speedstick
Well-Known Member
Anyone hear any info on this Delta Dispatch training program that they were considering?
Delta dispatch school
- Thread starter speedstick
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Delta Echo
Well-Known Member
I think they have a dispatch certification course for internal employees. Is that what your referring too?
Delta Echo
Well-Known Member
How many will they be looking for?
speedstick
Well-Known Member
thanks yes dispatch certification course so thats what happened..though there were rumors they might turn it into a full blown school
F
Flying Saluki
Guest
This makes for an interesting discussion topic: Which is better? Home-grown dispatchers with no experience, or outside dispatchers with experience?
manniax
Well-met in the Ka-tet
Well, major airlines tend to have a mix of both kinds, although for a long time DL and WN were pretty much "internals only" but now they also hire from outside. It really depends upon the individual. I don't think there should be a blanket rule of "you must have XX years of experience to apply" or "you must be a current employee in good standing to apply" because then you eliminate some good candidates by default.
Would you prefer someone with 1 year total disp experience giving International OJT to a new guy, or someone who's been doing it for 5-10 yrs?
Or, if starting an airline, would you want someone in your dispatch department who got certified last week, or someone who's been around the pattern a few times? To me, it's a no-brainer.
But many in management were internals, hence the preference for internals continues.
Or, if starting an airline, would you want someone in your dispatch department who got certified last week, or someone who's been around the pattern a few times? To me, it's a no-brainer.
But many in management were internals, hence the preference for internals continues.
Our internal certification class is on hold/under review. Not sure when they will run another like it.
manniax
Well-met in the Ka-tet
I know some (in my opinion) excellent dispatchers who were hired internally, without any dispatch experience, at my current airline (a major.) I'm glad they did hire externally also, of course. I had about ten years of experience when I started (and I like to think of myself as a good dispatcher) but it didn't make things ultra easy for me either when I started at my current job. There is room for both career paths, in my opinion. Seeing as majors are hiring people right now with a year of regional experience or even less, it would seem that they don't think more experience automatically means you are a better dispatcher.
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F
Flying Saluki
Guest
My father told me how he picked his a new doctor when his old one retired. He said he wanted someone who was experienced, not fresh out of medical school, but also not too far removed from medical school (within 10 years). His thought process was that a recent medical school grad was more likely to be up on current medical practices than the one who graduated 30 year ago.
Makes me wonder if that's what's happening at the majors. Low experience dispatchers have enough game that they can play at the major level, but are still fresh enough that they haven't developed "bad habits."
Compounding the issue is the fact that there is no mid-level any more. It used to be if you didn't make it to TWA, you could at least go to Ozark, and have a decent career. Nowadays, you have the regionals, the majors, and very little in between. The few mid-level carriers that exist pay closer to regional wages than the majors, and it's accepted because it's "good experience". The problem is that the majors don't seem to value experience these days.
For better or worse, the picture that seems to be developing here is, if you haven't "made it" by the time you have 5 years in, you might as well go do something else.
manniax
Well-met in the Ka-tet
Actually I was beginning to wonder this myself and considering changing careers - like, with 10 years experience, was this too much experience for a major to look at me? Fortunately, one did - and "the rest is history," as they say.
However, I think the high number of low-time major hires right now is being partly driven by demand more than by changing HR tastes. I think the majors would still like to have new hires with 3-5 years of experience if they could get enough of them - but with all the hiring happening right now, there's just not enough to go around.
For what it's worth, I know a few career dispatchers at regionals who seem quite happy where they are living and have no desire to "move up" in any way.
Delta Echo
Well-Known Member
I know of some dispatcher's that got the call to the major level after 6-8 years in this business.
deltabobo
Wingman Extraordinaire!
One of the most senior peeps at XJT, (in fact, just celebrated his 15th year with the company) just got on at a major. You go when the time is right.
pljenkins
Resident Knucklehead
Different people different priorities. To some, it's better to be at the top of the seniority list at a regional then the bottom of the seniority list at a major. As mannix said, there are those that are perfectly happy living where they do working for a regional. If you are single and at the top of the scale at some of these regionals, you can certainly live comfortably.
For me the bottom line is this. Experience is better than no experience. I am fearful of what is going to happen a couple of years down the road when 2/3rds of the most experienced dispatchers have retired and the armageddon irop day hits with 90% green dispatchers on duty and very very few experienced guys to help them out while they're getting their butts kicked too. It will unravel into an irop of newsworthy proportions and make all of us look very very bad. Dispatching is dispatching, just a different name and bigger airplane. So when that day comes, a newer external hire will have at least been there before in his or her career, while a completely green guy will still be trying to manage his flights on a VFR day.
Then yes, some of it is personal. I feel that I was lied to by the system. "You will have to go to a regional and get experience." Instead I'm watching people waltz into majors with a subsidized dispatch certificate and 0 time at the regionals. In my opinion, they didn't pay their dues. Sure they worked their butts off for the company in less than glamorous jobs, but they never had to deal with sitting under the companies toilet working as dispatcher for a regional partner. Even the worst the company can dish out to its own is better than what you get at the regionals.
I refuse to believe that there is such a lack of talent out there that we need to be creating new dispatchers from inside the company. Hire internally from those who already have licenses? Sure. But deny the hundreds of excellent dispatchers the opportunity to move up by creating newly licensed dispatchers from within? Sorry, not going to drink that kool aid.
Then yes, some of it is personal. I feel that I was lied to by the system. "You will have to go to a regional and get experience." Instead I'm watching people waltz into majors with a subsidized dispatch certificate and 0 time at the regionals. In my opinion, they didn't pay their dues. Sure they worked their butts off for the company in less than glamorous jobs, but they never had to deal with sitting under the companies toilet working as dispatcher for a regional partner. Even the worst the company can dish out to its own is better than what you get at the regionals.
I refuse to believe that there is such a lack of talent out there that we need to be creating new dispatchers from inside the company. Hire internally from those who already have licenses? Sure. But deny the hundreds of excellent dispatchers the opportunity to move up by creating newly licensed dispatchers from within? Sorry, not going to drink that kool aid.
Delta Echo
Well-Known Member
Which regional would provide a top out to live comfortably on?
deltabobo
Wingman Extraordinaire!
The two top paying regionals right now (someone correct me if I'm wrong) are Republic & Expressjet/Skywest. BUT, you better do you homework first before signing on with a regional. See what the company is projected to be like in the next 5-10 years. The growing trend for the regionals now is that because we're in a bull market, and the mainline partners are making profits hand over fist, let's grow capacity by parking those RJs, shall we? Say another 9/11 or another natural disaster happens which directly or indirectly affects the airline industry; The Big 3 (AA,DL,& UA) will be more than likely to pull the soon to be mothballed RJs out of the desert to compensate for the hemorrhaging of their balance sheets.