Gathering Information

[Dhigs]

Long time lurker, first time poster.

A few questions for individuals already in the field.

I have long been interested in the field of dispatch but always afraid to take the plunge but through the support of my girlfriend and finally being in a good state financially through a few years of saving at my construction job I think I am ready to take the jump.

I had spoken to the person in charge of admissions at Wright Stuff Dispatch in Columbus but they cancelled the classes for this spring and now nobody will answer e-mails and the website is down, I’m assuming they are no longer in business. So I started looking elsewhere and it led me to Flamingo in Cincinnati. Does anyone know how reputable of a school this is? As tight knit as this community is I’m sure someone has to have an insight.

Second, when is the field expected to rebound to the point newcomers will be able to start getting jobs after certification somewhat reliably?

Third, can anyone recommend reading materials or videos I can watch to prep myself before signing up for the classes?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Citrus1492]

If you are not in a hurry, you can finish the program at Sinclair College downtown Dayton campus in two semesters. Its 24 credit hours total.

 

[Dhigs]

If you are not in a hurry, you can finish the program at Sinclair College downtown Dayton campus in two semesters. Its 24 credit hours total.

I had thought about that but unfortunately it’s not an option as I have a full time job. That’s why I was checking on Flsmingo because I know they have the online until the last week option. I can always use vacation time for the last week

 

[Delta Echo]

Flamingo is a good choice. They have operated a correspondence course going back more than 15 years. That said, if you go this route you really need to know your material and disciplined in self study.

 

[Kingpong12]

I did flamingo air back in summer of 2016. I personally think it was a great program. The course was pretty straightforward and the cost was quite reasonable. I had no problem balancing the online self study with my full time job and life. I hardly had to reach out to the instructors for assistance, but the few times I did, they were helpful.

The only thing is you have to complete a 1 week in-class course in Cincinnati, but that shouldn't be a problem since it sounds like you're in the Ohio area.

Disclaimer: I have never actually done dispatch, because I got picked up for ATC shortly after finishing my certification. However, I did have a few offers to several regionals and a LCC or two in just a couple of months. So I highly recommend this school!

 

[Dhigs]

Yeah I am an hour and a half from Lunken so I could definitely commute each day during that 1-week course.
Thank you everybody for the information.
Is there any reading material or anything somebody could recommend as a prep before I start the classes?

 

[Kingpong12]

Yeah I am an hour and a half from Lunken so I could definitely commute each day during that 1-week course.
Thank you everybody for the information.
Is there any reading material or anything somebody could recommend as a prep before I start the classes?

For the week long class they recommend a nice hotel on the KY side riverfront. All of the out of towners stayed there, I dropped in for a few study sessions there. So you might want to consider that instead of driving everyday, but it's personal preference.

I wouldn't say there's anything you really need to study before starting, they teach everything pretty well.

As far as books are concerned, we used the latest Far/aim with a focus on part 91 & 121 and a couple gleim dispatch and PPL books. The B737-800 was the aircraft we practiced with.

If you have any questions feel free to reach out!

 

[Dhigs]

You and everybody else have been more than helpful and I truly appreciate it. Being a pilot was always my dream but due to a few unfortunate circumstances that’s not really a possibility. But being a dispatcher is the next best thing for me. I mean my favorite hobby is tracking planes on radar. When I see a weird one like “HTS-DFW” I have to go into full investigation mode because I know damn well that is not a route haha.

Another question and I know I’m jumping the gun on this but how relevant is experience between different types of flying. Like say would 3 years at a 135 like NetJets mean anything when applying to something like Atlas or United or is it better to just take a job at a lower paying 121 like PSA for the experience?

 

[LastMinuteAirline]

You and everybody else have been more than helpful and I truly appreciate it. Being a pilot was always my dream but due to a few unfortunate circumstances that’s not really a possibility. But being a dispatcher is the next best thing for me. I mean my favorite hobby is tracking planes on radar. When I see a weird one like “HTS-DFW” I have to go into full investigation mode because I know damn well that is not a route haha.

Another question and I know I’m jumping the gun on this but how relevant is experience between different types of flying. Like say would 3 years at a 135 like NetJets mean anything when applying to something like Atlas or United or is it better to just take a job at a lower paying 121 like PSA for the experience?

Theres no single route that will necessarily get you to a career airline faster. That being said, the most common route is through the regionals. I am an exception to that. I went supplemental, ULCC, Major. But right now, in our current covid/post covid environment, I would accept absolutely any position in airline operations I could get. Especially if its dispatch.

 

[Eskhobbs]

Another question and I know I’m jumping the gun on this but how relevant is experience between different types of flying. Like say would 3 years at a 135 like NetJets mean anything when applying to something like Atlas or United or is it better to just take a job at a lower paying 121 like PSA for the experience?

I think it's more with what you do with your time at a carrier that holds weight on a resume or in an interview. As with any job, if you show solid progression such as becoming a supervisor, check dispatcher or work on special projects at a smaller carrier (121S/135) you're more likely to get a shot at a major over someone who was a line dispatcher at a regional.

With that said, your chances of getting to work on those special projects or work more in the weeds with flight operations would be greater at a smaller carrier than at a regional. If you have previous skills you can leverage such as IT, a 91/135 where you get to do more than just flight planning might not be a bad idea to get some experience.