DX Company Interview Tests

DogwoodLynx

Well-Known Member
Hey guys,

I am now officially a dispatcher!

I was wondering if there is anything specific that maybe isn't taught at dispatch school, that I would need to know to pass a technical interview at one of the regional airlines?

Is it going to be similar to what I needed to know to pass my FAA Oral?


Thanks guys!
 
I would say you should know the alternate mins for the hub of the company you are interviewing at. Also alt mins for SAN. They always ask about SAN.

Be ready to answer an interview question about a Captain asking you to do something that might be unsafe and the best thing for you to say is slow down the operation or delay the flight.

Also know basic information about the company you are interviewing at. How many airplanes they have, what type they are, where are they based.

Other than that it’s pretty much Dispatcher 101 for a new Dispatcher getting their first job. So exactly like your oral.
 
I would say you should know the alternate mins for the hub of the company you are interviewing at. Also alt mins for SAN. They always ask about SAN.

Be ready to answer an interview question about a Captain asking you to do something that might be unsafe and the best thing for you to say is slow down the operation or delay the flight.

Also know basic information about the company you are interviewing at. How many airplanes they have, what type they are, where are they based.

Other than that it’s pretty much Dispatcher 101 for a new Dispatcher getting their first job. So exactly like your oral.

Thank you!
 
If it’s a company with international flying, 121.615 is a favorite, depending on the carriers interpretation or use. I’ve known more than one airline to intentionally plan a flight off shore to get around he destination not having forecast mins.
 
Know when you need an alternate and when it’s not required but you should have one on there anyway. Know the dispatcher duty limits. Know domestic fuel requirements. Know how to use ops spec C055.
 
Well I can’t just give you the answer, but let’s just say they are a lot higher than what you actually think they are.

Yeah, I know they are, I have already checked it.
What Im trying to understand here, am I supposed to know real mins for any random airport? :ooh: Is it always SAN? Why not PDX or MFR or smth?

(Asking for a friend )
 
Yeah, I know they are, I have already checked it.
What Im trying to understand here, am I supposed to know real mins for any random airport? :ooh: Is it always SAN? Why not PDX or MFR or smth?

(Asking for a friend )

RNO is another good one. Anyhow, I'm sure they wouldn't just ask you the alternate mins for a station and expect you to know them - they'd likely provide approach plates (along with some NOTAMs, possibly) and have you derive them. SAN is just a popular one for this type of question, so if you've already encountered it before, deriving the minimums for it will be easy.
 
RNO is another good one. Anyhow, I'm sure they wouldn't just ask you the alternate mins for a station and expect you to know them - they'd likely provide approach plates (along with some NOTAMs, possibly) and have you derive them. SAN is just a popular one for this type of question, so if you've already encountered it before, deriving the minimums for it will be easy.

I had RNO on my Practical.

I got lucky with a very easy flight plan.

RNO to OKC with no WX enroute. No NOTAMS.

I psyched myself out a little the night before for no reason it turned out.

Some people in my class got horrible ones though and then got grilled!
 
RNO is another good one. Anyhow, I'm sure they wouldn't just ask you the alternate mins for a station and expect you to know them - they'd likely provide approach plates (along with some NOTAMs, possibly) and have you derive them. SAN is just a popular one for this type of question, so if you've already encountered it before, deriving the minimums for it will be easy.

Yep this. I had SAN at 3 different airline interviews. Also like manniax said triple check the notams.
 
If it’s a company with international flying, 121.615 is a favorite, depending on the carriers interpretation or use. I’ve known more than one airline to intentionally plan a flight off shore to get around he destination not having forecast mins.
Not intentionally planned offshore but I have used 121.615, Reluctantly, I would rather use a farther alternate if possible, but it’s not always an option.
 
Hey guys,

I am now officially a dispatcher!

I was wondering if there is anything specific that maybe isn't taught at dispatch school, that I would need to know to pass a technical interview at one of the regional airlines?

Is it going to be similar to what I needed to know to pass my FAA Oral?


Thanks guys!

If you have earned you certificate, you have the knowledge to pass an entry level technical exam. There is a lot that is not taught at Dispatch school that you will only learn on the job. Don't sweat it. Know how to read METARs, TAFs, NOTAMs, PIREPs...pretty much any text weather. Review approach plates and perhaps en route charts. There are some good YouTube videos out there on the subjects.

Expect to answer some scenario-based "What would you do if..." questions. Be prepared to explain/justify your answer. Don't worry about trying to get the "right" answer as much as being able to justify why you made the decision you made. They're checking your thought process, not necessarily your knowledge. If your school didn't cover Ops Spec C055 Derived Alternate Minimums, and Exemption 3585 (mine didn't) look those up and learn something about them. And, as others have said, know something about the airline. You should, at a minimum, know their hubs, the aircraft type(s) they operate, their fleet size, and a bit of their company history.

They're going to ask you why you want to work for them. Have an answer to that question. My recommendation is learn as much as you can about the company history and culture. You will hopefully find an aspect of the company you like (if not, maybe rethink applying there) and you can use that to work-up a "why do you want to work here?" answer. Make sure the answer is company-centered, not self-centered.

Finally, I urge you to not think of the interview as something that you have to "pass". Obviously know the basic technical stuff, but keep in mind that this is your opportunity to get to know them too. More than once I've gone into an interview very excited, only to walk out thinking "WTF was THAT all about?" And don't be an empty vessel; go in there thinking about what you can bring to them, not what they can offer you.

Good luck to you!
 
If you have earned you certificate, you have the knowledge to pass an entry level technical exam. There is a lot that is not taught at Dispatch school that you will only learn on the job. Don't sweat it. Know how to read METARs, TAFs, NOTAMs, PIREPs...pretty much any text weather. Review approach plates and perhaps en route charts. There are some good YouTube videos out there on the subjects.

Expect to answer some scenario-based "What would you do if..." questions. Be prepared to explain/justify your answer. Don't worry about trying to get the "right" answer as much as being able to justify why you made the decision you made. They're checking your thought process, not necessarily your knowledge. If your school didn't cover Ops Spec C055 Derived Alternate Minimums, and Exemption 3585 (mine didn't) look those up and learn something about them. And, as others have said, know something about the airline. You should, at a minimum, know their hubs, the aircraft type(s) they operate, their fleet size, and a bit of their company history.

They're going to ask you why you want to work for them. Have an answer to that question. My recommendation is learn as much as you can about the company history and culture. You will hopefully find an aspect of the company you like (if not, maybe rethink applying there) and you can use that to work-up a "why do you want to work here?" answer. Make sure the answer is company-centered, not self-centered.

Finally, I urge you to not think of the interview as something that you have to "pass". Obviously know the basic technical stuff, but keep in mind that this is your opportunity to get to know them too. More than once I've gone into an interview very excited, only to walk out thinking "WTF was THAT all about?" And don't be an empty vessel; go in there thinking about what you can bring to them, not what they can offer you.

Good luck to you!

Thank you so much for the advice! I will take it to heart and with any luck (and a lot of work!) I'll be able to show how I bring value to the companies I have in mind!
 
Exemption 3585. They love to ask about that one too.

I'm curious to see how much this gets mentioned going forward. It is my understanding that every airline is getting its own number for the exemption. My airline no longer has exemption 3585, it's now a much longer and harder to remember number specific to us. Most of us just say "the exemption formerly known as 3585".
 
I'm curious to see how much this gets mentioned going forward. It is my understanding that every airline is getting its own number for the exemption. My airline no longer has exemption 3585, it's now a much longer and harder to remember number specific to us. Most of us just say "the exemption formerly known as 3585".

Well, if they've changed the terminology, I would guess they wouldn't expect a potential new hire (especially someone who just got their ticket) to know it then?

In class, we briefly touched on some of the exemptions, but we never used it ever.

"Hey, some airlines have exemptions, but for the purposes of passing your Oral, don't worry about it".
 
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