The work of an aircraft dispatcher

Mavmb

Well-Known Member
I have been working dispatch full time at a regional airline since beginning of December. Like any job, some days; I like it! Some days; I don't! I work 4 10 hour shifts a week, and then have 3 days off. Occasionally, I get assigned an over time shift. One thing I have learned, dispatchers will make less than pilots in the long run. However, I do make more than new pilots starting out.

My job consists of using the computer to calculate the flight release. All airline flights need a flight release to depart. The easy part is I just tell the computer what temperature and altimeter setting to go with and then it calculates the takeoff and landing performance. I also check any notams that would effect the flight and the minimum equipment list to see if any equipment is broken on the airplane that would effect performance. Occasionally I pick the runway too, but usually the computer does that. I also have to check the weather to determine if the flight will require an alternate airport. Any ceiling lower than 2000ft or visibility less than 3 miles means I have to add an alternate airport to the release. Sometimes I have to enter reroutes into the computer to avoid thunderstorms. I also determine what the fuel load will be for the flight, and sometimes I have to add more fuel for weather and airport and Air Route Traffic Control Delays. If the weather is bad, I am checking this page frequently! http://www.fly.faa.gov/ois

I plan about 60 releases in a ten hour shift. The phone rings frequently. It is always stations or pilots wondering what aircraft they should they take or why an airplane is delayed, when it will get there, etc. Pilots also have to call dispatch to add Minimum Equipment Lists to the release, update their release if it is older than two hours, and get their flight plan filed if it falls out of the ATC system.

I don't talk to the aircraft very much while it is enroute. But sometimes I will call the aircraft over the phone to update them of weather. The pilots will also call me if they have a passenger emergency, questions about the weather, or some kind of maintenance emergency.

I hope this answers any questions anyone has about dispatching. Sometimes I don't like answering the phone (it always rings) and sitting in front of a computer for ten hours, but I do get to go home every night so I do enjoy that aspect of it. A good reference for anyone wanting information about dispatching is http://www.dispatch.org

I also got my dispatch license at http://www.agschools.com and enjoyed the classes and would recommend the school. http://www.sheffield.com is also a school that has a very good website that will help anyone prepare for ATP written exam.
 
I am pretty much doing the same thing, but just for a 135 operation. Just wanted to know, out of those sixty flight that you might do a shift, do you get many changes causing you to rework the flights? Working 135 unscheduled all we do is rework flight plans that have already been filed, gets a little frustrating. Just wanted to know if the 121 route is a little bit less hectic.
 
Hi Mavmb,

Nice post. I am considering getting my dispatch license. I have looked into sheffield and strongly considering agschools as I work full time and like the distance learning option. What can you tell me about their program? Did you walk away feeling well trained? I have my private pilot license and almost my instrument rating.

Appreciate any feedback. I did talk to sheffield and they seem like a very good school as well.

Thank you!
 
I did the ags distance learning route about a year ago. It is definately worth while as far as quality of life. I have a background in aviation with CFI/I, but chose to follow this route because of the ability to be home every night. The nice thing is from the start you receive a nice paycheck and the work itself is very interesting. You spend your day analyzing airport conditions, aircraft performance, and weather to name a few things. One suggestion, if you decide to take the distance learning route make sure you have a thorough understanding of the IFR environment because that is all that you will deal with. After finishing the class you will feel well trained but also a little overwhelmed. In class you do work by hand the long way, maybe an hour per flight plan. Once you get to a company it will all be computerized and fairly simple. Also, there are plenty of jobs out there for a recent grad. Depending on the outfit you end up with you may start anywhere from 11 to 15 dollars per hour. Hope this helps, let me know if there are any other questions that I might answer.
 
Thanks for the feedback. Sound like you enjoy your job. I want to get my CFI/II and maybe eventually fly but will not take out 30K in loans to do so. That is why I was thinking dispatching might be a nice happy medium.

Also, do you know where grads are being placed? I have some limitation due to family on where I would/would not relocate. Did AGS help with job placement? Thanks again for the feedback!
 
Yes, AGS is very good with helping to find employment. If you decide to go with them they will give you a login to current job openings and contact information. As far as the flexibility in job location, it should not be that big of a deal. Depending on what route you go, there are many regional airlines scattered througout the country. Also, at the airlines you will have flight benefits so it is not that difficult to grab a ride to see family. If you decide to go corporate or fractional your job will most likley be a little different and you will not have all of the dispatching responsibilities, but may have additional things to do such as catering requests and transportation. For myself, I work part 135 so I am not required by the FAA, but the company does want licensed dispatchers doing flight plans.
 
So, your actually working for a company vs an airline? Interesting. Are you in contact with the crew much during flight or mainly just flight planning etc? I was not aware corporate aviation departments did much hiring for licensed dispatchers.
 
Yes, I work for a company. As I said earlier we are not required, but the company prefers to have us. Unfortunately we do not interact with the crews as much as a 121 dispatcher. To put it simply I see where the aircraft is departing from and going to, look at the terminal weather as well as enroute, check notams to see if there will be any limitations, then work out a flight plan that is the most economical taking into consideration any MELs. File it with ATC and send all of the information to the pilots. If they like what they see I won't hear back from them. If there is something that they want to discuss they will give us a call and we will work with them to make them happy. There are plenty of jobs in the private sector where dispatchers are not required but companies prefer them because it is another set of eyes protecting their assets. Again your job functions will vary, but the bulk will be routing, weather, and notams.
 
I am pretty much doing the same thing, but just for a 135 operation. Just wanted to know, out of those sixty flight that you might do a shift, do you get many changes causing you to rework the flights? Working 135 unscheduled all we do is rework flight plans that have already been filed, gets a little frustrating. Just wanted to know if the 121 route is a little bit less hectic.

We don't have to redo the flight plans very often. If the pilot has a reroute causing a difference of more than 15 minutes from the original plan, than we have to do a reroute. We get lots and lots of phone calls though; that's probably the most hectic part of the job.
 
ifly,

I am also in the same boat as sm203900. I attended AGS last year through the distance learning course, and highly recommend it. I also work for a corporate flight department that handles both FAR91 & 135 flights. We fly all over the world so the work is definitely interesting. At my company we assist the flight crews with flight planning when necessary, monitor all weather, NOTAMS, TFRs, and slot requriements daily. We also handle customer changes and requests for catering & transportation that come across. Overall, I really enjoy doing the job because it keeps me in aviation and allows me to work a variety of aircraft into a variet of airports. The majority of the time the passengers are high profile execs or celebrities, so that always keeps it interesting.

Like you've heard mentioned before, the work can be insanely busy at times, or just nice and easy. There are days when the phone never stops ringing, or it seems like maintenance and ATC delays happen on every flight, but most of the time things flow pretty smooth. The best part of it all is that you get to work in aviation, but also get be home each night. There are a lot of job openings for flight operations right now. I am seeing more and more corporate positions available too, since the execs and business people are getting fed up with the airlines and security issues. Most corporate companies don't offer any type of "jumpseat" privelages, but the starting pay and benefits are usually much higher. Everything depends on what you want out of your career and where you are willing to relocate. Best of luck with your decisions...
 
Thanks BlueStreak,

Where are you finding jobs with flight operations? Does AGS give you access to unpublished positions? I have been looking on some of the major job sites and also avaiation specific ones. I see some but any other tips would be great. I think I prefer the corp route.

The job sounds great. No problem being busy and I agree it is a great way to be involved in aviation and be home everynight.

How long did the AGS distance portion take you?

ifly,

I am also in the same boat as sm203900. I attended AGS last year through the distance learning course, and highly recommend it. I also work for a corporate flight department that handles both FAR91 & 135 flights. We fly all over the world so the work is definitely interesting. At my company we assist the flight crews with flight planning when necessary, monitor all weather, NOTAMS, TFRs, and slot requriements daily. We also handle customer changes and requests for catering & transportation that come across. Overall, I really enjoy doing the job because it keeps me in aviation and allows me to work a variety of aircraft into a variet of airports. The majority of the time the passengers are high profile execs or celebrities, so that always keeps it interesting.

Like you've heard mentioned before, the work can be insanely busy at times, or just nice and easy. There are days when the phone never stops ringing, or it seems like maintenance and ATC delays happen on every flight, but most of the time things flow pretty smooth. The best part of it all is that you get to work in aviation, but also get be home each night. There are a lot of job openings for flight operations right now. I am seeing more and more corporate positions available too, since the execs and business people are getting fed up with the airlines and security issues. Most corporate companies don't offer any type of "jumpseat" privelages, but the starting pay and benefits are usually much higher. Everything depends on what you want out of your career and where you are willing to relocate. Best of luck with your decisions...
 
ifly,

Try checking the websites for Flight Options, Net Jets, Citation Shares, etc. for the fractional jobs. Also try looking for the larger charter operations out there like Atlantic Aviation, Presidential Aviation, etc. Basically do some research about what companies are in your area and see if they have flight operations. I also used careerbuilder.com, hotjobs.com, and monster.com for my searches. Try using different key words when doing your searches. For example try using: aviation, flight, operations, dispatch, etc. You may get different results when using different key words.

As for AGS training. I completed the distance learning course since I had the required aviation experience. I spent approx. 4-6 weeks studying (at home) for the Dispatcher written test and reading all the required materials they sent to me. About 3 books and a binder full of information. It takes a lot of time to read through everything, and the Dispatcher written is basically the ATP written minus a few chapters. So as you can see you have a lot of material to cover. You can select a class date that works with your schedule, so if you find that you need more study time, you can push your course date back to the next date. I just decided to select a start date that was about 2 months away, that way I had a deadline to study for and it kept me motivated. After taking the Dispatcher written test at a local FBO I went to AGS in Cincinatti for the 6 day course. You take the Dispatcher practical test and oral on the final day. Overall it was a great way for me to get my certification.

Hope some of this helps.
 
sounds like a very interesting job

quick question- does it matter what you get your degree in?
 
No, most companies prefer but do not require a degree. Secondly, it is similar to being a pilot, you can have a degree in any number of backgrounds, the biggest necesity is being able to obtain your license. Thorough knowledge of weather and instuments flight rules will definately help. Hope it helps.
 
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