Inquiry into the stuff of paper pilots

[Mach82]

Thanks for the feedback on my communication. I've tried quite hard to communicate well all my life. In some ways, it has benefitted me. In other ways....not so much. Can you tell me more about why you think SkyWest or Breeze are good starting points as compared to other regionals?

(Also, thanks for the link. It helped me get some details the clarified what dispatching is all about.)

I didn't understand the last part of your reply though. What is it about UPS, FedEx and Atlas that would crush my dreams with entry level cargo?

Nothing wrong with aiming for those places as an end goal. Retrodx is just pointing out that they prefer to hire people with some prior experience. Not impossible to get hired with little to none. Just be prepared for a very steep learning curve if you do

 

[Victor Squawk]

Nothing wrong with aiming for those places as an end goal. Retrodx is just pointing out that they prefer to hire people with some prior experience. Not impossible to get hired with little to none. Just be prepared for a very steep learning curve if you do

Oh so I should be realistic and also be ready to work very hard for a good opportunity.

 

[gopherdx]

Thanks for the feedback on my communication. I've tried quite hard to communicate well all my life. In some ways, it has benefitted me. In other ways....not so much. Can you tell me more about why you think SkyWest or Breeze are good starting points as compared to other regionals?

(Also, thanks for the link. It helped me get some details the clarified what dispatching is all about.)

I didn't understand the last part of your reply though. What is it about UPS, FedEx and Atlas that would crush my dreams with entry level cargo?

My guess is because the aforementioned cargo shops aren’t entry level but rather require some sort of experience.

 

[Victor Squawk]

My guess is because the aforementioned cargo shops aren’t entry level but rather require some sort of experience.

Yeah that makes sense. I was misreading what they wrote so it made me confused what they were talking about. Now that it's cleared up, the meaning is a lot more obvious.

 

[Kev]

To echo all the other comments in this thread, definitely do your best to get a tour of any SOC. That will allow you to get a real sense of the job and environment and also network a bit if it’s an airline you’d be interested in working at.

This.

When I was on the ramp at UPS SDF, I arranged a visit to the NOC out of curiosity on the logistics and operation of the airline . My dad was a pilot with them. I then sat with our erstwhile forum member 69beers while he was doing North Atlantic ETOPS flight planning.

I was about 20 credits short of finishing my college (music) degree. I never had any intention to go into aviation whatsoever. At all.

I dropped everything and decided to become a dispatcher. It just clicked - "I want to do this as a job. This is so cool!" Hopefully you have a revelatory moment like that to point you in the right direction; be it one way or the other. I'm so happy that this fell into my lap as a career. I can't imagine doing anything else for steady employment. If someday the position within aviation safety and operations is eliminated, I'll be devastated.

You don't need to have an interest in airplanes or aviation to want to do this job. I'm not saying this to be cute, but I don't think I could reasonably care less toward either - I just want to know as much as I can about how to do my work in the best way possible. To me, it's about the problem solving, dissemination of information to make a proper decision, the dynamism, the instant reactions, an interest in logistics, curiosity about weather, all the cool computer programs we get to use, and all the people I have the responsibility to help and keep safe.

Here's a clue. When we had reduced working hours during the pandemic, I found myself playing games on the PC to pass the time. They were the types of games I played when I was younger, such as "Civilization," and "Command and Conquer (or Dune - same concept)." A few others, too, that were similar. Games which required a sense of micromanagement, a certain flexibility, problem solving, attention to detail, attention to action to react, etc.

What I didn't know until later was that, in the absence of doing my job, these games were feeding my brain to a very similar extent in comparison of the nature of my job. During my life throughout close to two decades before I got my license, I was drawn to these games and had become "wired" over time to sit at a computer and execute in this way.

So, when I saw the nature of the profession first-hand, it was (subconsciously at the time), like watching a real life strategy game play out. This is not to say that I view my profession as a game or diminish the sense of responsibility we have in any way. But, if I can compare it to anything to someone who is interested, I would still say that it is at least not unlike that kind of game. And, if you enjoy that sort of thing, you'll probably be wired to enjoy the work and do your best to excel. Or Win

 

[roundout]

is this what AI looks like when trying to communicate?

It’s form810 and/or Dacuj

Got a drink of your choice riding on it

 

[Victor Squawk]

This.

When I was on the ramp at UPS SDF, I arranged a visit to the NOC out of curiosity on the logistics and operation of the airline . My dad was a pilot with them. I then sat with our erstwhile forum member 69beers while he was doing North Atlantic ETOPS flight planning.

I was about 20 credits short of finishing my college (music) degree. I never had any intention to go into aviation whatsoever. At all.

I dropped everything and decided to become a dispatcher. It just clicked - "I want to do this as a job. This is so cool!" Hopefully you have a revelatory moment like that to point you in the right direction; be it one way or the other. I'm so happy that this fell into my lap as a career. I can't imagine doing anything else for steady employment. If someday the position within aviation safety and operations is eliminated, I'll be devastated.

You don't need to have an interest in airplanes or aviation to want to do this job. I'm not saying this to be cute, but I don't think I could reasonably care less toward either - I just want to know as much as I can about how to do my work in the best way possible. To me, it's about the problem solving, dissemination of information to make a proper decision, the dynamism, the instant reactions, an interest in logistics, curiosity about weather, all the cool computer programs we get to use, and all the people I have the responsibility to help and keep safe.

Here's a clue. When we had reduced working hours during the pandemic, I found myself playing games on the PC to pass the time. They were the types of games I played when I was younger, such as "Civilization," and "Command and Conquer (or Dune - same concept)." A few others, too, that were similar. Games which required a sense of micromanagement, a certain flexibility, problem solving, attention to detail, attention to action to react, etc.

What I didn't know until later was that, in the absence of doing my job, these games were feeding my brain to a very similar extent in comparison of the nature of my job. During my life throughout close to two decades before I got my license, I was drawn to these games and had become "wired" over time to sit at a computer and execute in this way.

So, when I saw the nature of the profession first-hand, it was (subconsciously at the time), like watching a real life strategy game play out. This is not to say that I view my profession as a game or diminish the sense of responsibility we have in any way. But, if I can compare it to anything to someone who is interested, I would still say that it is at least not unlike that kind of game. And, if you enjoy that sort of thing, you'll probably be wired to enjoy the work and do your best to excel. Or Win

I grew up on RLS so that does make me think again (in a good way) about the work. I'll see what I can do about visiting a OC before the year is done.

 

[BRUSR_ONE]

The job demands this every time you sit down for shift. When you take a desk you are assuming operational control and flight following. When you get up to take a break the flights are still going and another dispatcher must monitor your desk, answer phone calls, and reply to messages from crews. On days I am slammed I may only be able to get away from the desk a couple of times for a quick bathroom break. On slower days dispatchers usually get up every couple hours or so to use the restroom, heat up their food, grab a coffee or stretch their legs. These (breaks) are usually 5-10 minutes. If you go to heat up food, you go get it and bring it back to your desk to eat.

I used to eat at my desk all the time at my last job. That would not be foreign to me!

 

[Wxfan1978]

I'd encourage you, if you are able, to visit a airline operations center, and sit with a dispatcher. This will give you a true perspective of what a Flight Dispatcher does on a daily basis.

Check out the Airline Dispatch Federation website

www.dispatcher.org

There are helpful resources on there. In addition, for most of the majors anyways, to contact, to possibly set up a job shadow.

Hope this helps