Possibility of me shadowing anyone or a tour?

[TammyV]

Hello Everyone,

I am a mother and do not have the chance to be at home often as I want to be to see my daughter as I work 5-6 days a week working 10-11 hours each day. I need to make a 180 degree career choice in my life, which I chose to become an aircraft dispatcher in the future and super nervous about it since I do not have any friends or relative in the aviation world. I am planning to go to Sheffield for my Dispatcher course next year in February.

I am located in the Orlando area and willing to drive 2 hours to Tampa just to be able to see how it’s like. I’ll be in Atlanta in December as well. If anyone have the time and willingness to come to your office and watch you work to ask some general question, then please let me know. I am willing to pay for lunch as well! as long as it’s not something too expensive haha.

Thank you for your time for reading!

 

[Delta Echo]

What lead you to pursue dispatching? I don't know if your open to relocating, but once licensed and seeking a job you may have to consider it. I'm out on the west coast but you have options on shadowing. As far as Orlando goes, FLL is close by with Spirit, Silver Air and several 121 supplemental operators. As you mentioned, ATL is another option. Also, if you have general questions you can ask here.

 

[Wingy]

It's great that you're looking at something that will have you home more often, but be aware that our schedules tend to be seniority based, so if it's a large company, then you might be on weekends and/or overnights for a while. But since you're already in Orlando, maybe reach out to National Airlines. They're based there. My buddy worked for them in dispatch. They are very small, so I'd say take their office is a fraction of a fraction of a fraction when compared to major airlines, but they are local to you and, given their size, it might not take long to get up to a decent schedule while gaining experience. Give them a call and talk to the manager, tell him/her about your interest in becoming a dispatcher, and maybe they might give you a tour and potentially keep your information as a potential employee.

There's also an aviation mechanic school (Aviation Institute of Maintenance) in Casselberry, FL, that has a dispatcher course, so ask them if they have any connections or can help you out. There's also Embry Riddle in Daytona Beach area. Ask them if they have a small ops center you can visit or if they have connections to other ops centers. Many of the students from that school are now at Florida based airlines and maybe the school can contact one to help you out.

 

[DogwoodLynx]

You didn’t say what industry you worked in currently but I’d say before you get your Dispatcher certification, go get a job at an actual airline doing darn near any thing and see if you like dealing with the good/bad of what goes on in the operation.

I only say this because more and more I see people come in and find out they hate it. It seems a waste to pay 6k+ (plus commuting costs) to find out 6 months later that you don’t want anything to do with airlines.

On the other hand, if you are already ready to move forward with dispatch, then that’s great and welcome to the family! Your dispatch certificate opens a lot of doors, not just dispatch-wise but in other departments. People know that (and you’ll meet a lot of people with one!).

My last piece of advice would be That once you get in, bust your ass to learn the job and stay current. Be overly nice to the people you deal with daily, but also be firm when needed.

Good luck!

 

[TammyV]

What lead you to pursue dispatching? I don't know if your open to relocating, but once licensed and seeking a job you may have to consider it. I'm out on the west coast but you have options on shadowing. As far as Orlando goes, FLL is close by with Spirit, Silver Air and several 121 supplemental operators. As you mentioned, ATL is another option. Also, if you have general questions you can ask here.

I always love the idea of traveling, but never qualified to become a flight attendant because I was too short, thought of becoming a pilot but it was too expensive, and then I accidentally stumble into a description about aircraft dispatching where it fit who I am to pre-planning/scheduling things ahead of time to ensure safety for the family when we go on vacation and appointments at my job ( nail tech ) .

I will check out the areas nearby to see if I can request for a tour or any opportunity to shadow.

How was your experience when you were pursuing dispatching? How long did it took you to find a dispatching job after your certification? Did you have previous aviation experience?

 

[TammyV]

It's great that you're looking at something that will have you home more often, but be aware that our schedules tend to be seniority based, so if it's a large company, then you might be on weekends and/or overnights for a while. But since you're already in Orlando, maybe reach out to National Airlines. They're based there. My buddy worked for them in dispatch. They are very small, so I'd say take their office is a fraction of a fraction of a fraction when compared to major airlines, but they are local to you and, given their size, it might not take long to get up to a decent schedule while gaining experience. Give them a call and talk to the manager, tell him/her about your interest in becoming a dispatcher, and maybe they might give you a tour and potentially keep your information as a potential employee.

There's also an aviation mechanic school (Aviation Institute of Maintenance) in Casselberry, FL, that has a dispatcher course, so ask them if they have any connections or can help you out. There's also Embry Riddle in Daytona Beach area. Ask them if they have a small ops center you can visit or if they have connections to other ops centers. Many of the students from that school are now at Florida based airlines and maybe the school can contact one to help you out.

Yes, I've read about the seniority cases where they will have the better shifts compare to newcomers, but working weekends/night shift to build my way up as a short term thing will be a better change than me staying at my current profession of not able to move up or shift changes since I've been stuck as a nail tech for almost a decade with no changes.

I went on the National Airlines website and will send them a form under their "Contact Us" to request for any shadowing or tour.

I checked out the Aviation Mechanic School in Casselberry, FL, but it seems like they disbanded the course from what the lady told me.

In regards of the Embry Riddle in Daytona Beach, I left a voicemail and awaiting on their call at the moment. It seems like they offered 3 courses for Dispatcher Course to earn my certificate where each course cost around 1400$. I will confirm if I can just take the courses only to be able to earn my dispatcher certificate. I will also check if they have a small ops center to visit or other ones when I can get a call back. I am crossing fingers at the moment.

Thank you so much!

 

[TammyV]

You didn’t say what industry you worked in currently but I’d say before you get your Dispatcher certification, go get a job at an actual airline doing darn near any thing and see if you like dealing with the good/bad of what goes on in the operation.

I only say this because more and more I see people come in and find out they hate it. It seems a waste to pay 6k+ (plus commuting costs) to find out 6 months later that you don’t want anything to do with airlines.

On the other hand, if you are already ready to move forward with dispatch, then that’s great and welcome to the family! Your dispatch certificate opens a lot of doors, not just dispatch-wise but in other departments. People know that (and you’ll meet a lot of people with one!).

My last piece of advice would be That once you get in, bust your ass to learn the job and stay current. Be overly nice to the people you deal with daily, but also be firm when needed.

Good luck!

I will keep your advice noted, as I've been dealing with people for over a decade as a nail tech and it can get a bit intense from people interaction. I will see if I can get any type of aviation position before/after classes start. Hopefully, I can get a tour around the ops center to see the daily task of a dispatcher to see if I would enjoy it, hate it, or meh about it.

At the moment, I am looking forward to it as I've been watching a lot of videos of dispatching, studying for the ADX using the Sheffield app, and excited to go to school for it haha. From the times I've been reading this forum ( 2 days ago) , it seems like the dispatching community is friendly and willing to help, which is awesome! haha.

I will bust my butt off to learn/understand the job as I want to make this a long term career and it's always a good thing to be nice to people as I would like to be treated the same way. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Thank you for the advices!

 

[Burrito]

@DogwoodLynx hits it perfectly on the head. While there's something about the industry that makes it almost addicting, there's something dangerous about it too because it's so. Intense.

There's SO many parts to the operation that diving right on in and spending the money for a DX certification raises eyebrows -- mine, at least. As it was mentioned, I didn't see any mention of a background in or around aviation; if it's a hobby, I'm sure you have somewhat of an understanding of what we're really saying. My advice, from experience: start small. FBOs and smaller 135 shops were(are) everywhere in my current neck of the woods. I started as a fueler/de-icer, working outside and very much exposed to the elements. It also gave me a VERY clear picture of the operation. Also from experience, especially if your 180 career choice gets you into the industry: Good luck. This industry is small. We all want what's best for everyone else here.

Oh we also end up all knowing each other. So, there's that.

 

[Delta Echo]

I always love the idea of traveling, but never qualified to become a flight attendant because I was too short, thought of becoming a pilot but it was too expensive, and then I accidentally stumble into a description about aircraft dispatching where it fit who I am to pre-planning/scheduling things ahead of time to ensure safety for the family when we go on vacation and appointments at my job ( nail tech ) .

I will check out the areas nearby to see if I can request for a tour or any opportunity to shadow.

How was your experience when you were pursuing dispatching? How long did it took you to find a dispatching job after your certification? Did you have previous aviation experience?

I was already in aviation for a few months when I learned about getting a dispatch license. It was a logical and step in advancement for me. I did a distance learning dispatch course and only spent one week at the school. After passing the exam I began to apply and I think I landed my first dispatch job a month and a half to two months later.

 

[nyk]

If you live in Orlando there is a college closer than Sheffield. It's called Polk State College which is 1 hour from Orlando. If you want a degree they offer college credits towards that. They also offer just the course separate from a degree program.

 

[manniax]

I would just say that if you decide this is something you want to pursue, be prepared to move - and willing to work odd hours. I got my license and had no airline experience, ended up getting a job at a regional airline about two months after I finished school.

 

[TammyV]

I would just say that if you decide this is something you want to pursue, be prepared to move - and willing to work odd hours. I got my license and had no airline experience, ended up getting a job at a regional airline about two months after I finished school.

Yes, I have considered my options if I do not find anything locally nearby me after 2-4 months, then I will take the chance of moving to a different city/state. It seems like you were able to find a job fairly quick! Congrats!

 

[TammyV]

If you live in Orlando there is a college closer than Sheffield. It's called Polk State College which is 1 hour from Orlando. If you want a degree they offer college credits towards that. They also offer just the course separate from a degree program.

I just found out about it today from you guys. I will be planning to see if I can make it work with the commute and see how it will work out.

from my understanding of reading through various forums like here and Reddit, it doesn’t matter where we get our Aircrafter Dispatcher certification because wherever we go,the airline we go to will have to teach us on how they operate right?

 

[manniax]

from my understanding of reading through various forums like here and Reddit, it doesn’t matter where we get our Aircrafter Dispatcher certification because wherever we go,the airline we go to will have to teach us on how they operate right?

It's a subject there's a lot of debate on. Some people say it doesn't matter any, but there are certain schools that have a better reputation than others. You do learn most of the job once you actually start dispatching and get some experience - but it's also important to have a good foundation in the basics. It's been discussed at length in these forums if you do a search.

 

[Wingy]

Yes, I've read about the seniority cases where they will have the better shifts compare to newcomers, but working weekends/night shift to build my way up as a short term thing will be a better change than me staying at my current profession of not able to move up or shift changes since I've been stuck as a nail tech for almost a decade with no changes.

I went on the National Airlines website and will send them a form under their "Contact Us" to request for any shadowing or tour.

I checked out the Aviation Mechanic School in Casselberry, FL, but it seems like they disbanded the course from what the lady told me.

In regards of the Embry Riddle in Daytona Beach, I left a voicemail and awaiting on their call at the moment. It seems like they offered 3 courses for Dispatcher Course to earn my certificate where each course cost around 1400$. I will confirm if I can just take the courses only to be able to earn my dispatcher certificate. I will also check if they have a small ops center to visit or other ones when I can get a call back. I am crossing fingers at the moment.

Thank you so much!

There's also Phoenix East Aviation in Daytona Beach, FL. They have a dispatcher course as well. Maybe they can also help with showing you a day in the life.

 

[Stanimal]

Everyone else has already said basically everything you need to know or think about on here or found in other threads, but I'll add this. Good on you for having a plan and requesting to go and shadow any current dispatchers. This is exactly what I tell anyone who ask me for any help that is considering coming into this career field. The benefits of doing this, in my opinion, are too numerous to count but I'll go ahead and name a few.



1. You get to see firsthand what you are about to get yourself into.

2. You will get facetime with people and places you might potentially be applying to. Now your resume and name now have a face and person to it, and should standout if not jump from the pile of other applicants. As long as you didn’t make an ass out of yourself and pleasant to sit with, this is good. That will go a long way in making contacts/friends that will let you know positions are about to come open, and possible references within the office you toured and shadowed in.

3. Should you get hired at one of these places, everything won’t be a complete shock to you. You'll already have insight on who’s who, how things operate there, and just in general you won't be cold starting a new career, having to make new friends.

I say anyone who comes in and does this goes a long way to show their commitment and desire to work in this career field and don't forget you are essentially doing a job interview during this tour/shadowing.

Good luck and I think I speak for most of us that are dispatchers on here the job is awesome and the perks are 2nd to none.

 

[DogwoodLynx]

Silver Airways is located in the Fort Lauderdale area, as is Spirit Airlines. Visiting both would give you an look at what an entry level job is like, as well as what kinds of jobs are available with some experience. Just give them a call or send a nicely worded eMail. I've yet to be turned down when asking for a professional courtesy visit. Make it an overnight trip out of it. This kind of networking is invaluable when job hunting.

I worked for Silver Airways as a Dispatcher briefly before moving back to Texas.

When I was there, they had a solid group of people that worked in the OCC. It was a great place to start.