Greetings!

[av8rsamr]

Hey folks, I've been reading this forum for several months now but wanted to finally pull the trigger and make an account!

I'm going to be headed to Florida for a 5-week DX course in July. Starting to study for the ADX (doing alright). Have some aviation experience (was a gate agent/operations coordinator for a couple years) and am generally just a big avgeek so this career path is right up my alley.

Not going to lie, I'm a bit nervous about investing this much money (between tuition and housing, it's a LOT), but I know I can and will put in the work to get that letter to exchange for a license when I'm 23! (I'm 22 now).

Anyways, I just wanted to introduce myself and meet some of the fellow people in this profession (I hear it's a small world). If anyone has any words of wisdom, feel free! From what I've read, getting a job at a regional right once certified is the first 'box' to check - are there any particular insights into how often they hire/what the best practices are to get a job immediately after turning 23? (I'm also nervous about the practical exam, I've heard it can be 5+ hours long... But I'm sure the class will prepare me for this!)

Thanks in advance--and I'm excited to (e) meet you all!
-Sam

 

[Kev]

Welcome! If you're going to a certain certification school that's been around forever and located in Plantation, (ends with `heffield) - just bust your butt. Take every moment you can to study. Don't go to the beach or do anything else. Big fat fire hose blast coming at your face. Now I want to watch "UHF" for the fiftieth time (iykyk)...

Anyway. Give it absolutely everything you've got and stay motivated - shouldn't be hard, you're already considering your significant investment. Stay humble and positive through the interview process looking for your first job, and when you get your first gig bring donuts to ingratiate yourself to your new colleagues. You'll be chowing down on quite a few fat pills through your career. What better way to say "I understand you. I'm one of you."

Good luck!

 

[coloradopowpow]

I just paid tuition for a course in Denver in October. Good luck to us both!

 

[Sandydfw]

This is a great time to be starting a dispatch career. Most of the regionals and majors are hiring.
Good luck to both.

 

[Burrito]

Good luck. We're all counting on you.

 

[coloradopowpow]

This is a great time to be starting a dispatch career. Most of the regionals and majors are hiring.
Good luck to both.

Do you think this hiring trend will continue late into this year/early next year?
I've heard many things from various people, all speculation of course..

 

[RegionalDXer]

Do you think this hiring trend will continue late into this year/early next year?
I've heard many things from various people, all speculation of course..

while I get the worries about the career.. focus on school first.. once you are out the regionals are hiring like crazy.. then after a year or two at a regional, you should be pretty good spot for a major..

 

[av8rsamr]

Welcome! If you're going to a certain certification school that's been around forever and located in Plantation, (ends with `heffield) - just bust your butt. Take every moment you can to study. Don't go to the beach or do anything else. Big fat fire hose blast coming at your face. Now I want to watch "UHF" for the fiftieth time (iykyk)...

Anyway. Give it absolutely everything you've got and stay motivated - shouldn't be hard, you're already considering your significant investment. Stay humble and positive through the interview process looking for your first job, and when you get your first gig bring donuts to ingratiate yourself to your new colleagues. You'll be chowing down on quite a few fat pills through your career. What better way to say "I understand you. I'm one of you."

Good luck!

Thanks so much! I plan on taking this advice; I'm there to learn--nothing else. Speaking of, the one thing I'm already nervous about is all of the math/formulas involved. I'm famously bad at math... I know in the 'real world' there are calculators and software to do flight planning, but it sounds like for the practical exam, it's all pen and paper which terrifies me. (I actually failed Algebra 1 twice in high school, so ooof.) Is there a list of formulas I should be committing to memory/practicing now? (I read a couple of threads about adding/subtraction fractions to calculate weather mins, so, I'll do that). I guess I'm most curious about calculating length of flights... fuel burn, etc. The numbers are making me nervous! For the ADX, I'm just trying to memorize a lot of the performance-based answers. Any insights would be helpful!

I know in reality, it will be taught in great detail during the course, but if it's part of that "fire hose," then some extra practice on my part (in an area in which I know I'll struggle) is necessary! Thanks in advance.

 

[Sandydfw]

It is hard to stay how the future hiring is going to go. The majors still have a lot of people at or near retirement age.
My personal opinion is that there will be hiring for the next several years, just not as much as this year. But that is only my opinion.

 

[manniax]

Thanks so much! I plan on taking this advice; I'm there to learn--nothing else. Speaking of, the one thing I'm already nervous about is all of the math/formulas involved. I'm famously bad at math... I know in the 'real world' there are calculators and software to do flight planning, but it sounds like for the practical exam, it's all pen and paper which terrifies me. (I actually failed Algebra 1 twice in high school, so ooof.) Is there a list of formulas I should be committing to memory/practicing now? (I read a couple of threads about adding/subtraction fractions to calculate weather mins, so, I'll do that). I guess I'm most curious about calculating length of flights... fuel burn, etc. The numbers are making me nervous! For the ADX, I'm just trying to memorize a lot of the performance-based answers. Any insights would be helpful!

I know in reality, it will be taught in great detail during the course, but if it's part of that "fire hose," then some extra practice on my part (in an area in which I know I'll struggle) is necessary! Thanks in advance.

I don't know about IFOD, and it's been a long long time since my practical, but as long as you can add and subtract numbers you should be fine. Also, I think an E6B is allowed during it as well (you can look that up if you haven't heard of it before.) Good luck in school!

 

[BigGuy4U]

Hey folks, I've been reading this forum for several months now but wanted to finally pull the trigger and make an account!

I'm going to be headed to Florida for a 5-week DX course in July. Starting to study for the ADX (doing alright). Have some aviation experience (was a gate agent/operations coordinator for a couple years) and am generally just a big avgeek so this career path is right up my alley.

Not going to lie, I'm a bit nervous about investing this much money (between tuition and housing, it's a LOT), but I know I can and will put in the work to get that letter to exchange for a license when I'm 23! (I'm 22 now).

Anyways, I just wanted to introduce myself and meet some of the fellow people in this profession (I hear it's a small world). If anyone has any words of wisdom, feel free! From what I've read, getting a job at a regional right once certified is the first 'box' to check - are there any particular insights into how often they hire/what the best practices are to get a job immediately after turning 23? (I'm also nervous about the practical exam, I've heard it can be 5+ hours long... But I'm sure the class will prepare me for this!)

Thanks in advance--and I'm excited to (e) meet you all!
-Sam

Get the program called Sheppard Air to study for the written ADX. You can thank me later.

 

[av8rsamr]

Get the program called Sheppard Air to study for the written ADX. You can thank me later.

So, I've been using the Sheffield provided app which provides incorrect/correct answers and explanations. The "exam simulator" has been helpful and I'm already scoring in the 80% range. Is the Sheppard software better? Something I'm also curious about is this: how do these test aids actually get access to the FAA's question bank? Is that public knowledge hidden on some dark part of the internet?

 

[A1TAPE]

Sheppard requests that after taking the offical test that you email them with any questions/answers that you remember from your testing experience. The test bank used to be pub available a long while ago but now its by word of email only.

 

[av8rsamr]

Just wanted to circle back here and say thank you to everyone who's given me advice so far! I purchased the Sheppard test software and knowledge base in addition to the other app I've been using. I like Sheppard's prescribed methodology of going through the questions first with just seeing the answers, and then without. Seeing the figures really big has been helping, too.

I feel like I'm preparing myself well and that I'll be in a good place to pass the ADX when I step foot into the classroom!

Does anybody know if scrap paper/pencil/calculator to perform calculations is allowed on the exam? (I guess both the ADX and the oral).

Thanks for answering all my newbie questions :3

 

[retrodx]

Does anybody know if scrap paper/pencil/calculator to perform calculations is allowed on the exam? (I guess both the ADX and the oral).

This is allowed. The testing centers should supply you with it. I’d bring it juuuust in case though. Also no smart/scientific/graphing calculators, only simple ones.

 

[luchito91]

I just paid for the course possibly in the same area as you but in October. Please let me know how it goes for you. Hopefully all goes well. I have started studying the questions as well.

Good luck to you!

 

[Hi]

I heard a lot of horror stories about the dx school in Florida.

I highly recommend the ADTC school in Dallas though. You’ll learn actual dx stuff (such as c55 and jepp charts) that other schools usually don’t teach.

 

[av8rsamr]

I just paid for the course possibly in the same area as you but in October. Please let me know how it goes for you. Hopefully all goes well. I have started studying the questions as well.

Good luck to you!

Things are going well! Passed my ADX last night with a way higher score than I expected. Course is fast and intense, but it's a lot of great info and our instructor has a great sense of humor and responds to emails faster than I do (which I didn't think was possible.) We've been doing weather stuff for the past couple of weeks, but we're about to dive into the AIM/FARs after our test today, so I'm excited for that. It's exhausting, but the amount of knowledge I'm retaining is impressive. Already filled up an entire notebook in the span of about 15 days.

I'll keep ya posted