A day in the life...

[Sliced_Bread]

So, I'm in the process of enrolling in school for dispatch and I'm running into a problem. I can't seem to explain what the job is to my relatives. None of them have any aviation background and when I try to tell them what I'll be doing I get a lot of blank stares and "you're gonna be in the control tower then?" scenarios.

How do you folks describe the job? What goes on during your average day?

 

[just_blaze]

I'm pretty sure everyone here can relate to this story.

I think this job description nails it. http://www.dispatcher.org/job-description

 

[womanpilot73]

So, I'm in the process of enrolling in school for dispatch and I'm running into a problem. I can't seem to explain what the job is to my relatives. None of them have any aviation background and when I try to tell them what I'll be doing I get a lot of blank stares and "you're gonna be in the control tower then?" scenarios.

How do you folks describe the job? What goes on during your average day?

Even after sharing the full job description with people, I still get the, "So you work in the tower then?" Lol... Our job is just foreign to the lay person.

 

[MT]

That's how we like it.

Best description I've heard... " you know all that paperwork they give to the pilot at the gate? I create that."

 

[McCrosky]

A few years back, Airways Magazine published a really good article about dispatchers, written by a couple guys from Delta. I bought a copy for my parents. Mom is still confused. I saw one of my favorite descriptions years ago on a Chataqua flight. They had a little card in the seat back pocket informing you about the company (Republic Group) and the main employee work groups. It said "Dispatchers are the most important airline employees you've never heard of" (or something similar).

 

[BSUbronco]

Don't worry, I get the same stare and response when I tell people I want to get my dispatchers license...

I believe Sheffield has a good description on their site.

 

[69beers]

Well, I generally come in at least fifteen minutes late. I use the side door - that way Lumbergh can't see me. And, uh, after that I just sorta space out for about an hour. I just stare at my desk; but it looks like I'm working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch, too. I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work. The thing is, Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care. It's a problem of motivation, all right? Now if I work my ass off and the company ships a few extra boxes, I don't see another dime, so where's the motivation? And here's something else, Bob: I have eight different bosses right now. Eight, Bob. So that means that when I make a mistake, I have eight different people coming by to tell me about it. That's my only real motivation is not to be hassled, that and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob, that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired.

 

[McCrosky]

Well, I generally come in at least fifteen minutes late. I use the side door - that way Lumbergh can't see me. And, uh, after that I just sorta space out for about an hour. I just stare at my desk; but it looks like I'm working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch, too. I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work. The thing is, Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care. It's a problem of motivation, all right? Now if I work my ass off and the company ships a few extra boxes, I don't see another dime, so where's the motivation? And here's something else, Bob: I have eight different bosses right now. Eight, Bob. So that means that when I make a mistake, I have eight different people coming by to tell me about it. That's my only real motivation is not to be hassled, that and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob, that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired.

Perfect summation.

 

[F9DXER]

Easiest I found is tell them you are a professional flight planner.
OK professional might be stretching it on some individuals.

 

[manniax]

My short answer to the question is "International flight planning and flight monitoring." If the recipient of that answer is still curious I expand on it.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

 

[belgiumania]

They had a little card in the seat back pocket informing you about the company (Republic Group) and the main employee work groups. It said "Dispatchers are the most important airline employees you've never heard of" (or something similar).

US Air had a similar article in their inflight magazine about a year ago... must have been November or December 2011.

I have in the past told people I work in "airline mission control." Yeah, its overly dramatic but it gets the point across because very few people have any clue what dispatch or an SOC is, in alot of cases even airline employees have no clue - I can't count the number of times a Flight Attendant has given me a sneer and said "oh, so you're a scheduler" when they ask me what I do for the airline. Uh, no.

 

[PHL_Approach]

When I first got my license, my Mom wanted to know what the job would entail and this was the a description I stumbled upon. It really answered every question she had.

"The Dispatcher is known by many names, Flight Operations Officer, Flight Superintendent, Flight Controller, Flight Planners and at United Airlines as Flight Dispatcher. The term dispatch implies that the job ends once the flight pushes back and departs, but this is just the beginning of another role for the multi-tasking Dispatcher.The essence of a Dispatcher's role per the FAA is defined by two words: OPERATIONAL CONTROL. This authority allows the Dispatcher to originate, cancel, re-dispatch or divert a flight. The Dispatcher is charged by the corporation to ensure that we operate our flights as safely, economically, and efficiently as possible. The Dispatcher is responsible for the safe planning and monitoring of all flights operating under his or her control, and must adhere strictly to the Code of Federal Regulations CFR Part 121.
In the course of a normal day, the Flight Dispatcher will interact with operations planning, maintenance, crew scheduling, customer service, and pilots. If the aircraft Dispatcher does not issue a release (written permission) to operate a given flight, that flight legally cannot operate. Prior to flight the Dispatcher will review all operational factors which could impact the flight. These include reviewing the departure weather, Notices to Airmen (NOTAMS), the proposed route of flight, runway conditions, en route weather, aircraft condition, number of passengers, cargo, fuel requirements and flight crew qualifications. Once assured that all is correct they prepare a dispatch release. Often people mistakenly believe that all the flight crew requires is a flight plan, when in reality, it's the dispatch release that is the legal document. (CFR 121.687). With today's complex aircraft and environment, both the Dispatch release message and the flight plan are usually combined. The flight plan outlines the route of flight, giving information on fuel burn, en route wind conditions, navigation aids and locations. Once received by the Captain the release and flight plan are reviewed. If the Captain agrees he or she will sign the release. If the Captain is not in agreement, the flight cannot depart until a joint agreement is formed between the Dispatcher and the Captain. This is known as joint responsibility."

US Air had a similar article in their inflight magazine about a year ago... must have been November or December 2011.

I have in the past told people I work in "airline mission control." Yeah, its overly dramatic but it gets the point across because very few people have any clue what dispatch or an SOC is, in alot of cases even airline employees have no clue - I can't count the number of times a Flight Attendant has given me a sneer and said "oh, so you're a scheduler" when they ask me what I do for the airline. Uh, no.

I know the article you're talking about but attached is another behind the scenes of the OCC released in the US Airways Employee Newsletter a few years ago

 

[FXMXC]

A few years back, Airways Magazine published a really good article about dispatchers, written by a couple guys from Delta. I bought a copy for my parents. Mom is still confused. I saw one of my favorite descriptions years ago on a Chataqua flight. They had a little card in the seat back pocket informing you about the company (Republic Group) and the main employee work groups. It said "Dispatchers are the most important airline employees you've never heard of" (or something similar).

Don't feel too bad I was an actual airline employee in the mid 80's and didn't know anything about dispatchers..That was my bad.. If I had been more astute I would have spent my energy there instead of wasting my time wrenching on airplanes. I learned a lot in my many years of airline service. I could have spent 5 to 6 weeks on my ADX and at this point in my life made more money as a dispatcher and had CASS jumpseat priviledges but I spent 2 yrs getting an A@P to be treated like crap work in all kinds of weather working on things no one wants to work on for what? Got my dispatcher ticket now but I am an old man now so I spend my life educating young people to get into DX and never ever go into MX.