Dispatch Burnout

[Pilot121]

I was wondering if there is a heavy burnout rate (those who leave the career due to stress/fatigue) among airline dispatchers. I know that ATC does, and it seems like there are many similarities between the two jobs. Or is dispatching not as intense when you're trained well and as you gain experience?

 

[Flying Saluki]

I have indeed experienced dispatch burnout, but not because it was intense or stressful. Quite frankly, it became boring. When I first started off, I was as enthusiastic as anybody. But after a while (for me it was about 2 years), I had become competent and confident in my abilities. Not that I was jaded, smug, or overconfident by any means, but just that I had seen enough scenarios and dealt with enough irregularities that it had become routine. I mean, really, dispatch is not rocket science. It`s really nothing more than an intelligently applying rules and procedures, guided by experience. The newbie dispatcher has no experience, so perhaps it`s a little more stressful. But as experience is acquired, the confidence level rises, and the stress factor drops. I`m not even sure that stress is the right word. It`s more like uncertainty. There is always the uncertainty that a plan will not work out as intended. That uncertainty factor tends to rise as you get closer to the destination (i.e. as the fuel level dips closer to reserve), but it`s not like the PIC is going to just fly around until the gas is gone.

The other part of it is has to do with financial and quality of life aspects. Dispatch is a neat profession, but it takes it`s toll in terms of quality of life. You work odd hours. You work unhealthy hours. You work weekends. You work holidays. While everyone else in your life is enjoying Christmas with their families, you are sitting at your desk shepherding a dozen empty airplanes all over the country.

If you are working for major airline, the financial benfits make up for the opportunities costs (maybe). But if you`re a regional guy, eventually you might come to realize that what you have is boring job that doesn`t pay very much.

The way to combat that, at least for me, is too constantly be seeking new challenges and new opportunities. I`ve known colleageues that spent upwards of 20 years at the same company at the same desk. To each his own, but for me, I thrive on new for challenges and opportunities to advance my skills and gain new experiences.

 

[Avgirl]

I have indeed experienced dispatch burnout, but not because it was intense or stressful. Quite frankly, it became boring. When I first started off, I was as enthusiastic as anybody. But after a while (for me it was about 2 years), I had become competent and confident in my abilities. Not that I was jaded, smug, or overconfident by any means, but just that I had seen enough scenarios and dealt with enough irregularities that it had become routine. I mean, really, dispatch is not rocket science. It`s really nothing more than an intelligently applying rules and procedures, guided by experience. The newbie dispatcher has no experience, so perhaps it`s a little more stressful. But as experience is acquired, the confidence level rises, and the stress factor drops. I`m not even sure that stress is the right word. It`s more like uncertainty. There is always the uncertainty that a plan will not work out as intended. That uncertainty factor tends to rise as you get closer to the destination (i.e. as the fuel level dips closer to reserve), but it`s not like the PIC is going to just fly around until the gas is gone.

The other part of it is has to do with financial and quality of life aspects. Dispatch is a neat profession, but it takes it`s toll in terms of quality of life. You work odd hours. You work unhealthy hours. You work weekends. You work holidays. While everyone else in your life is enjoying Christmas with their families, you are sitting at your desk shepherding a dozen empty airplanes all over the country.

If you are working for major airline, the financial benfits make up for the opportunities costs (maybe). But if you`re a regional guy, eventually you might come to realize that what you have is boring job that doesn`t pay very much.

The way to combat that, at least for me, is too constantly be seeking new challenges and new opportunities. I`ve known colleageues that spent upwards of 20 years at the same company at the same desk. To each his own, but for me, I thrive on new for challenges and opportunities to advance my skills and gain new experiences.

Thanks for being so candid. For those that do look at opportunities to grow from dispatch, what are the areas that they typically grow into? More specialized operations?

 

[Tuesnightshenanigans]

I have indeed experienced dispatch burnout, but not because it was intense or stressful. Quite frankly, it became boring. When I first started off, I was as enthusiastic as anybody. But after a while (for me it was about 2 years), I had become competent and confident in my abilities. Not that I was jaded, smug, or overconfident by any means, but just that I had seen enough scenarios and dealt with enough irregularities that it had become routine. I mean, really, dispatch is not rocket science. It`s really nothing more than an intelligently applying rules and procedures, guided by experience. The newbie dispatcher has no experience, so perhaps it`s a little more stressful. But as experience is acquired, the confidence level rises, and the stress factor drops. I`m not even sure that stress is the right word. It`s more like uncertainty. There is always the uncertainty that a plan will not work out as intended. That uncertainty factor tends to rise as you get closer to the destination (i.e. as the fuel level dips closer to reserve), but it`s not like the PIC is going to just fly around until the gas is gone.

The other part of it is has to do with financial and quality of life aspects. Dispatch is a neat profession, but it takes it`s toll in terms of quality of life. You work odd hours. You work unhealthy hours. You work weekends. You work holidays. While everyone else in your life is enjoying Christmas with their families, you are sitting at your desk shepherding a dozen empty airplanes all over the country.

If you are working for major airline, the financial benfits make up for the opportunities costs (maybe). But if you`re a regional guy, eventually you might come to realize that what you have is boring job that doesn`t pay very much.

The way to combat that, at least for me, is too constantly be seeking new challenges and new opportunities. I`ve known colleageues that spent upwards of 20 years at the same company at the same desk. To each his own, but for me, I thrive on new for challenges and opportunities to advance my skills and gain new experiences.

I'm coming up on 2 years myself and I feel like I'm starting to relate to this. I don't want to stop doing it by any means but some days you just sit there and think "man I wish I was doing something more exciting."


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[Pilot121]

I have indeed experienced dispatch burnout, but not because it was intense or stressful. Quite frankly, it became boring. When I first started off, I was as enthusiastic as anybody. But after a while (for me it was about 2 years), I had become competent and confident in my abilities. Not that I was jaded, smug, or overconfident by any means, but just that I had seen enough scenarios and dealt with enough irregularities that it had become routine. I mean, really, dispatch is not rocket science. It`s really nothing more than an intelligently applying rules and procedures, guided by experience. The newbie dispatcher has no experience, so perhaps it`s a little more stressful. But as experience is acquired, the confidence level rises, and the stress factor drops. I`m not even sure that stress is the right word. It`s more like uncertainty. There is always the uncertainty that a plan will not work out as intended. That uncertainty factor tends to rise as you get closer to the destination (i.e. as the fuel level dips closer to reserve), but it`s not like the PIC is going to just fly around until the gas is gone.

The other part of it is has to do with financial and quality of life aspects. Dispatch is a neat profession, but it takes it`s toll in terms of quality of life. You work odd hours. You work unhealthy hours. You work weekends. You work holidays. While everyone else in your life is enjoying Christmas with their families, you are sitting at your desk shepherding a dozen empty airplanes all over the country.

If you are working for major airline, the financial benfits make up for the opportunities costs (maybe). But if you`re a regional guy, eventually you might come to realize that what you have is boring job that doesn`t pay very much.

The way to combat that, at least for me, is too constantly be seeking new challenges and new opportunities. I`ve known colleageues that spent upwards of 20 years at the same company at the same desk. To each his own, but for me, I thrive on new for challenges and opportunities to advance my skills and gain new experiences.

Are you still a dispatcher, or are you doing something else?

 

[manniax]

I still enjoy the job after twenty plus years, but if I hadn't gotten on with a major over ten years ago I probably would have left the industry by now. Not because of job burnout so much, but rather due to economic burnout. It's hard to get ahead on a regional airline salary. Also, international dispatching is a fair bit more complex than domestic, and that is what I do almost all the time now. As for the airline dispatcher schedule, there are pluses and minuses to it. At majors in particular, you might have to work some holidays, sure, but you also generally get more time off than a traditional office worker with a M-F schedule does. As an example, I just had a five day break and flew out to California where I enjoyed a mini vacation...just got back home tonight. Even new people without a guaranteed line where I work get at least one long break per month. I think a lot of it is a matter of perspective (and being flexible, and having an understanding spouse if you are married.) Of course, it will take many years at a major before you can be sure you'll get Christmas and New Year's off...but in my opinion, the benefits outweigh the negatives.

 

[Flying Saluki]

Thanks for being so candid. For those that do look at opportunities to grow from dispatch, what are the areas that they typically grow into? More specialized operations?

I think you would agree that pretty much all dispatchers start at the same place: at a regional airline. From there, you have two basic choices: 1) climb the organization chart; or 2) advance up the airline dispatch food chain. Climbing the ladder within one company looks something like: dispatcher-desk trainer-supervisor-instructor/check dispatcher/manager. Advancing the food chain means going from regional to supplemental/LCC to major/legacy. For myself, I started advancing the food chain, and at a certain point, started climbing the ladder as well. I think the breadth of experience (i.e. climbing the ladder) is more important to advancement than the depth of experience (advancing the food chain), but I know individuals who achieved their career goal of a major airline by doing it both ways.

However, dispatch can also be the key to advancing in a completely different career direction. I have had colleagues who started in dispatch, and used that experience to advance in different directions, such as training departments, flight safety organizations, and even the FAA.

 

[Flying Saluki]

Are you still a dispatcher, or are you doing something else?

I am, but not in the 121 world. I dropped the 1 a while back, and work now strictly in the 21 world.

 

[MT]

Dispatcher Burnout is defiantly a thing but how susceptible you are to it varies between dispatcher. Some people are dispatchers at heart and love the job day in and day out. Some people are more wired for operations management or ATC coordination fields and find themselves never wanting to dispatch another airplane once they move up a couple of rungs on the ladder. Some really are better fits for the management side. Finally, some people are just not cut out for the job and realize this after a few years and go onto greener pastures. Nothing wrong with that.

The key to avoiding burnout is to go into each day as a new experience and learn what it is that you like to do. Unless you're throwing bags for Huff Daland Dusters, @Flying Saluki is right; you will likely start at the regional level. Don't sit stagnant here, this it what leads to the cranky, crusty 20 year regional veteran. Crank out your 40-50 releases a day for minimal pay and do a damn good job doing it. Regionals have so much turnover that you can easily find yourself moving through advancement opportunities to develop a holistic view of the operation. Not only does this look good to potential major employers, it offsets some of the economic burnout that others have talked about. More importantly, it also lets you spread your wings and figure out where you fit best in the SOC/OCC/NOC environment. The happiest days of my regional career were when I was a supervisor and had to cover a dispatch desk. The saddest day of my career was when I became a duty manager and my qualification lapsed as we were not allowed to work dispatch shifts.

Taking advantage of these opportunities made me realize that my favorite place in the field was right about at the International ATS / Line Check level. I would still get to work my own international desk every day, but also get to be involved with training. The key for avoiding burnout is for you to find your place in the field as well, whether it be a line domestic dispatcher cranking out 40 releases a day or the director of your operations center!

 

[nyk]

I can relate to all the posts above. After working at a regional and moving on to a supplemental I quickly realized the dispatch desk was not my calling. I had finally got the guts to plunge off the desk, get my Masters degree and start working towards being a professor at a aviation college. In the beginning I thought I would never leave the desk but you will find out soon enough if you get burnt out or not. Like in the previous posts you have to find what you really enjoy and sometimes it won't be on the first try.

 

[JDRUNNER]

In attempt to clarify, while I do not have personal experience with respect to dispatch, my perception of what has been described is more akin to boredom than burnout. When I think of burnout I think of having to work repeated 60-70 hour weeks under pressure or being under constant stress of possibly getting fired for not meeting sales quotas, etc. and all of that eventually taking a toll on a person mentally and perhaps physically. Personally, I would much rather take the possible occasional boredom route than have the constant stress and pressure that much of the corporate world offers.

Nyk-- If you don't mind sharing-- why wasn't the desk for you? Very interesting becoming an aviation professor as I have never considered that although.

 

[nyk]

In attempt to clarify, while I do not have personal experience with respect to dispatch, my perception of what has been described is more akin to boredom than burnout. When I think of burnout I think of having to work repeated 60-70 hour weeks under pressure or being under constant stress of possibly getting fired for not meeting sales quotas, etc. and all of that eventually taking a toll on a person mentally and perhaps physically. Personally, I would much rather take the possible occasional boredom route than have the constant stress and pressure that much of the corporate world offers.

Nyk-- If you don't mind sharing-- why wasn't the desk for you? Very interesting becoming an aviation professor as I have never considered that although.

I felt like I was doing the same thing over and over again. The international flights were fun at times and even some of those routes were caned so you really couldn't do much if anything with them. Now I'm not talking about short 6hour international flights I'm talking 12-14 hour flights. The final straw was one of personal reasons related to the field. This industry is not kind and I had have been in a few situations were it was unfavorable towards me. This might sound petty but if you want to talk about it more PM me and I'll give details.

 

[Kev]

Great responses here.

My two cents... I'm happy to stay in a dynamic work environment where I get about half the year off*, get paid damned well*, and don't ever take my work home with me. I think I'll hang out another 28 years.

*disclaimer: presently working at a major.

For the record, did the food chain. Then tried the ladder at the mid point in the food chain. Worked a lot of extra hours, took my work home with me, and became somewhat miserable. I grinned endlessly when I had to cover a dispatch desk. The ladder may have contributed somewhat to my hiring at the major, but I was ready to chuck it into a river. If anything, I was burned out NOT doing dispatch.

 

[Roger Roger]

Great responses here.

My two cents... I'm happy to stay in a dynamic work environment where I get about half the year off*, get paid damned well*, and don't ever take my work home with me. I think I'll hang out another 28 years.

*disclaimer: presently working at a major.

For the record, did the food chain. Then tried the ladder at the mid point in the food chain. Worked a lot of extra hours, took my work home with me, and became somewhat miserable. I grinned endlessly when I had to cover a dispatch desk. The ladder may have contributed somewhat to my hiring at the major, but I was ready to chuck it into a river. If anything, I was burned out NOT doing dispatch.

Note: as someone who has climbed the ladder a little in another sector, this is not limited to dispatch.

 

[Burrito]

I'm actively looking to fill the void left behind from 5 years on the ramp ...

..by going back to the ramp. Fun note - I never felt more at home than when I was at work at that dinky little airport.

"Your mileage may vary" could not be more true. Does that necessarily mean I'm getting out of dispatching? Course not. The pay's terrible on the ramp, and it's only fun as a PT job. I dunno. I look forward to seeing how this thread progresses. My free time's spent flying back to see my old friends (almost family members, practically, at this point) so I really do practically commute to work.

YMMV.

 

[Avgirl]

I'm actively looking to fill the void left behind from 5 years on the ramp ...

..by going back to the ramp. Fun note - I never felt more at home than when I was at work at that dinky little airport.

"Your mileage may vary" could not be more true. Does that necessarily mean I'm getting out of dispatching? Course not. The pay's terrible on the ramp, and it's only fun as a PT job. I dunno. I look forward to seeing how this thread progresses. My free time's spent flying back to see my old friends (almost family members, practically, at this point) so I really do practically commute to work.

YMMV.

You do travel a lot, and I think that is very wise to get the most out of the benefits and time that you have. In my current job, I only get two weeks off, and that usually requires a lot of notice, and there are times during the year that are pretty much impossible. So, why wouldn't you take advantage of those perks? I plan to. If I travel now, it has to be somewhere I really want to go because time is limited. But, the moment I get into a dispatch job and have that time to go somewhere, I might just look at the schedule and pick somewhere random.

 

[Burrito]

You do travel a lot, and I think that is very wise to get the most out of the benefits and time that you have. In my current job, I only get two weeks off, and that usually requires a lot of notice, and there are times during the year that are pretty much impossible. So, why wouldn't you take advantage of those perks? I plan to. If I travel now, it has to be somewhere I really want to go because time is limited. But, the moment I get into a dispatch job and have that time to go somewhere, I might just look at the schedule and pick somewhere random.

My goal is to cost more annually by ticket price than what I make over the course of a year.

I think I'm up to double right now.

 

[Pilot121]

My goal is to cost more annually by ticket price than what I make over the course of a year.

I think I'm up to double right now.

LOL I'm going make that a goal for myself once I begin dispatching too!

 

[azmedic]

I'm not dispatching yet,but working in a SOC...I've had that job with all the "excitement" working as a street medic for a decade. Believe me,the mundaneness of the SOC is just fine with me. Plus I get to sleep in my bed every night (day)


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[bushpilot87]

You do travel a lot, and I think that is very wise to get the most out of the benefits and time that you have. In my current job, I only get two weeks off, and that usually requires a lot of notice, and there are times during the year that are pretty much impossible. So, why wouldn't you take advantage of those perks? I plan to. If I travel now, it has to be somewhere I really want to go because time is limited. But, the moment I get into a dispatch job and have that time to go somewhere, I might just look at the schedule and pick somewhere random.

You seem to have a lot of input for not even being a dispatcher.... Kind of annoying.