Dispatch Aptitude?

[Pilot121]

Hello,

I was telling a friend who has an interest in aviation about the dispatch profession, and he got really excited about it based on what I told him. However, he has a few concerns that I thought would be good to get your feedback on. He has mild aspergers and also is a "highly sensitive person." Apparently, some traits of that include being easily overwhelmed by too much information, dislike of loud noises, getting rattled when there is a lot to do in a short amount of time, poor quick decision-making skills, and getting nervous when someone watches you perform tasks. I am not a dispatcher yet (but have shadowed a dispatcher and toured an OCC) and based on that visit, dispatching does not seem like a good fit for my friend. What do you think? And, what other aviation jobs might work for someone with aspergers and the highly sensitive personality?

Thanks!

 

[Luigi]

Honestly, it doesn't sound like he could do it. You do have to process a ton of information extremely quickly and make the best decision you can while under immense pressure. Usually no one is looking over your shoulder but the captain will be calling to discuss the release quite frequently, and occasionally you need to stand your ground and tell them they are wrong. Not everyone can do this.

 

[Stanimal]

Totally not the career field for him

 

[manniax]

If he's good at math, he might do well in something like IT or data analysis, or revenue management. All very important jobs, but without as much "real time" stress as dispatching. And he should definitely avoid crew scheduling as well. If he doesn't handle stress and quick decision making well, I would advise him to stay away from the operations side of airline work since it can be very stressful at times.

 

[A-9er]

Honestly, it doesn't sound like he could do it. You do have to process a ton of information extremely quickly and make the best decision you can while under immense pressure. Usually no one is looking over your shoulder but the captain will be calling to discuss the release quite frequently, and occasionally you need to stand your ground and tell them they are wrong. Not everyone can do this.

What are some situations in which you have to stand your ground with a captain? Why might he be wrong? My first instinct would be to defer to him if possible, because he's on the 'front line'; he has an up close view of the situation that I lack. That said, I could see standing your ground when routing the flight around a line of thunderstorms; he might not have the 'big picture' view of the weather that you do. However, if he wanted some extra fuel, I'd be inclined to let him have it. After all, we're on the same team pursuing the same objective: to have a safe flight!

 

[Luigi]

Well for instance, I had a captain ask to remove a required alternate going to an airport with no ground based IAP in a single FMS aircraft. Our FOM requires a an alternate in that situation and the flight was overweight. Occasionally captains (much like any human) are just plain wrong. I'm sure everyone here has a similar story, but we shouldn't let this thread devolve into a "OMG you'd never believe what this captain said to me!!!!"

 

[A-9er]

What kind of real time stress does one deal with in dispatch?

Well for instance, I had a captain ask to remove a required alternate going to an airport with no ground based IAP in a single FMS aircraft. Our FOM requires a an alternate in that situation and the flight was overweight. Occasionally captains (much like any human) are just plain wrong. I'm sure everyone here has a similar story, but we shouldn't let this thread devolve into a "OMG you'd never believe what this captain said to me!!!!"

Thanks, I haven't started school yet, so I didn't know. That's a good example. I know that, from my instrument training, that you ALWAYS have an alternate-always! Even if one doesn't have any flight experience, having an alternate is common sense.

 

[Luigi]

Thanks, I haven't started school yet, so I didn't know. That's a good example. I know that, from my instrument training, that you ALWAYS have an alternate-always! Even if one doesn't have any flight experience, having an alternate is common sense.

Well that's just not true...man but you'll learn that stuff in school. You don't always have an alternate in 121ops.

 

[A-9er]

Well that's just not true...man but you'll learn that stuff in school. You don't always have an alternate in 121ops.

That's why I need to attend school-to LEARN that stuff...

 

[SpaceBeagle]

It's not just disagreements with captains either. You'll even run into situations where the company wants you to do things that don't really line up with safety of flight. Being able to resolve conflict successfully is definitely a skill required for the job. For the OP ---

being easily overwhelmed by too much information, dislike of loud noises, getting rattled when there is a lot to do in a short amount of time, poor quick decision-making skills, and getting nervous when someone watches you perform tasks.

A dispatcher basically needs the opposite of everything listed there. Flight ops can get a little bonkers at times...if your friend is really interested, checking out one of the OCCs might be a good idea to see if he can adapt to the job.

 

[A-9er]

It's not just disagreements with captains either. You'll even run into situations where the company wants you to do things that don't really line up with safety of flight. Being able to resolve conflict successfully is definitely a skill required for the job. For the OP ---



A dispatcher basically needs the opposite of everything listed there. Flight ops can get a little bonkers at times...if your friend is really interested, checking out one of the OCCs might be a good idea to see if he can adapt to the job.

That makes sense...

 

[A-9er]

Hello,

I was telling a friend who has an interest in aviation about the dispatch profession, and he got really excited about it based on what I told him. However, he has a few concerns that I thought would be good to get your feedback on. He has mild aspergers and also is a "highly sensitive person." Apparently, some traits of that include being easily overwhelmed by too much information, dislike of loud noises, getting rattled when there is a lot to do in a short amount of time, poor quick decision-making skills, and getting nervous when someone watches you perform tasks. I am not a dispatcher yet (but have shadowed a dispatcher and toured an OCC) and based on that visit, dispatching does not seem like a good fit for my friend. What do you think? And, what other aviation jobs might work for someone with aspergers and the highly sensitive personality?

Thanks!

In addition to the other suggestions offered, I will say this: though there's a natural component (i.e. aptitude, if you please) for dealing with stress, I think it's a skill one can LEARN also. For example, a good way to learn stress management is to work at a Domino's or other busy pizzeria. I did that in college many moons ago. When you go through a Friday or Saturday night rush, you learn to handle stress; there's lots of it! The job is also good for learning many other useful, transferable skills, such as prioritizing, multi-tasking, conflict resolution, etc. Though your friend may never handle stress like Aaron Rogers (Packers QB), he can train himself to cope with it successfully in most situations. For pretty much anything in life, that's a GOOD thing...

 

[bilbolinski]

To add some concrete info from someone who actually finds themselves in a 121 dispatch position, I have to unfortunately agree with Luigi and Stanimal - IMO I honestly don't feel like this is the gig for your friend. It reminds me of someone I know that made it to through school, training and once they got to OJT it was just a handful and they dropped out within 2 days. Sad, but just like anything else it's not for everyone.

 

[Kev]

And, what other aviation jobs might work for someone with aspergers and the highly sensitive personality?

Pilot.

 

[Flying Saluki]

Hello,

I was telling a friend who has an interest in aviation about the dispatch profession, and he got really excited about it based on what I told him. However, he has a few concerns that I thought would be good to get your feedback on. He has mild aspergers and also is a "highly sensitive person." Apparently, some traits of that include being easily overwhelmed by too much information, dislike of loud noises, getting rattled when there is a lot to do in a short amount of time, poor quick decision-making skills, and getting nervous when someone watches you perform tasks. I am not a dispatcher yet (but have shadowed a dispatcher and toured an OCC) and based on that visit, dispatching does not seem like a good fit for my friend. What do you think? And, what other aviation jobs might work for someone with aspergers and the highly sensitive personality?

Thanks!

As a former special educator, I won't tell someone what they can't or shouldn't do, because I've seen too many examples of people succeeding where everyone thought they'd fail. However, there are certain personality traits and characteristics that are found in the successful dispatcher. Among them are:
the ability to multi-task;
the ability to stay calm and focused during abnormal or emergency;
the ability to sift through large amounts of information and cull out what's relevant;
the ability to communicate clearly and concisely;
the ability to say "No" when everyone else is saying "Yes", and;
the strength of character to make a decision and stand by it.

I'm sure there are more, but those are the ones that come to mind.

As far as "quick decision making" goes; all decisions made during normal operations are made jointly by the Captain and the Dispatcher. If there is time for the Captain and Dispatcher to consult with one another, it probably does not require a "quick" decision. In a real emergency situation, the Captain is probably going to make an independent decision, and tell the Dispatcher about it later. Put another way: If you've only got 10 seconds to make a decision, it probably won't be your decision to make. If you've got 10 minutes to make a decision, there's no problem.

I think a better way to describe it is the ability to take quick action; to understand what is required in a given scenario, and act appropriately. I think the ability to do that comes as much from experience as personality.

There's also Dispatch Resource Management (DRM) to consider. If something's happening, the dispatcher should be asking the other dispatchers in the room for help, and they should be willing and able to provide it.

Al that said. I suggest that your friend arrange to spend some time in an airline SOC so he can make his own decision. Ideally he should make multiple visits to multiple locations because every airline, and every day, is different.

Good luck!

 

[A-9er]

As a former special educator, I won't tell someone what they can't or shouldn't do, because I've seen too many examples of people succeeding where everyone thought they'd fail. However, there are certain personality traits and characteristics that are found in the successful dispatcher. Among them are:
the ability to multi-task;
the ability to stay calm and focused during abnormal or emergency;
the ability to sift through large amounts of information and cull out what's relevant;
the ability to communicate clearly and concisely;
the ability to say "No" when everyone else is saying "Yes", and;
the strength of character to make a decision and stand by it.

I'm sure there are more, but those are the ones that come to mind.

As far as "quick decision making" goes; all decisions made during normal operations are made jointly by the Captain and the Dispatcher. If there is time for the Captain and Dispatcher to consult with one another, it probably does not require a "quick" decision. In a real emergency situation, the Captain is probably going to make an independent decision, and tell the Dispatcher about it later. Put another way: If you've only got 10 seconds to make a decision, it probably won't be your decision to make. If you've got 10 minutes to make a decision, there's no problem.

I think a better way to describe it is the ability to take quick action; to understand what is required in a given scenario, and act appropriately. I think the ability to do that comes as much from experience as personality.

There's also Dispatch Resource Management (DRM) to consider. If something's happening, the dispatcher should be asking the other dispatchers in the room for help, and they should be willing and able to provide it.

Al that said. I suggest that your friend arrange to spend some time in an airline SOC so he can make his own decision. Ideally he should make multiple visits to multiple locations because every airline, and every day, is different.

Good luck!

You, Sir, have lead an interesting life!

 

[Flying Saluki]

What are some situations in which you have to stand your ground with a captain? Why might he be wrong? My first instinct would be to defer to him if possible, because he's on the 'front line'; he has an up close view of the situation that I lack. That said, I could see standing your ground when routing the flight around a line of thunderstorms; he might not have the 'big picture' view of the weather that you do. However, if he wanted some extra fuel, I'd be inclined to let him have it. After all, we're on the same team pursuing the same objective: to have a safe flight!

First off, understand that there is more than one objective. Yes, you want to be safe; that's the first priority. But there is also efficiency and economics at work. A safe airline that can't execute a flight schedule, and do so economically, is not going to last long.

That said, it's not so much a matter of "standing your ground" as it is bringing a different perspective on the situation. As you say, he's on the front line. He knows what's going on right in front of him. But you as the dispatcher have the big picture. You see how all the pieces fit together. It takes both to run a safe, efficient, and profitable operation.

Captains are not infallible. They make mistakes. And though they may not admit it, they are relying on you to catch those mistakes. That's the whole point of the joint authority and responsibility. If we as dispatchers are going to rubber stamp every captain request, we may as well not exist.

 

[A-9er]

First off, understand that there is more than one objective. Yes, you want to be safe; that's the first priority. But there is also efficiency and economics at work. A safe airline that can't execute a flight schedule, and do so economically, is not going to last long.

That said, it's not so much a matter of "standing your ground" as it is bringing a different perspective on the situation. As you say, he's on the front line. He knows what's going on right in front of him. But you as the dispatcher have the big picture. You see how all the pieces fit together. It takes both to run a safe, efficient, and profitable operation.

Captains are not infallible. They make mistakes. And though they may not admit it, they are relying on you to catch those mistakes. That's the whole point of the joint authority and responsibility. If we as dispatchers are going to rubber stamp every captain request, we may as well not exist.

Thanks for that! I don't start school until April, so I still have much to learn. I'll have much to learn after school also, but at least I'll have a clue as to WHAT that is...

 

[RedFive]

First off, understand that there is more than one objective. Yes, you want to be safe; that's the first priority. But there is also efficiency and economics at work. A safe airline that can't execute a flight schedule, and do so economically, is not going to last long.

That said, it's not so much a matter of "standing your ground" as it is bringing a different perspective on the situation. As you say, he's on the front line. He knows what's going on right in front of him. But you as the dispatcher have the big picture. You see how all the pieces fit together. It takes both to run a safe, efficient, and profitable operation.

Captains are not infallible. They make mistakes. And though they may not admit it, they are relying on you to catch those mistakes. That's the whole point of the joint authority and responsibility. If we as dispatchers are going to rubber stamp every captain request, we may as well not exist.

Well said ser!

 

[Flagship_dxer]

While not every pilot does this or thinks this, many think dispatchers are lazy, incompetent and out to make life difficult for them. Some of it is justified based on things that some dispatchers have done but a lot of it comes down to most pilots not having any understanding as to what a dispatcher does when working.

Even if a pilot has a well reasoned argument for why he does not like what you are doing, you as a dispatcher need to stand up for your work. You might give him what he wants but you also need to let him know that you didnt simply release a flight blindly.

Dispatchers can also be extremely busy and in those busy times, you can get minor stuff that comes up. Sometimes you need to quickly find ways to get the small stuff off the phone so you can focus on the bigger issues that you have. Prioritizing things is a vital part of a dispatcher's job. Dispatch work is extremely fast paced.

"Highly sensitive" is also a bad thing. Dispatch offices are in general not the most politically correct of places. You will also deal with a lot of different work groups and many different personalities. This is not a good job if you are highly sensitive.