dispatcher meteorology training

seagull

seagull

Well-Known Member
I am interested in the amount of training that dispatchers get in meteorology theory and practical application, including understanding the weather depicted on the dispatcher screens and any other aspects. Thanks.
 
Really depends on the airline. Probably not enough, but then - we are dispatchers and not meteorologists. If you are at an airline that has FMF (flight movement forecast) authority, then you'll get some additional training on how to do that.
 
Beyond TAFs and METAR we have access to various weather products such as weather charts for various conditions. Additionally, those of us that use really good ASD, (Fusion), have an excellent portrait of precip overlays and intensities as well as graphical outlines of pubished SIGMETS/AIRMETS, tropical tracks, jet stream movement and easy access to written data for numerous airports. Heck, Fusion even has a solar forecast function, which is very handy for ETOPS flights and those that will be changing a good number of latitudes.
 
In addition to what has been said above it also depends heavily on the school you go to for your license. The express licensing places like Sheffield, etc. don't do much beyond the necessary (TAFs, stages of TS, ETC.) I got my license at a community college and as part of the program took a quarter of aviation weather which went in depth enough that you were given the option to persue a weather observer certification.

So as with all things in dispatch the answer to this one is: it depends.
 
I will respectfully disagree that "express licensing places like Sheffield don't do much beyond the necessary". I can only speak for Sheffield, but they go over weather in very good detail. Now, you're going to learn a ton more once you get on the job, but I felt more than comfortable with weather when I showed up day one for my first job. There weren't any charts on WSI Pilotbrief that I didn't at least have a decent understanding of, and Sheffield is about as in depth on weather theory as they can be for a zero-experience dispatcher.
 
Interesting, but keep in mind this is a field where people get Ph.D.s in sub specialties, so even a full semester is just scratching the surface. It sounds like my impression is correct, dispatchers get about the same as pilots do (which really is not enough).
 
seagull said:
I am interested in the amount of training that dispatchers get in meteorology theory and practical application, including understanding the weather depicted on the dispatcher screens and any other aspects. Thanks.
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If memory serves, a dispatcher certification course must be at least 200 hours of instruction, of which at least 75 hours must be meteorology and weather.

It's enough to establish a basic foundation. Once you get your certificate, it falls to you to stay up on the latest in meteorology and weather sources. Just last night I came across a great resource about reading and interpreting weather radar that I'll be spending a little bit of time with today.
 
Bear in mind the scope to which dispatchers need to understand weather. Obviously a good understanding of the basic mechanics of weather are required, but dispatchers are not meteorologists, we do not nor are we authorized to forecast or utilize our own weather products.
 
Flying Saluki said:
If memory serves, a dispatcher certification course must be at least 200 hours of instruction, of which at least 75 hours must be meteorology and weather.

It's enough to establish a basic foundation. Once you get your certificate, it falls to you to stay up on the latest in meteorology and weather sources. Just last night I came across a great resource about reading and interpreting weather radar that I'll be spending a little bit of time with today.
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Link?
 
seagull said:
I am interested in the amount of training that dispatchers get in meteorology theory and practical application, including understanding the weather depicted on the dispatcher screens and any other aspects. Thanks.
Click to expand...

To meet the minimum requirements, as stated to a questionable degree of accuracy, a candidate meets at least those of an ATP candidate. Once employed by a credible carrier a dispatcher goes through more advanced training to sometimes include EWINS qualification. This allows a dispatcher to amend a TAF for their assigned flights. Furthermore, depending on where they dispatch, they will be trained in subjects such as space weather. To put our training in perspective, I learned more about practical application of aviation weather in my not-even-close-to-express dispatcher course at Sheffield than I did in a few semesters of meteorology in undergrad and grad school. And what I've learned in EWINS and annual EWINS recurrent training dwarfs everything previously mentioned.

And Belgiumania; Trying to knock Sheffield whilst bragging up community college? You're better than that...I think. I did see a guy laugh at a corvette while driving a pinto once, though.
 
Luigi said:
Arguing about dispatch school is like masturbation. It only makes you feel good and I don't want to hear about it.
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More like masturbating with sandpaper or an orgy with the Columbian swimsuit team, depending where you end up in your career. I'll spare you the details of learning Spanish on the go.
 
The gleim aviation weather book is a good level of meteorology knowledge for starting out in dispatch. Like others said you are bound by what the NWS /WSI is forecasting with a TAF (unless you have EWINS) and also the SOPs indicated by your company, so a great deal of forecasting knowledge and experience is not necessary; is it helpful, yes, but not essential. If you can read a TAF and understand how it relates with the overall pattern you are doing very well. I am a degreed met who forecasted for a while and IMO what they teach in dispatch school is sufficient. Forecasting/nowcasting is so much more learning from experience and practice rather than from a book or school. Some of the more seasoned dispatchers I work with seem to have a better grasp on meteorology applications than some of my former coworkers in av forecasting; sad but true. I wouldn't sweat it if you are just starting out.

For those looking for extra training with case study like examples I highly recommend this site:
https://www.meted.ucar.edu/training_detail.php
Some of the material is a bit complex, but there are plenty of courses that would be beneficial to a licensed dispatcher. There is also a whole section devoted to aviation and radar meteorology. It lists a skill level, I would avoid 3 and above which is grad level met material; even 2 can get a bit complex, junior/senior level meteorology. Completely free, just need a log-in. PM me you have any questions.

Cheers to WSI's excessive use of TEMPO and PROB!
 
If you turn the range down on the radar (ie zoom in) the holes get bigger in that line of thunderstorms.
 
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