA. Ill call it 4.0 if and when we fully merge. 17 years doing this and I still enjoy the work and my co-workers. Not sure how my co-workers feel :biggrin:.

The closeness of the dispatch group, even those that work for a foreign airline is amazing. Willing to help and pass on knowedge without being asked is something one doesn't find that often in other careers. I will admit that you might get teased/embarassed when you receive those answers but hey - its part of being a dispatcher!

Your reputation as a dispatcher starts from that first interview you have. Where it goes from there is up to you.

(EX) F9dxer
 
F9DXER said:
As for me, graduated HS - oh never mind but probably before some of you were born. Worked for a crop duster in high school. Pawnee AirTractors and J-3 Supercubs. You thought dispatchers were a bit on the "far side" - crop dusters really need to have their heads examined. First flight lesson was in a Cherokee 140, it was awesome.
Spent time in the military (on the ATC side) and earned my PPL while living in Europe. I tease some of our crews that I have more international flying experience then they do. Also got some glider time in. Folks if you ever get the chance to take a glider flight - do it! The ones I did were launched from a 3000ft cable attached to a high power (V-8 engine) winch. Once the wings get lift, you end up on what seems a 60 degree nose up climb. Also tried skydiving.

Got out of the military, ended up in a 9-5/M-F job. Liked the job, hated the hours. Gawd I don't see how those normal day workers do that. Started looking and had seen the ads for dispatcher in assorted aviation magazines. Inquired and read the course description and said to myself - I basically know something about all the subjects..

So off to Sheffield I went. Its rough when one HAS to go to south Florida in the winter. Was hired 2 months after completing the class. I personally found the course easy and I ended up helping other students. To this day I have know idea what my score was on my practical, as all I was told was I passed.

Sheffield helped me in my job search and I am forever thankfull for this.

My first dispatch job was at ATA (American Trans Air) and I'll admit it was the toughest job to learn but the most fun. I have dispatched to all ICAO regions except the one that begin with A - as in Antartica. Our planes would go places and do things that even the majors wouldn't or couldn't do. For those of you who have worked or do work at World/Tower/NAA/Ryan - you know exactly what I am talking about. From having your crews carrying a suitcase with 6 figures in cash for handling fees to only being able to give your crew a hand-drawn diagram of their destination and a freq to call upon arrival. Having to issue a release via Stockholm radio - RPITA!!!, dealing with EuroControl before they had their route checker, to diversion for all sorts of issues. Overflights for Egypt that never ever were correct. I could go on and on

As seems to be the standard business model for the airlines, bankruptcy is a requirement and I have dealt with two. (ATA and F9), those chapters really makes one think about the career choice one makes.

So now I am on airline 3.5 CO/UA. Ill call it 4.0 if and when we fully merge. 17 years doing this and I still enjoy the work and my co-workers. Not sure how my co-workers feel :biggrin:.

The closeness of the dispatch group, even those that work for a foreign airline is amazing. Willing to help and pass on knowedge without being asked is something one doesn't find that often in other careers. I will admit that you might get teased/embarassed when you receive those answers but hey - its part of being a dispatcher!

Your reputation as a dispatcher starts from that first interview you have. Where it goes from there is up to you.

(EX) F9dxer
Click to expand...

Umm don't know if your older than me I graduated HS in 1982. Went to college in Phoenix Az at DeVry for computer information systems got out hated programming even though thats where the money was at that time. I always loved airplanes I got my PPL then instrument rating then multi engine land and commercial also got my A@P and after my health took a dive I decided to go the A@P route since I couldn't get a 1st class medical. I got on with NWA as a mechanic worked for them for over 17 years until they forced us on strike and I lost my career there. Came to FX as a maintenance controller I then learned about dispatch I never knew they existed until I got this job. I went to AGS did the online thing and went to CVG to finish up...Now trying to get into GOC at FX even though all my experience is in MX. I only wish I learned about dispatch earlier in my career .
 
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