Approved Charts

I don't know what airlines provide, but my experience with Foreflight suggests that it doesn't really make sense to use in an airline environment. The weather products available on Foreflight are the same stuff you can get on aviationweather.gov for free. Most airline SOC's have access to better information through Sabre, Fusion, Navtech, whatever. The nav charts available on Foreflight are the FAA published charts. Again, my experience is that pilots prefer Jepp charts, which you can't get on Foreflight unless you pay even more.
 
I don't know what airlines provide, but my experience with Foreflight suggests that it doesn't really make sense to use in an airline environment. The weather products available on Foreflight are the same stuff you can get on aviationweather.gov for free. Most airline SOC's have access to better information through Sabre, Fusion, Navtech, whatever. The nav charts available on Foreflight are the FAA published charts. Again, my experience is that pilots prefer Jepp charts, which you can't get on Foreflight unless you pay even more.
That has changed significantly in the past year. Foreflight now has a subscription add-on for Jepp charts and a lot of extra performance bells and whistles for the jet crowd, at a higher cost subscription of course. I think it's primarily targeted at the Part 91 and 135 group, but they may be looking at some airline business as well. I know there are a few airlines which have sought ForeFlight approval but don't know what ultimately happened.
 
But why is Jepp chartviewer approved whereas ForeFlight is not? What has to happen for the requested product to be approved?
 
That has changed significantly in the past year. Foreflight now has a subscription add-on for Jepp charts and a lot of extra performance bells and whistles for the jet crowd, at a higher cost subscription of course. I think it's primarily targeted at the Part 91 and 135 group, but they may be looking at some airline business as well. I know there are a few airlines which have sought ForeFlight approval but don't know what ultimately happened.
ah...
ForeFlight and Frontier Airlines Announce Approval for ForeFlight Mobile in the Cockpit
 
In dispatch school do they teach you how to use the software? I think that at Sheffield they teach you how to use Navtech. Can anyone confirm?
 
In dispatch school do they teach you how to use the software? I think that at Sheffield they teach you how to use Navtech. Can anyone confirm?

I hope not, because that's not the point of the school. The purpose is to learn the fundamentals and theory, not just how to punch buttons.
 
I hope not, because that's not the point of the school. The purpose is to learn the fundamentals and theory, not just how to punch buttons.

Right from their website
As a student at Sheffield School, you will also access the Jeppesen Access Software system to request flight plans, aviation weather charts, reports, and forecasts. You will also be exposed to the Navtech and Universal Weather computer flight planning systems.
 
There is absolutely no need to learn that stuff in dispatch school. Each airline has their own way of doing things and their own set of rules. You will get the necessary training at that point.

Dispatch school is not about learning how to dispatch. Dispatch school is learning the stuff the Federales think is pertinent information towards getting a dispatch certificate. The real learning comes when you start OJT with an airline and are in real world situations. Even then, it takes a few years being on the job before you get comfy enough to handle most situations. And then maybe you go to a different carrier and they have their way of doing things and all of a sudden you realize how little you know about dispatching.

My point is, relax and breathe. You will have a whole career at some point to learn this stuff. Don’t try to speed up the process, that’s where problems can occur.
 
Also why do some people think that FlightSafety sends out lesser quality dispatchers than sheff or jepp? Isnt the pecking order Sheff, Jepp, IFOD, FSI? Is FSI a mill like ATP or is it a quality program?
 
Also why do some people think that FlightSafety sends out lesser quality dispatchers than sheff or jepp? Isnt the pecking order Sheff, Jepp, IFOD, FSI? Is FSI a mill like ATP or is it a quality program?
It’s all the same certificate, you don’t get a special designation from the FAA if you went to Sheffield or IFOD
 
It’s all the same certificate, you don’t get a special designation from the FAA if you went to Sheffield or IFOD

But dont some companies favor sheffield over the others? I remember once looking at Skywests application and one of the questions was which dispatch school you went to.
 
But dont some companies favor sheffield over the others? I remember once looking at Skywests application and one of the questions was which dispatch school you went to.
Haven't had any problems getting a job and I didn't go to any of the schools listed. It's about how well written your resume is and how well you interview sometimes.
 
JHC dude, as people have said, school does not matter...

you'll quickly realize once you get out of your first dispatch job, nobody gives a rat's behind which school you got your license from... as for FSI, not exactly sure where you heard that from but I know a few peeps from there that are now dispatching across all spectrum of the industry... conversely, i've seen dispatchers from other schools who I can't see ever moving up from the regional world...
 
In dispatch school do they teach you how to use the software? I think that at Sheffield they teach you how to use Navtech. Can anyone confirm?
I graduated Sheffield in May, and no, they do not teach you the software. They ACQUAINT you with a couple of different applications, but that's all; they don't test you on them. Also, since they were web based; since the pages wouldn't open for me; I was unable to run them. That is to say that they touch on it (i.e. teach it in passing), but nothing more. Number one, you need to know where the numbers COME FROM, so you'll do flight planning BY HAND; you'll do it the old fashioned way to learn this. Number two, different airlines use different applications. When you get to your airline, you'll learn all that stuff.

To go into detail on point #1, you'll do ten (10) flight plans by hand; you'll do them the old fashioned way. You'll fill out a big form; you'll use fuel burn tables and/or graphs; you'll put these numbers into the big form; then you'll calculate them. What will take you an hour or so the computer will do in seconds. That said, you must know where the numbers come from, so you understand what the computer is telling you. At least you'll have an electronic calculator to work the numbers; dispatchers back in the day didn't even have THAT!

But yeah, school won't teach you the software. One, there are different applications. Two, different airlines use different applications. For example, one airline may run Fusion, while another will use a different ASD application. Just concentrate on learning the fundamentals at school, and you will be fine. Once you get to an airline, they'll teach you their software and other things that they want you to know. Hope this helps...
 
When have you found SkyVector to be incorrect?
I have found incorrect MEAs and VORs that are no longer there before. This was well over 18 months ago while building a route for an unpressurized aircraft. After that, I stopped using it altogether because who knows what else is inaccurate. There is a reason it's not an official source for dispatching.

It's a good tool for learning if you have nothing else, but I wouldn't plan an actual flight plan using that as my only source.
 
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