Home Dispatching

RaimOutage

Well-Known Member
Hey Everyone,

Received my certificate in Spring as the apocalypse was unfolding. I'm fully aware there are no jobs to be had but was coming to you all for some advice.

Do you think since Skywest Airlines is dispatching from home, this could lead to more opportunities to remote dispatch?

Thanks everyone!
 
Sorry to hear about the timing!

Is Skywest dispatching from home? I wasn't aware that they were. As far as I know there is only one major airline actively pursuing working from home and the rest have dropped it as the FAA has some pretty stringent rules and standards that must be met and most airlines have just given up trying to make it work, so with that being said I doubt more airlines are going to jump on the bandwagon.
 
I'm still trying to make some industry connections. One of my classmates I stay in contact with is good friends with a Skywest dispatcher. He mentioned they have been for over a month now. Also, I'm not really understanding how new or old would matter. I would think there would be a training program. Are there any Skywest people on here?
 
I don’t see it being a permanent thing for airlines. How do you ensure proper flight following? How do you perform a random FAA drug/alcohol test? If you have multiple situations at once and become task saturated or you need a little DRM who’s sitting close to you to offer up advice or to watch a flight or two? I’ll be surprised if that gets anywhere. Not saying it absolutely won’t, but I just don’t see it.
 
This has been talked about before, but there are many issues that this ultimately raises. Not surprised that SkyWest would be the airline that would try something like this though (being non union).

1. At a home setup, how can you ensure rapid and reliable communications?
2. Communication within the office is essential as well. Doing everything over the phone doesn't help this situation.
3. If you have an IT problem, there is no onsite IT to help fix it. I cant tell you how many issues this will lead to.
4. How would an FAA do a spot check if needed?
5. Random drug testing becomes an issue.

I dont see this being a permanent thing, but I would also expect a company like SkyWest to try to push the envelope on something like this. With no union, its hard for the employees to push back, and SkyWest as a publicly held company is always going to try to cut costs.
 
This has been talked about before, but there are many issues that this ultimately raises. Not surprised that SkyWest would be the airline that would try something like this though (being non union).

1. At a home setup, how can you ensure rapid and reliable communications?
2. Communication within the office is essential as well. Doing everything over the phone doesn't help this situation.
3. If you have an IT problem, there is no onsite IT to help fix it. I cant tell you how many issues this will lead to.
4. How would an FAA do a spot check if needed?
5. Random drug testing becomes an issue.

I dont see this being a permanent thing, but I would also expect a company like SkyWest to try to push the envelope on something like this. With no union, its hard for the employees to push back, and SkyWest as a publicly held company is always going to try to cut costs.

1. ACARS and a phone. Nothing changed
2. Skype for Business/ Microsoft Teams is used for office communication even before COVID. Nothing changed.
3. Here again nothing changed. If you have an IT problem 99.9% of the time they remote in using Teamviewer. If the PC doesn't work then I guess that dispatcher doesn't work, but I imagine they'd work out a way to swap it for another before the next shift.
4. Not sure actually
5. It's not an issue. They inform you of a drug test and you leave the building and return when it is finished. If you need to test they can call, message, or email you during the shift and you just leave your home and return when finished.

I think saying they're "pushing the envelope" is a bit of a stretch. It's not really any different from being in the office, other than having less monitors and not being in the office. It's also completely optional, some people like it, others aren't interested.
 
Not really. At my shop, the moment they inform you of a drug/akahal test the chief walks you to the test administrator. Failure to go with them, or to produce a sample with 2 hours (I think) constitutes as refusal and is cause for immediate termination no excuses.

At home, these measures simply would not be possible and while the vast majority of dispatchers would not take advantage of this lack of supervision, there are some that would.

Tech is advancing and making things easier for sure, and while it is *possible* to dispatch from home, it is not the same and not practical on a large scale such as the major passenger airlines. 135 ops? Sure I could see that. Large 121 carriers, I personally don’t see it for a while and hopefully not during my career.
 
1. ACARS and a phone. Nothing changed
2. Skype for Business/ Microsoft Teams is used for office communication even before COVID. Nothing changed.
3. Here again nothing changed. If you have an IT problem 99.9% of the time they remote in using Teamviewer. If the PC doesn't work then I guess that dispatcher doesn't work, but I imagine they'd work out a way to swap it for another before the next shift.
4. Not sure actually
5. It's not an issue. They inform you of a drug test and you leave the building and return when it is finished. If you need to test they can call, message, or email you during the shift and you just leave your home and return when finished.

I think saying they're "pushing the envelope" is a bit of a stretch. It's not really any different from being in the office, other than having less monitors and not being in the office. It's also completely optional, some people like it, others aren't interested.
Out of curiosity... Are the at home dispatchers pressing "send" on the releases? And are they also flight following from home, or do some dispatchers have to work in the office still?
 
As much as I would love to just roll out of bed and log into work, I don't see this being a realistic or even safe option. Not to mention, I don't even know how you begin to duplicate the same technology or assure the same network reliability as in the office.
 
Dispatching from home is possible, just for 121 the FAA does not want to give up control for someone at home. Correct on drug testing , not sure how that would work. I have dispatch all over the world from home, 91 and 135.
 
I'm still trying to make some industry connections. One of my classmates I stay in contact with is good friends with a Skywest dispatcher. He mentioned they have been for over a month now. Also, I'm not really understanding how new or old would matter. I would think there would be a training program. Are there any Skywest people on here?

A certificate doesn’t mean you know how to dispatch, do the job, or follow the airline’s policies. It means you know the federal Regs regarding the aforementioned tasks. The certificate says you know the 123 rule, but anyone who dispatches will tell you that there are many times in addition to that where you should have an alternate. A lot of it just comes with time.

There are things that happen that after a year I still haven’t handled enough to be comfortable with and ask for a second set of eyes. That’s hard to ask for help from a coworker to double check the window I’m looking at when I’m sitting naked on my couch dispatching.

Now get into heavy IRROPs where multiple flights are diverting. It helps to be near people to hear what stations are closed, what is still available, and in general what others are hearing. You won’t get that same level of communication at home.

Dispatching from home is possible, just for 121 the FAA does not want to give up control for someone at home. Correct on drug testing , not sure how that would work. I have dispatch all over the world from home, 91 and 135.

You just Described my dream (kind of). Dispatching from a shack in Bali.
 
Has anyone actually confirmed Skywest is doing this or is it what someone thought they heard from their brothers boyfriends sisters cousin type of thing?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Has anyone actually confirmed Skywest is doing this or is it what someone thought they heard from their brothers boyfriends sisters cousin type of thing?

1594688316938.png
 
Has anyone actually confirmed Skywest is doing this or is it what someone thought they heard from their brothers boyfriends sisters cousin type of thing?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
See flyryan's post.
 
Out of curiosity... Are the at home dispatchers pressing "send" on the releases? And are they also flight following from home, or do some dispatchers have to work in the office still?
Everything works exactly the same as it would in the office. You click send, you flight follow, nothing has changed except you're at home. There is a process in place to be authorized by the company and FAA to do it though, it's not a free for all where you set it up on a coffee table in a smoke filled closet and go at it.
 
Everything works exactly the same as it would in the office. You click send, you flight follow, nothing has changed except you're at home. There is a process in place to be authorized by the company and FAA to do it though, it's not a free for all where you set it up on a coffee table in a smoke filled closet and go at it.

What if all I have is a coffee table?
 
Now get into heavy IRROPs where multiple flights are diverting. It helps to be near people to hear what stations are closed, what is still available, and in general what others are hearing. You won’t get that same level of communication at home.

Indeed, I had a recent day at work with some Latin America flights where the Sierra was hitting the fan due to an ATC Zero rate issued for Miami Center...ALL of Miami center including oceanic airspace...and it was nice to be at work with resources nearby to help out, make calls, etc. Would have been monumentally more difficult only doing it by phone.
 
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