Toughest things in a dispatchers shift

Kev said:
I think he means when it happens for everyone and not just on his computer.

But... you don't get stuff done. You're sunk. Depending on the source of the failure, someone has to fix it before you can send a flight plan or an amended release (depending on the nature of the amendment) if a flight has blocked out but did not take off. Unless specifically authorized by the FAA (very very very rare anymore for scheduled commercial passenger operators, if any at all) you're not allowed to operate by a flight plan calculated by hand.

You rely on the remaining resources you have to maintain operational control where you can and if it stays down long enough, your airline makes the nightly news because of delays throughout your entire flight network since they can't get a flight release.

You take calls from everyone, everywhere who can't pull up release information and tell them all the same thing. They may ask if you've rebooted your computer. They want you to tell them when it's going to be fixed when you have no idea. As more and more calls come in asking the same thing, you try not to berate them for asking questions you can't possibly answer.

Then your relief shows up. You've never been so happy to give a passdown. Then you go home and drink after your shift ends.
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Didnt a few airlines just say screw it and ground their fleets? I think UA and UPS did at one point due to "techncial issues" Also how ironic that for the OFP you do a manual FP but on the line the feds wont take a manual FP.
 
A1TAPE said:
Didnt a few airlines just say screw it and ground their fleets? I think UA and UPS did at one point due to "techncial issues" Also how ironic that for the OFP you do a manual FP but on the line the feds wont take a manual FP.
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Even if they did, what's the point? You'd maybe release a flight every hour or so if you're really quick. The hundreds of manual calculations you're doing would be very likely to contain errors, etc, etc.
 
My two cents that can make a shift tough is when you talk to captains who talk to you like his/her phone is the greatest and only authorized wx source for demanding extra fuel no matter what bucket it goes in or when you put your foot down that you will not send an airplane lets say cause its a no ice bird and middle management, sector manger/duty manager, do not agree with you and they drive it down your throat that you can send it, don't delay it out, and cancelling is not an option, or if they want to tell a crew something and they are to chicken to tell the crew themselves and want you to tell them, yea I know we as dispatchers hold operational control, even if they hold a license. Well I am sorry its my license not yours if it is yours then send away and or it is me on the recorded line not you.
 
JarASQdx said:
My two cents that can make a shift tough is when you talk to captains who talk to you like his/her phone is the greatest and only authorized wx source for demanding extra fuel no matter what bucket it goes in or when you put your foot down that you will not send an airplane lets say cause its a no ice bird and middle management, sector manger/duty manager, do not agree with you and they drive it down your throat that you can send it, don't delay it out, and cancelling is not an option, or if they want to tell a crew something and they are to chicken to tell the crew themselves and want you to tell them, yea I know we as dispatchers hold operational control, even if they hold a license. Well I am sorry its my license not yours if it is yours then send away and or it is me on the recorded line not you.
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Huh?
 
JarASQdx said:
My two cents that can make a shift tough is when you talk to captains who talk to you like his/her phone is the greatest and only authorized wx source for demanding extra fuel no matter what bucket it goes in or when you put your foot down that you will not send an airplane lets say cause its a no ice bird and middle management, sector manger/duty manager, do not agree with you and they drive it down your throat that you can send it, don't delay it out, and cancelling is not an option, or if they want to tell a crew something and they are to chicken to tell the crew themselves and want you to tell them, yea I know we as dispatchers hold operational control, even if they hold a license. Well I am sorry its my license not yours if it is yours then send away and or it is me on the recorded line not you.
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This time of year FL250 gets real crowded.
 
JarASQdx said:
My two cents that can make a shift tough is when you talk to captains who talk to you like his/her phone is the greatest and only authorized wx source for demanding extra fuel no matter what bucket it goes in or when you put your foot down that you will not send an airplane lets say cause its a no ice bird and middle management, sector manger/duty manager, do not agree with you and they drive it down your throat that you can send it, don't delay it out, and cancelling is not an option, or if they want to tell a crew something and they are to chicken to tell the crew themselves and want you to tell them, yea I know we as dispatchers hold operational control, even if they hold a license. Well I am sorry its my license not yours if it is yours then send away and or it is me on the recorded line not you.
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That’s why I left the sector manager position, but I was never and still not afraid to talk to anyone. Suggestions are one thing.
 
N77022 said:
Watching other Dispatchers send Raw text SIGMETs (in some cases, AIRMETs) via ACARS and being all proud of their flight following.
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I like to send a summary about the tops /turbulence and how to avoid, then paste the SIGMET under it so they have it as a reference. I don’t think I’ve ever just sent the SIGMET.
 
All this talk of food...I wish places were open when I am at work. Working graveyards can be tough when your belly is moaning.

Generally not always very challenging at work since we only have 5 planes in three places. But when you're dealing with crap weather in all three places in three different parts of the country, things can get fun. It'll get even more fun when our new planes start coming online. Management is also one of those tough things that exists. And definitely some coworkers too.
 
Listening to your fellow dispatchers calling station ops to tell them about bumping passengers because they are using an altn 200miles away with 25minutes of hold fuel and 1500lbs of extra fuel on a regional jet
 
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