Sheffield Review

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Hondo Calrissian

Hondo Calrissian

I love chicken wings and beer....
I would like to offer my review on Sheffield to people who are looking to attend this school.

Overall, I did learn a lot from the school but if I had the choice to go somewhere else, I think I would have picked somewhere else to go.

Now, just a little background on myself to see where I am coming from I hope will help you understand this review better. Since I graduated HS back in the 90's and after being in the Army, my whole job experience had been in the airline from working ramp, operations, customer service and reservation. I have also piloting experience as well and will have my PP soon. My education background is in criminal justice with a minor in teaching.

Take the ADX before you arrive to the school, it will make like a lot easier for you since the school does not spend anytime on this exam. There is a workshop you can take on a Saturday but the cost is $80 cash only. I feel that the amount of money you pay, this should be included in the cost of the tuition, especially if you have no experience with airplanes or aviation. From what I understand, most other school cover the exam the first few weeks (non Sheffield grads, please correct me if I am wrong)

This course should be 6 full weeks long, not 5 because of the overwhelming amount of material that is given to you. Yes you will have to study nightly with LOTS of homework that takes away from study time. The classroom instructor is not that great, he needs to learn how to be an instructor and present the material better than he does for all learning styles and the classroom setting can be very uncomfortable - it is not ergonomic friendly. The instructor can be a little rude at times to, especially during tests when he treats everyone like they are in Junior High, especially if you have a pencil in your hand. I never stayed after class because I felt like I was a bother to him and the feedback from others is that he really didn't help you much which made it more diffucut for others. The tests were extremely hard which is where you studying comes to play but the test seems like they are designed to make you fail because of a lot of trick questions. You whole time at the school is being in the classroom or studying with little time for personal time it seems.

If you fail the practical exam (after you graduate), you can try to retake it at the school, if the instructor will sign you off but if he doesn't - it becomes a long drawn out process and becomes hard to find a DADE who will do the exam for you if you are outside Florida but it is a difficult task because mostly the aircraft that the school uses. Make sure you get a clarification on the pink slip if you do fail, do let them tell you "study all areas" ask them what you passed.

Overall, the school doesn't care about you - it's all about the money for Mr. Morris, you are just a number to them from what we all gathered this last class. I also heard this from a few other grads who went here also, including someone who works for the FAA currently. I do not recommend this school if you are one who has a hard time learning or have a learning disability (they will use that against you). It is a high paced course and you are expected to know this stuff right away. If you are up for a challenge, then this is the course for you and my hats off to you.

I will say this, I am glad that I did go here because I did learn a lot, it was a lot of information and this was harder than anything I have had to do in my life, including basic training (which was easier). But I would not do it again because of the stress, lack of sleep and the migrates I had.
 
Todd Weber said:
Take the ADX before you arrive to the school, it will make like a lot easier for you since the school does not spend anytime on this exam. There is a workshop you can take on a Saturday but the cost is $80 cash only. I feel that the amount of money you pay, this should be included in the cost of the tuition, especially if you have no experience with airplanes or aviation. From what I understand, most other school cover the exam the first few weeks (non Sheffield grads, please correct me if I am wrong)
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I paid $4,550 jeppesen, that included the cost of the classroom time, all books & cd's needed for the course, ADX, and O&P. we spent alot of time on ADX prep.. this was our schdule..
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Todd Weber said:
Overall, the school doesn't care about you - it's all about the money for Mr. Morris, you are just a number to them from what we all gathered this last class. I also heard this from a few other grads who went here also, including someone who works for the FAA currently. I do not recommend this school if you are one who has a hard time learning or have a learning disability (they will use that against you). It is a high paced course and you are expected to know this stuff right away. If you are up for a challenge, then this is the course for you and my hats off to you.

I will say this, I am glad that I did go here because I did learn a lot, it was a lot of information and this was harder than anything I have had to do in my life, including basic training (which was easier). But I would not do it again because of the stress, lack of sleep and the migrates I had.
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I'm sorry that you had a hard time at Sheffield. I enjoyed my experience there but it was many years ago - Eric was my instructor for the class and I thought he did a very good job. That being said, the course back then was six weeks long - and it was pretty intense even with that extra week we had.

I do think you missed out by not staying after class to work with the instructor - I understand you felt like he didn't like you, but that was 25 hours of free tutoring time that you missed out on. And had you gotten to spend some one on one time with him, you might have been able to figure out better where he was coming from in class, and thus been able to follow the material better. That's just my opinion though.

If you do have a learning disability, depending upon its type, I would say that the regular course might not be the best route due to the sheer volume of information you have to process. In that case, I would recommend a distance learning option where you only have to spend one or two weeks in residence.

Good luck on your practical exam!
 
Don't think you missed out by not going to Jeppesen... The schedule was brutal and all day AND night was spent in the books. I was lucky to get 4 hrs of sleep a night. It was a highly intense and stressful experience. There was no "personal" time, just as was your experience at Sheffield. I took one day out of the 6 weeks to do something fun and that was in the 2nd week, before things got really nuts. It was INCREDIBLY challenging to say the least. And Jeppesen had its own set of issues, trust me. I feel I got a good education but there were definitely shortfalls in the program. I think every school will have their own set of issues. And the $4550 that Keola and I paid did not include housing. All in all it came out somewhere in the neighborhood of $6000.

Wishing you the best of luck :-)
 
I went to AGS for my dispatch course. You guys are all bitching for 4 to 6k and 5 to 6 weeks of intense training? ..Try spending 20 to 30k and 2 yrs getting an A@P...For a top school I mean and making the same money starting and better top out pay for the dispatcher. You have no bitch. Just do it.
 
Nobody was bitching about cost. We was just stating the cost. The course itself cost $4,550.. But add in housing, rental car, airfare tickets, time off from work and I invested close to $10k for my license.

You cant really compare ADX schooling with A&P schooling. But if you really want to compare schooling vs pay... Just ask a commercial pilot for his thoughts.
 
FXMXC said:
I went to AGS for my dispatch course. You guys are all bitching for 4 to 6k and 5 to 6 weeks of intense training? ..Try spending 20 to 30k and 2 yrs getting an A@P...For a top school I mean and making the same money starting and better top out pay for the dispatcher. You have no bitch. Just do it.
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Where in my post do I talk about being an A&P? I am talking about being an aircraft dispatcher - two different trades my friend!! I know being an A&P is a lot more detailed than an aircraft dispatcher!
 
manniax said:
I'm sorry that you had a hard time at Sheffield. I enjoyed my experience there but it was many years ago - Eric was my instructor for the class and I thought he did a very good job. That being said, the course back then was six weeks long - and it was pretty intense even with that extra week we had.

I do think you missed out by not staying after class to work with the instructor - I understand you felt like he didn't like you, but that was 25 hours of free tutoring time that you missed out on. And had you gotten to spend some one on one time with him, you might have been able to figure out better where he was coming from in class, and thus been able to follow the material better. That's just my opinion though.

If you do have a learning disability, depending upon its type, I would say that the regular course might not be the best route due to the sheer volume of information you have to process. In that case, I would recommend a distance learning option where you only have to spend one or two weeks in residence.

Good luck on your practical exam!
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I will admit, I was more impress with Eric as an instructor, he made it more simple than the instructor who made things a lot more complicated than they should have been. We spend nearly a day on alternate mins with our main instructor then Eric had a class on the weekend and explained it more easily in 30 minutes.

I know I may have missed out staying after class but I still passed the class with a 79% I am not a good test taker to begin with, as funny as it seems, I do better orally than on paper but can't explain how I messed up on my practical - some of it was nerves and a lot on a family situation.
 
Keola said:
Nobody was bitching about cost. We was just stating the cost. The course itself cost $4,550.. But add in housing, rental car, airfare tickets, time off from work and I invested close to $10k for my license.

You cant really compare ADX schooling with A&P schooling. But if you really want to compare schooling vs pay... Just as a commercial pilot for his thoughts.
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Thats right I can't I was just making a comparison since dispatchers make more then A&P's but with a lot less time and money invested...Just trying to make our younger people make a better decision. Pilots are a whole different animal since they have a different mission and will put up with the low pay to get to where they want to go.
 
I will warn you, Eric Morris looks at these forums and can be very defensive about anything negative said about him or Sheffield online. You can ask Krystal for details, but he went high up at Pinnacle to try to get a Pinnacle dispatch employee punished for saying something mildly negative against Sheffield. Its kind of hypocritical because he goes after and mocks other dispatch schools but just be warned that he does not take too kindly to public criticism. He is known to threaten to make life hard for those with the FAA for criticising Sheffield.

Every dispatch school has plusses and negatives. As much as I like dispatching, as a professional I wish the schools didnt have frequent and large classes because it keeps dispatch pay low just like pilot pay with so many pilots. That aside, none of the dispatch material is that hard. Dispatching is pretty easy both from a knowledge and practical perspective. The good schools find a way to make memorizing the large amount of school easy. Sheffield is perfect for those that are good self starters and motivate themselves to organize the large amount of material to memorize for the exam. I think IFOD for example is better for those that arent that good at organizing and have not as much aviation experience because they lay out each section to study and cover each night and keep things as simple as possible. Dispatching is a simple job and I think some instructors make the material more difficult than it should be because they get too complicated and just confuse dispatchers trying to learn. You see this everywhere in the dispatch world.

I would say ADI school in MEM is new and up and coming. Ive visited there and like what Ive seen. They use flight explorer and a dispatching software for computerized flight plans to give a practical feel for what will be seen on the job at most airlines. They use a regional jet for the aircraft which most new dispatchers will be using right out of school.

One thing I think most dispatch schools miss is that there is a huge difference between textbook and practical dispatching on the job. Not much teaching is done especially on routing aircraft in thunderstorm conditions where you have a dozen flights going to or leaving a hub and all the canned routes dont look that great and ATC will laugh at you if you try to do ad-hoc route. I only know of a few dispatch schools that teach VOR names, locations and the SID/STARs/J routes. When you have 20 flights due out in one hour and 90 over 10 hours, you dont have time to think. You need to make a split second decision and go with it. You can get away with releasing flights late every now and then but do it regularly and you may be out of a job. The FAA doesnt think 60-90 or more over ten hours or 15-20 in one hour is unsafe and despite many ASAP reports, I dont know of the FAA requiring airlines to drop the workload to 30-50 for a shift and no more than 6 per hour.
 
Todd,

I have been following your posts and have to strongly disagree with your opinion.

It is extremely obvious that you had a bad experience at Sheffield. However your statements that they are just money hungry are just not true.

Eric takes his school very seriously, and yes it is harder than "real" dispatching. (More on this later.)This is why you are offered so many opportunities to get out with your money. It is better for both sides if you are a potential practical exam fail.

Some schools will pencil whip you though their program and have ties to a questionable DADE who will give you your certificate. Who benefits from this? No one. You have a dispatch certificate that really means nothing since you barely passed on the basic material. This will show potentially during your interview and definitely on the job. Your employer loses because they have a dispatcher that takes forever to determine if they can omit an alternate on every flight, or routes an aircraft directly though a TRW with no gas to accept the inevitable reroute! As advertised by the school, there is a noticeable difference between Sheffield and non Sheffield dispatchers.

It is a very tough program, I will agree. I had a huge background in aviation and still found myself studying every night. While 99% of your dispatch career won't come close to the conditions Sheffield Air operates in, It prepares you for that 1%. It is supposed to make you pay attention to all the details so you don't miss something. It helps you understand how everything fits together, and everything needs to be "go for launch." Your ticket is on the line with every flight and Sheffield knows that. They prepare you for when the real world turns its ugly head from "severe clear"

So I'm sorry you had a bad experience. I wish you the best of luck as you look for dispatch jobs in the future.
 
Todd Weber said:
I know I may have missed out staying after class but I still passed the class with a 79% I am not a good test taker to begin with, as funny as it seems, I do better orally than on paper but can't explain how I messed up on my practical - some of it was nerves and a lot on a family situation.
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I imagine it's too late at this point, but didn't Sheffield offer you a chance to re-take the practical exam after you explained the circumstances to them? Even if they added a charge for the re-test, it seems like it would have been more simple to attempt it again there than to try and find a way to take it in your hometown.
 
Thank you for you comments everyone.

I am well aware of how Eric monitors these forums and not trying to bash the school in any way by giving my option of my take on the school.

Part of being a business owner, like Eric, you are going to have harsh criticism. Like it or not - it's part of how you make it better and strong, not act like a child and get offend. I have taken lots of criticism and have grown from it but if that is how Eric acts when someone gives criticism by trying to get someone punished, he really shouldn't be in business. I know I am not perfect and I know Eric is not as well. I do respect the job the Eric does but if I could do it over, I would not have gone to Sheffield for some of the reasons I stated above. Like I said, I did learn a lot and grateful for it. There were a few other people who attended my same class who felt the same way as I did.
 
I agree with above dispatchers saying that ALL dx schools have their high and low points.

I was a Sheffiled grad. I didnt have any beef with the curriculum. Ill keep my other thoughts to myself because I really dont want to start an all out dispatch war here. The point is, Sheffield KICKS YOUR ARSE. They do it for a reason and that is to maintain their reputation. They have a rep for turning out top-quality people. The curriculum and courseload is designed to weed out the weaklings because they dont want to tarnish their reputation but putting out mediocre employees. You should be studying BEFORE you even get to FLL. If you found it "too hard" Im sorry, but I for one am glad that they rolled me over and ran me through the wringer. Im a better dispatcher for it.

Sheffield will help you but they cant do eveything for you. If you are having difficulty, it is YOUR responsibility to ask for help, not theirs. If you have suggestions, there is a reason they pass out a course evaluation at the end of the program. If you have trouble finding a job, they will point you to people who are hiring, but theyre not going to submit your resume for you. If you do, indeed, have a "learning disability," the time to address this with the instuctors is BEFORE the program, not during. I use the quotes because my child DOES have a learning disorder and we have a meeting with her teachers at the beginning of the year to address her needs and our concerns so the teachers understand and can offer the proper guidance. Its about being an ADULT and taking personal responsibility.

I also have a news flash... last I checked, there was not a single "non-profit DX school." They ALL have a bottom line they have to meet.

I will also reiterate what others have said in that you need to watch what you say about your school and instructors on a public forum, not just because a school president might flip his rocker but also because HR reps for airlines can and DO peruse this forum. Telling us that you feel that your failure is your schools fault, whether its the truth or not, could be viewed by a potential employer as a lack of personal responsibility...something that could hurt future employment.

Im having a bad week so no throwing cg wheels at me,mmmkay?
 
From my perspective there is nothing wrong with Sheffield. Quality program, excellent instructors (subjective I know, also I attended over 15 years ago), instructors willing to help. I know Im dating myself when I say that Ron and his wife went out of their way to ensure everything was acceptable to the students. In fact I can remember Ron coming into the class and asking us how things were going.

The main reason I attended was because it fit my requirements at the time I was making the career change, not because it is considered the best.

They want you to pass but as previously stated they won't just hand the license to you.

Personally I found the course rather easy but then again, I am good with math, already had a pilots license and had spent the previous 15 years working on the atc side of the house. (Not as a controller).

Also remember the aircraft dispatcher career is a very small group and once you have a reputation, good or bad, earned or not, it will follow you.

F9dxer
 
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