ADX vs Pilot Knowledge

[ADXGuy]

Hi,

In dispatch, how much do the following things play a role in the job?

1. Weight & Balance Calculations - specifically “Weight x Moment = Arm”

2. Flight/Wind Computer Calculations

3. Engine Performance Calculations - Pressure Altitude and completing the performance charts, etc

4. Calculating Aircraft Performance - based on OAT, Pressure Altitudes, Headwinds, Takeoff weight, etc.

5. Basically, is a dispatcher required to learn and know everything that a Private Pilot knows?
Thanks for any insight,

 

[Luigi]

Yes you’re required to have an understanding of all of that to get your license.

 

[fsxflyhigh]

To get the licence? yes and more (content is more like the ATP course than just your ordinary private pilot). How much of that is actually used day to day working for an airline? pretty much none. As in don't expect to hand calculate W&B, fuel burn, etc. HOWEVER, getting an understanding on aircraft performance, weight/balance, and other "pilot knowledge" is extremely important. While we have computers to figure out most of the stuff, there are always times when the computer can't give you the answer you actually need and pilots always seem to ask us questions like we are some all knowing being.

 

[jynxyjoe]

To get the licence? yes and more (content is more like the ATP course than just your ordinary private pilot). How much of that is actually used day to day working for an airline? pretty much none. As in don't expect to hand calculate W&B, fuel burn, etc. HOWEVER, getting an understanding on aircraft performance, weight/balance, and other "pilot knowledge" is extremely important. While we have computers to figure out most of the stuff, there are always times when the computer can't give you the answer you actually need and pilots always seem to ask us questions like we are some all knowing being.

I dont know what youre getting at. Youre gonna get a license. That means youre gonna do ALL that crap as if there are no computers so you have a fundamental knowledge just like memorizing multiplication tables before you get your shiny calculator.

 

[MIADX]

I dont know what youre getting at. Youre gonna get a license. That means youre gonna do ALL that crap as if there are no computers so you have a fundamental knowledge just like memorizing multiplication tables before you get your shiny calculator.

He's agreeing that all of that knowledge will be learned during the course of earning your cert, but that almost none of it applies to day-to-day dispatching, and he's right. It's just too time-prohibitive and potentially risky to calculate things by hand.


Where I'll disagree with the OP is point #5. There are many things that private pilots need to know that are not relevant to dispatch and vice versa.

Sent from my GM1915 using Tapatalk

 

[ADXGuy]

I appreciate all of your responses.

I’m currently in week one of flight training at an accelerated program and I’ve quickly realized that although I can learn and do the items that I listed above, I simply just don’t enjoy doing them multiple times a day. I know that there are going to be things that you don’t enjoy about any job, but I really, really, despise all of manual chart calculating that we have to do.

As much as I love flying and the other aspects that come with it (navigation, holding patterns, communicating with ATC, weather, regulations, the list goes on), I’m not feeling nearly as enthusiastic as I once was. I know that the calculations are an important part of aviation, and wanted to get some insight on dispatch Incase I decide to discontinue training at any point. I’m going to stick with it for a bit to see if my feelings change, but it was on my mind so I figured I would ask.

Thanks again,

 

[Luigi]

Truthfully guy, you just got to buckle down. Try to see the forest through the trees.

 

[manniax]

I’m currently in week one of flight training at an accelerated program and I’ve quickly realized that although I can learn and do the items that I listed above, I simply just don’t enjoy doing them multiple times a day. I know that there are going to be things that you don’t enjoy about any job, but I really, really, despise all of manual chart calculating that we have to do.

No idea on flight training, but as far as dispatching goes, it’s very rare to do any sort of manual calculations...the flight planning system you use takes care of all the calculations. However we did do a lot of manual flight planning in school, to understand the principles behind what we were doing. I suspect that being a professional pilot is probably similar, but I have never aspired to be one, nor do I have any sort of pilot license, so I’m not positive.

 

[who'swho]

I appreciate all of your responses.

I’m currently in week one of flight training at an accelerated program and I’ve quickly realized that although I can learn and do the items that I listed above, I simply just don’t enjoy doing them multiple times a day. I know that there are going to be things that you don’t enjoy about any job, but I really, really, despise all of manual chart calculating that we have to do.

As much as I love flying and the other aspects that come with it (navigation, holding patterns, communicating with ATC, weather, regulations, the list goes on), I’m not feeling nearly as enthusiastic as I once was. I know that the calculations are an important part of aviation, and wanted to get some insight on dispatch Incase I decide to discontinue training at any point. I’m going to stick with it for a bit to see if my feelings change, but it was on my mind so I figured I would ask.

Thanks again,

I don't think I could even get a passing grade on a manual flight plan anymore. Just find a way to get through the manual flight planning. In the real world, it's all handled by the computer.

 

[ADXGuy]

I will focus on remaining determined and push ahead. Thanks all.