FAA Controller to Dispatch Career Change?

[FlyWhiteSox]

I have nine years of experience as an FAA air traffic controller and I'm considering potential options for a career change within the aviation industry. I'd like to stay within the industry because I hate sleep, hate weekends and hate being able to see friends and family. I have a pretty good idea about pay and whatnot, I'm just wondering if my experience would help me whatsoever in getting a good job. Or would it be like "You were a controller? Cool. Anyways..."

Thanks for any info and, in the meantime, can you re-file for this guy? He's annoyed with me that his flight plan timed out.

 

[manniax]

We have a couple of former controller members in the forum, I know @SpaceBeagle is one of them so you might try PMing him to see what his post-controller dispatch journey was like. I think you'd likely need some experience as a dispatcher at a regional or supplemental carrier before getting hired by a major, but your controller experience would definitely be a big plus in finding your initial dispatching job.

 

[QXDX]

I think your controller experience would definitely be a plus in getting interviews. I don't know if it would allow you to skip the regional industry entirely, but it may shorten your time there

Another possibility that you might consider is ATC Liaison or similar. Most, if not all mainline carriers (i.e. not branded small jet providers) have this position within their operations centers, and they typically fill them with experienced line Dispatchers.

Your experience as a controller makes you eligible for the certificate without having to go to a dispatch school. You still have to take the written and practical tests, though.

If it were me, I'd put in my 20 years or whatever it takes to get full retirement, then go the airline route.

 

[Jaketheman]

You will need to go to dispatch school, you know about 10% of what you will see on the written and practical dispatch exam. What’s the last time you fully read the approach plates, looked at notams, derived alternate minimums? Let’s not even talk about MELs, CDLs or start talking about aircraft systems,… what are required items on a dispatch release? What is operational control? Icing conditions, de-icing timetables and so on. Sometimes people confuse dispatchers and ATC, if you worked in a center what the two components of an ILS (to most people this sounds like an AT controller would know but I didn’t care about those things since I wasn’t working approach or ground control.
So my point is go to dispatch school, once you get your certificate you will be ahead of most people applying at regionals, this will be a big paycut for you but you should be able to make a jump to a major in 2-3 years and maybe even less then that. Just remember being a team player in a dispatch office is very important (unlike ATC) and don’t step on any toes, this is a small world.
I know that it sounds like you are half way to that retirement, but I know as well as you that staying in a job you don’t like anymore for another 10-11 years is wayyyyyyyy toooooo long. I was in the same boat a long time ago.
good luck to you on your career change, it will be mostly an easy transaction for you and your past will put you ahead of most other dispatchers.

 

[FlyinRyan92]

A lot of my coworkers at the Major were former ATC but they did have to do the regional/121 sup life for a few years in order to meet the min requirements to be hired by the major..