So...long story short, my uncle passed in November, left me some money, and next week I'll be applying to airline dispatcher school. I have a BA in communications that's been of no use whatsoever, and pilot training is just way too expensive, so this position seems good for me.

Are there any dispatchers in here who can mentor me, tell me more about the job, etc.?

Thanks,

Marc

There are a few of us on this board. Ask away.

Dispatch is something I really enjoy. Having only been at it for 1.5 years it's something I wish I got into sooner. For me, I like the constantly changing conditions and challenges. Some days are relatively simple with minimal issues and others (mainly in the winter) can wind you up so much it takes an hour or two after a shift to relax. Depending on who you work for (I'm going to guess you'll be working for a smaller operator as a newbie) it can be stressful especially if you have to handle the coordination of multiple parties (ground handling, maintenance, ATC, pax handling, etc). As YYZatcboy said, just ask away. I love to talk about what I do and would be happy to answer your questions.

Well, I guess my biggest fear about the schooling is the math. Math was ALWAYS my weakest subject in school. Heck, in college I almost ended up taking remedial math twice (thank goodness the professor graded the final on a curve).

How complicated is the math? I mean the only weight and balance stuff I’ve ever done was for Cessnas back when I was in Civil Air Patrol, and I’ve forgotten a lot of that.

Where did you go for your training? I’m applying to Sheffield, which several Google searches and reviews appears to be the best.

Thanks,

Marc

The Canadian training doesn't involve much math. Simple addition and subtraction. I work at a major airline and we don't do manual calculations or train for it anymore, everything is done by computer. I am also terrible at math, and have no difficulty. In Canada you are able to self train, so I grabbed the DXP training book, Air Command Weather Manual (from the RCAF) and an ATPL exam work book and was able to pass my exams first go around. They are extremely difficult, so you will need to study hard. I knew I was ready for the exams when I was dreaming answers from the ATPL sample exams, and I still cut it close.

The bulk of our training is done by the airline we work for. My first airlline I did CBT on the 737 and a month of classroom training. After that I had 2 months of OJT. At my current airline it was 6 weeks of classroom and 1 month of OJT. Experienced dispatchers can streamline the OJT. I was lucky to work for a charter airline before moving to the Majors after only 9 months.

Modern flight planning and aircraft performance software combined with more intelligent aircraft mean there is less requirement for manual calculations of things like center of gravity, take-off weights, and fuel requirements. Load control and planning is generally handled by either the ground handling company or a separate person in the operations centre of the airline. The most complicated mathematical calculation I generally deal with is obtaining the actual zero fuel weight based on the passenger breakdown, baggage/cargo weight, and operational empty weight of the A/C in situations were we are payload-critical. This happens to me maybe 1-2 times a month and it's relatively simple addition of several numbers.

As far as training, the Canadian system only requires you to write and pass two Transport Canada dispatch exams (one on operations stuff, the other on meteorology). A lot of people just self-study however there are a few prep courses taught in person as well as prep kits sold which include practice tests. I tried to self-study for about a year but due to the amount of stuff the Transport Canada guide said I had to know I found it overwhelming even with lots of aviation experience. The in-person course I did was a much better idea as they cover the essential stuff for the test and leave out the trivial stuff. Once you have both tests passed, you need to get hired by an airline that requires licensed dispatchers (Type A or B operation). That airline will train you on their operation and then you will be checked out by an authorized examiner who works for that company or Transport Canada themselves on-site. Once that is done, you are a licensed dispatcher for that company. You must be re-checked prior to the 1st day of the 13th month (that's what the regulations say specifically) following your last check. As your license is tied to the company, you cannot dispatch for another airline until you complete their own training program and get checked out by that company.

Ask away. I'm guessing you're in the western world as 'dispatcher' has a different meaning in other places.

From my U.S. perspective, the class is only scratching the surface of what dispatching is and will mostly focus on vague aviation topics, but will start to build the foundation of your job. What you learn there is important and will be dissected further when you get to an airline. The certificate will be expensive, $3-5k most likely and will give you no job guarantee. After that, you have a good shot of joining a regional carrier. Expect under $20/hr. A few years of experience will give you the qualifications to apply to a major carrier where you will have a much better quality of life, in both schedule and pay.

I'm not great at math. Much of our software applies appropriate calculations and you can generally tell when something just doesn't add up. I don't do any weight and balance stuff at my airline, but I still take into account all performance and structural weight limits. It is not my job to determine how that weight is used. The dispatch course will require those calculations, however.

I'm at a major carrier and love it. It's a great work/life balance and the benefits can't be beat. However, you'll have real shitty days. Days that everything goes wrong at once. You will be juggling long taxi outs, medical emergencies, holding, and then maintenance will call to add an MEL that requires lots of thought and calculation.

On the flip side, you'll be working a shift one day board out of your mind on overtime because the operation is on autopilot and wonder why you just got paid $1500 for 10 hours of chatting with your neighbors.

Overall, it is a great job and you have a sense of accomplishment after every day.

I'm going to have a rant here just because I felt the need to.

For all of those posters who are not familiar with the correct term it is Maths with an S or Mathematics as the full term or even Arithmetics, the use of Math as a shortened version of Maths is lazy and not right but it seems to be a North American thing, no one would say that they have an A in Math it would be an A in Mathematics or Maths (with an S) for short.

As a European I find the use of Math as a term totally annoying and everytime that I read it even more so especially from adults, kids could probably get away with that term until there educated enough to know otherwise.

Is it a new phenomenon to use the term Math over Maths as I'm sure I hadn't seen it used five years ago.

Others I dislike are 'what's up' and the worst being 'my bad' rather than my mistake!

Rant over now

Is it a new phenomenon to use the term Math over Maths as I'm sure I hadn't seen it used five years ago.

I'm from the US. I'm over 50 years old. I have always heard the topic of study to be Math, no plural s on the end. My father was an engineer, he always called it Math also. Just for the record we also call the last letter in the alphabet Zee, not Zed. Both are correct. It just depends on your location.

Adispatcher wrote:

Ask away. I'm guessing you're in the western world as 'dispatcher' has a different meaning in other places.

From my U.S. perspective, the class is only scratching the surface of what dispatching is and will mostly focus on vague aviation topics, but will start to build the foundation of your job. What you learn there is important and will be dissected further when you get to an airline. The certificate will be expensive, $3-5k most likely and will give you no job guarantee. After that, you have a good shot of joining a regional carrier. Expect under $20/hr. A few years of experience will give you the qualifications to apply to a major carrier where you will have a much better quality of life, in both schedule and pay.

I'm not great at math. Much of our software applies appropriate calculations and you can generally tell when something just doesn't add up. I don't do any weight and balance stuff at my airline, but I still take into account all performance and structural weight limits. It is not my job to determine how that weight is used. The dispatch course will require those calculations, however.

I'm at a major carrier and love it. It's a great work/life balance and the benefits can't be beat. However, you'll have real shitty days. Days that everything goes wrong at once. You will be juggling long taxi outs, medical emergencies, holding, and then maintenance will call to add an MEL that requires lots of thought and calculation.

On the flip side, you'll be working a shift one day board out of your mind on overtime because the operation is on autopilot and wonder why you just got paid $1500 for 10 hours of chatting with your neighbors.

Overall, it is a great job and you have a sense of accomplishment after every day.

The cost of the training (and certification) isn’t an issue right now. I’ve been out of work since college, and can only afford the course because of a family member’s passing.

What led you to dispatching? For me, I always wanted to work in aviation, but my parents convinced me that if I worked in a field that was also a hobby, that I’d lose interest in the hobby. So I’m kinda circling back to aviation.

I’m basically going into the program with no expectations. Any program that could “guarantee” me a job sight unseen probably isn’t very good, and I also figure that there’s a chance I take the course, get the certification, and decide it’s not for me (but also a 50% chance of loving it and wondering why I didn’t gravitate to it sooner).

I’ve had one lingering question about dispatching. I get it that the captain and dispatcher share responsibility for a flight. Do very long flights have more than one dispatcher? I’m thinking that UAL’s flights to Singapore would be near impossible for one dispatcher to handle for the duration (if I’m even making any sense).

Thanks for the replies, and I KNOW I’ll have a lot more questions.

I hope you’re all having a safe and enjoyable holiday season.

Marc

Cadet985 wrote:

Adispatcher wrote:

Ask away. I'm guessing you're in the western world as 'dispatcher' has a different meaning in other places.

From my U.S. perspective, the class is only scratching the surface of what dispatching is and will mostly focus on vague aviation topics, but will start to build the foundation of your job. What you learn there is important and will be dissected further when you get to an airline. The certificate will be expensive, $3-5k most likely and will give you no job guarantee. After that, you have a good shot of joining a regional carrier. Expect under $20/hr. A few years of experience will give you the qualifications to apply to a major carrier where you will have a much better quality of life, in both schedule and pay.

I'm not great at math. Much of our software applies appropriate calculations and you can generally tell when something just doesn't add up. I don't do any weight and balance stuff at my airline, but I still take into account all performance and structural weight limits. It is not my job to determine how that weight is used. The dispatch course will require those calculations, however.

I'm at a major carrier and love it. It's a great work/life balance and the benefits can't be beat. However, you'll have real shitty days. Days that everything goes wrong at once. You will be juggling long taxi outs, medical emergencies, holding, and then maintenance will call to add an MEL that requires lots of thought and calculation.

On the flip side, you'll be working a shift one day board out of your mind on overtime because the operation is on autopilot and wonder why you just got paid $1500 for 10 hours of chatting with your neighbors.

Overall, it is a great job and you have a sense of accomplishment after every day.

The cost of the training (and certification) isn’t an issue right now. I’ve been out of work since college, and can only afford the course because of a family member’s passing.

What led you to dispatching? For me, I always wanted to work in aviation, but my parents convinced me that if I worked in a field that was also a hobby, that I’d lose interest in the hobby. So I’m kinda circling back to aviation.

I’m basically going into the program with no expectations. Any program that could “guarantee” me a job sight unseen probably isn’t very good, and I also figure that there’s a chance I take the course, get the certification, and decide it’s not for me (but also a 50% chance of loving it and wondering why I didn’t gravitate to it sooner).

I’ve had one lingering question about dispatching. I get it that the captain and dispatcher share responsibility for a flight. Do very long flights have more than one dispatcher? I’m thinking that UAL’s flights to Singapore would be near impossible for one dispatcher to handle for the duration (if I’m even making any sense).

Thanks for the replies, and I KNOW I’ll have a lot more questions.

I hope you’re all having a safe and enjoyable holiday season.

Marc

A love for aviation led me to it. It was a hobby for me when I was younger and I never thought of it as a career. I got a degree in what I thought I liked out of high school. Now I have a four year degree in something completely unrelated and job in aviation. I did not know about dispatching until a few years ago, but aviation has always been a passion.

A dispatch certificate may open some doors if you're serious about aviation. Like I said, it's no guarantee and there's a long road ahead. Even if cost is no option, most people can't breeze through it. It requires dedication.

Per the regs, there is joint responsibility, yes. Long haul flights do have more than one dispatcher, but they transfer that responsibility via a turnover of some sort. The same thing happens domestically when the day shift goes home and the afternoon takes over. If the receiving dispatcher accepts your flights, then they are now responsible for the safe and legal operation of those flights.

Ask away.

If you want to make a career out of dispatching, I would get a dispatch school class scheduled ASAP. Then once you get your license, apply to every regional job that opens up. Keep applying if you dont get any offers or interviews on your first time applying. It might take up to a year or so to get a job after you get your license.

The regionals have their operations control centers in a limited number of cities. You will either need to move or commute unless you are lucky enough to live and get hired in one of those cities.

Unless you live in DFW, ATL, ORD, SDF, MEM, the majors will require another move. It is not unheard of to need to move several times in a short time span to advance between jobs. Once you get experience at your first regional, other regionals, charter and low cost carriers will likely be calling not long after you have a little experience. Pay at the regionals starts in the 14-16/hr range.

Getting an interview and hired by a major is a crapshoot. It is only going to get harder in the future. Until the mergers occurred, dispatchers at the majors paid fairly well but were nothing special. Now dispatchers are extremely well compensated pretty much across the board at the majors. 200-300K a year is not unheard of or particularly difficult to get at a major. Six figures in the first year is also not difficult to get. As mentioned before, 1500-2000 dollars or more in one day on double time at a major is pretty routine. Word is getting out about this and everyone wants in on the dispatch gravy train. Thousands apply for 15 jobs.

The job does have great flexibility in schedule and does have a tremendous amount of time off. It is also seniority based and you will likely spend the first several years of your career working midnights and holidays until you have the seniority to bid better shifts. There are some days and shifts that are hard trade off unless you have seniority.

One thing to remember is that dispatchers are very well paid and also generally work less than 40 hour work weeks. All the majors are union represented and have contracts but if the airlines go into the bankruptcy cycle again, management will likely try to go after the generous work rules to have dispatchers work more and take away things like double time that lead to the 300K a year dispatchers.

Does the FAA limit dispatchers’ hours like they do pilots, or is that a union thing?

Marc

Cunard wrote:

I'm going to have a rant here just because I felt the need to.

For all of those posters who are not familiar with the correct term it is Maths with an S or Mathematics as the full term or even Arithmetics, the use of Math as a shortened version of Maths is lazy and not right but it seems to be a North American thing, no one would say that they have an A in Math it would be an A in Mathematics or Maths (with an S) for short.

As a European I find the use of Math as a term totally annoying and everytime that I read it even more so especially from adults, kids could probably get away with that term until there educated enough to know otherwise.

Is it a new phenomenon to use the term Math over Maths as I'm sure I hadn't seen it used five years ago.

Others I dislike are 'what's up' and the worst being 'my bad' rather than my mistake!

Rant over now

I'm with you on that coming from an English speaking country instead of the US

However, if you wish to rant about grammar, please ensure yours is correct:

Cunard wrote:

As a European I find the use of Math as a term totally annoying and everytime that I read it even more so especially from adults, kids could probably get away with that term until there educated enough to know otherwise.

It should be 'their'. And 'every time' is two words. And comma after 'even'.

Cadet985 wrote:

Does the FAA limit dispatchers’ hours like they do pilots, or is that a union thing?

Marc

Yes.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/121.465

Cadet985 wrote:

Does the FAA limit dispatchers’ hours like they do pilots, or is that a union thing?

Marc

In Canada we don't have limited hours. Standard shifts here are 12 hours long so we get a good work/life balance essentially only working 15 days a month. Makes vacation days go a long way as well.

Goodday fellow dispatchers, hello Marc,

so I assume you are from the CAA or FAA part of the world? I don't know too much about how dispatchers work there, but I do know that everything, from training to day-to-day work and salary is somewhat different from over here in Europe.

But to give you a taste of the amazing work we all do in our world-wide sphere of thinking and working as dispatchers, I might just give you a little tour around the things I do and how I ended up there:

Cadet985 wrote:

What led you to dispatching? For me, I always wanted to work in aviation, but my parents convinced me that if I worked in a field that was also a hobby, that I’d lose interest in the hobby. So I’m kinda circling back to aviation.

I am fortunate enough to have family backing my decisions (€...), and so right after high school I started pilot training with big hopes of joining LH one day. As a young teen German, that's what you usually dream of trying to become a pilot. I somewhat failed a part of an assessment but was still entitled to join a LH-run flight school, did my 1.5 years of training and ended up with no job at all. Times were tough trying to get into any airline, 80 applications bounced right back.
But I was and still am an aviation enthusiast. I figured out that the typical legacy-carrier-flying isn't my type of business anyways. I wanted to do something exciting in aviation and didn't give up on my search. So I decided to at least do something (anything!) aviation-related and I joined the German Air Force as a voluntary for up to two years. Quite naively when I think about it now - my prospects at this moment was being a ramp agent for C-160s.
But through some lucky events and very helpful superiors (whom I owe thanks forever), I ended up as something like a "Mission Preperation Assistant" for the military aircraft which our government uses for their political duties - A300s, A319s, A340s, Global Express. So I did that for more than a year, and it was so much fun that I decided having a closer look at becoming professional in this field.
I then went back to a flight school, wanting to become an EASA-certified dispatcher. They basically said "hey nice, you're already a certified pilot with all 12 EASA-subjects passed, so you only need to do the 3-month practical dispatch training". I tried my hardest and send in an application where I could spend these 3 months on-the-job training at a business-jet operator. In fact, this operator is one of the biggest names in the german-speaking market, so I was very excited about that.
So there I served my time, and by the end, I could have applied to any business jet operator in Europe and probably would've gotten the job. Certified dispatchers in Europe (or at least Germany) are a rare thing to find, be it with EASA or FAA license. I changed my job twice since I started and it was never particularly difficult to find a better spot. I will actually be changing to another operator again next year, where finally I will not only be dispatching, but also start flying on a Citation Jet - for now that's all I could dream of. And it took quite some time, but I'm immensely happy that I think I took the right decisions somewhere along the way.

Because dispatching is actually quite a lot of fun.
I'm at a small operator right now (around 10 Citations), and the few guys like me in the OPS-department are somewhat the nerds in our company. We look at our screens and work our magic, we explain complicated aircraft/operations-related matters to our Sales-Team and our Pilots (between which we are the link) and are the ones saving the day or making it particularly difficult for our beloved crews.
Now, in wintertime, we face issues like having to figure out what the cheaper alternative is: staying two days in Geneva or ferrying back home, booking a hangar in Moscow for a night or de-icing the aircraft upon departure. In summer, we have to know how to handle airways-slots into Greece and Italy, telling the pilots when to board our guests so as to catch the correct slot time. And once in a while, we have to make diversions seem like the most usual thing in the world. Prepare a new flight plan in 10 minutes, which isn't always easy considering the 500 pages of European Airspace regulations which are updated with every AIRAC-cycle. BizJet-flying is a fast changing environment, especially for dispatchers, and some days a thunderstorm or a client who wants to fly two hours earlier can ruin your whole day.

But it is an exciting world, and I would be really sad if I had to leave this whole dispatching behind for a typical airline-pilot job. I bet you, most captains of any grand airline - you name it: UA, LH, AF, AC, CX - wouldn't know how to phone ATC to get a better slot or let alone file a legal flight plan from a major hub in the UK into a VFR airport in Portugal, crossing transatlantic tracks on the way. Like I said, we're the nerds, but we like that image.

I think you can tell from what I wrote that I'm very excited about my job. Now if only I could relate to the six digit figure salary somebody was mentioning.... wouldn't this be heaven on earth

Cadet985 wrote:

Thanks for the replies, and I KNOW I’ll have a lot more questions.

Go for it!

Regards,

Obviously, my preference would be to find a job with an airline here in the States. Should that not work out for whatever reason, do other countries recognize the FAA license?

Cadet985 wrote:

Obviously, my preference would be to find a job with an airline here in the States. Should that not work out for whatever reason, do other countries recognize the FAA license?

The place where I did my on-the-job-training only had 3 dispatchers with EASA license, the other 12 had the FAA one. They actually send a new colleague who did not have a license yet to the US for 2 months to do the FAA one, as it was cheaper and faster than the whole EASA-course.

Regards,

Cadet985 wrote:

So...long story short, my uncle passed in November, left me some money, and next week I'll be applying to airline dispatcher school. I have a BA in communications that's been of no use whatsoever, and pilot training is just way too expensive, so this position seems good for me.

Are there any dispatchers in here who can mentor me, tell me more about the job, etc.?

Thanks,

Marc

I spent most all my career in Maintenance. I was in a line mechanic and a maintenance controller. I also was a flight engineer in the air force and I have private and commercial pilots licenses and also have a dispatcher cert. The DX cert was the fastest and least expensive of all my certs but has the best return on investment if I had chosen to go that route for a job. Dispatchers make excellent money at the majors. How they got to make that kinda money at the majors still has me scratching my head a little but good for them. It is a job most people know nothing about. Its only 5 weeks out of your life for the most part for school but very rewarding if you can get in at a major. Only drawback is you have to work where their company headquarters are. Dallas has SWA and AA and Chicago has UAL etc.. So would would have be willing to move to where the airline of your choice is.

Cadet985 wrote:

Obviously, my preference would be to find a job with an airline here in the States. Should that not work out for whatever reason, do other countries recognize the FAA license?

Not sure, but the legality of a dispatcher's responsibilities are not equal around the world. In the states, you and the captain are jointly responsible for the safe and legal operation of a flight. The training may be similar, but the authority different.

FAR 121.533.

SAAFNAV wrote:

Cunard wrote:

As a European I find the use of Math as a term totally annoying and everytime that I read it even more so especially from adults, kids could probably get away with that term until there educated enough to know otherwise.

Is it a new phenomenon to use the term Math over Maths as I'm sure I hadn't seen it used five years ago.

Others I dislike are 'what's up' and the worst being 'my bad' rather than my mistake!

....if you wish to rant about grammar, please ensure yours is correct:

It should be 'their'. And 'every time' is two words. And comma after 'even'.

Oh, goody, can I play too?
SAAFNAV - with only a short post from yourself (just over 40 words, in simple sentences), I feared I would draw a blank, and after careful scrutiny......it turns out you are perfect. Dammit!

I did briefly flirt with the idea of suggesting your's (with an apostrophe), as in;

Some people would say you should've wrote:

....if you wish to rant about grammar, please ensure your's is correct

But in fact that's wrong too.
Yours is already the second person possessive pronoun, and never takes an apostrophe.
Feel free to correct the BB furnished "wrote" with the grammatically correct "written", but as I'm a great believer of the Morecambe & Wise school of grammar, I'm happy with it either way.

p.s. - I don't know what's up [sic] with Cunard; he's normally quite reliable, but he seems to be off his game recently. Besides, math (no "s") has been around like forever (as an American term). I use it myself from time to time, along with "color" and "favorite", just to throw people off the scent when I'm supposedly bashing Boeing, or Trump.

p.p.s - In a similar way, "math has been around like forever" includes a totally superfluous "like" in order to fool people into believing I am young & hip, when in reality I totally abhor the use of "like" in every spoken sentence, like.

p.p.p.s - if you cannot find any true grammatic errors in all this verbage, it can only be because you haven't looked hard enough.

And the moral of this story for Marc, the OP; a dispatcher certainly needs clear & unambiguous communication skills, whilst at the same time he/she must make allowances for others whose skillset is somewhat lacking in that department. Or where English is not their primary language, or (in the case of US citizens) where they speak a slightly different version of English. But as you already have a BA in communications, you surely know that already.

Adispatcher wrote:

Cadet985 wrote:

Obviously, my preference would be to find a job with an airline here in the States. Should that not work out for whatever reason, do other countries recognize the FAA license?

Not sure, but the legality of a dispatcher's responsibilities are not equal around the world. In the states, you and the captain are jointly responsible for the safe and legal operation of a flight. The training may be similar, but the authority different.

FAR 121.533.

Good point. EASA does not have an equal responsibility clause.
So even if you hold an FAA license in an EASA country, which is perfectly fine (not the other way around I assume), all responsibility still lies with the PIC.
Naturally, if anything goes wrong inflight and the reason was bad flight planning, in the worst case you may still find yourself without a license after the incident.

Regards,

SAAFNAV wrote:

Cunard wrote:

I'm going to have a rant here just because I felt the need to.

For all of those posters who are not familiar with the correct term it is Maths with an S or Mathematics as the full term or even Arithmetics, the use of Math as a shortened version of Maths is lazy and not right but it seems to be a North American thing, no one would say that they have an A in Math it would be an A in Mathematics or Maths (with an S) for short.

As a European I find the use of Math as a term totally annoying and everytime that I read it even more so especially from adults, kids could probably get away with that term until there educated enough to know otherwise.

Is it a new phenomenon to use the term Math over Maths as I'm sure I hadn't seen it used five years ago.

Others I dislike are 'what's up' and the worst being 'my bad' rather than my mistake!

Rant over now

I'm with you on that coming from an English speaking country instead of the US

However, if you wish to rant about grammar, please ensure yours is correct:

Cunard wrote:

As a European I find the use of Math as a term totally annoying and everytime that I read it even more so especially from adults, kids could probably get away with that term until there educated enough to know otherwise.

It should be "they're" or they are. I hate the word 'aircrafts' even more, it is aircraft no matter how you use it.

My paperwork for school will be going out in tomorrow’s mail. I’m excited and nervous.

Marc

Cadet985 wrote:

My paperwork for school will be going out in tomorrow’s mail. I’m excited and nervous.

Marc

Wish you all the best!

Semaex wrote:

Cadet985 wrote:

My paperwork for school will be going out in tomorrow’s mail. I’m excited and nervous.

Marc

Wish you all the best!

Thank-you.

I purchased the test app the school uses, and to say it’s intimidating is an understatement.

I thought I at least knew runway markings...

Marc

I received the actual acceptance e-mail earlier this week and my flight down to FLL is set!

Marc

Cadet985 wrote:

I received the actual acceptance e-mail earlier this week and my flight down to FLL is set!

Marc

Congrats and good luck.

Feel free to message me if you need anything.

Cadet985 wrote:

I received the actual acceptance e-mail earlier this week and my flight down to FLL is set!

Marc

Congratulations, i'm guessing this is an acceptance for Sheffield?

One thing I would say if you sign up for the course is ADX ADX ADX ADX, the best bit of advice I can give is study hard for it before the course commences, and sit the test as soon as you are ready to (the sooner the better), its an unwanted headache that you don't need on top of an already intensive course. Before I started I downloaded the Sheffield ADX app and sat on it 24/7 till it drove me insane. Although the course covers questions on the ADX the school won't hold any classes focused on the ADX, it is for you to learn it yourself, the school may put on an extra class out of hours (at a cost) if there is enough demand. Alot of the questions are formula based, and a lot of people will tell you that there is a quick way of doing it with out learning the formulas and by remember high, middle and low for when the question has a certain number in it. My advice, learn the formula's. I failed first time trying the cheat way. I learned the formula's for the second attempt and it was a lot easier, also if you fail it costs $250 to re-sit.

The course is intense, especially since it went to 5 weeks from 6, there is so much to take in, and you'll be studying section 8 in the Big Green Folder while on the same day sitting an exam for section 6, so there's a lot of information to process. Make sure you enjoy it and make sure you make time for a beer at the weekend. Ensure you always get your home work done in the week and don't allow yourself to be distracted by others. We had a very disruptive student in our house, so had to do what we could to concentrate when they were being a distraction. Another thing I found that helped was studying in a group, it worked studying together and helping each other out.

Could talk on for ages with information and advice, but if you need anything I still have all my course work, folders and itinerary, send us a message and i'll help out where I can.

Dispatcher9999 wrote:

Cadet985 wrote:

I received the actual acceptance e-mail earlier this week and my flight down to FLL is set!

Marc

Congratulations, i'm guessing this is an acceptance for Sheffield?

One thing I would say if you sign up for the course is ADX ADX ADX ADX, the best bit of advice I can give is study hard for it before the course commences, and sit the test as soon as you are ready to (the sooner the better), its an unwanted headache that you don't need on top of an already intensive course. Before I started I downloaded the Sheffield ADX app and sat on it 24/7 till it drove me insane. Although the course covers questions on the ADX the school won't hold any classes focused on the ADX, it is for you to learn it yourself, the school may put on an extra class out of hours (at a cost) if there is enough demand. Alot of the questions are formula based, and a lot of people will tell you that there is a quick way of doing it with out learning the formulas and by remember high, middle and low for when the question has a certain number in it. My advice, learn the formula's. I failed first time trying the cheat way. I learned the formula's for the second attempt and it was a lot easier, also if you fail it costs $250 to re-sit.

The course is intense, especially since it went to 5 weeks from 6, there is so much to take in, and you'll be studying section 8 in the Big Green Folder while on the same day sitting an exam for section 6, so there's a lot of information to process. Make sure you enjoy it and make sure you make time for a beer at the weekend. Ensure you always get your home work done in the week and don't allow yourself to be distracted by others. We had a very disruptive student in our house, so had to do what we could to concentrate when they were being a distraction. Another thing I found that helped was studying in a group, it worked studying together and helping each other out.

Could talk on for ages with information and advice, but if you need anything I still have all my course work, folders and itinerary, send us a message and i'll help out where I can.

This is right, too.

I did the ADX about halfway through the class. I also suggest getting it done to take the pressure off yourself, which only puts the pressure back on for the oral and practical. Get the first weight off your shoulders.

And while you don't think you want to do it, memorization will get you through the ADX multiple choice. I knew the answer to nearly all of the 1200 question bank nearly instinctively.

Like 9999 says, being in groups helps a lot. Talking it out away from an instructor takes a lot of the pressure off and you can discuss together what you learned or what you may not grasp. Pardon the cliché, but you're probably not alone with the question.

Adispatcher wrote:

Dispatcher9999 wrote:

Cadet985 wrote:

I received the actual acceptance e-mail earlier this week and my flight down to FLL is set!

Marc

Congratulations, i'm guessing this is an acceptance for Sheffield?

One thing I would say if you sign up for the course is ADX ADX ADX ADX, the best bit of advice I can give is study hard for it before the course commences, and sit the test as soon as you are ready to (the sooner the better), its an unwanted headache that you don't need on top of an already intensive course. Before I started I downloaded the Sheffield ADX app and sat on it 24/7 till it drove me insane. Although the course covers questions on the ADX the school won't hold any classes focused on the ADX, it is for you to learn it yourself, the school may put on an extra class out of hours (at a cost) if there is enough demand. Alot of the questions are formula based, and a lot of people will tell you that there is a quick way of doing it with out learning the formulas and by remember high, middle and low for when the question has a certain number in it. My advice, learn the formula's. I failed first time trying the cheat way. I learned the formula's for the second attempt and it was a lot easier, also if you fail it costs $250 to re-sit.

The course is intense, especially since it went to 5 weeks from 6, there is so much to take in, and you'll be studying section 8 in the Big Green Folder while on the same day sitting an exam for section 6, so there's a lot of information to process. Make sure you enjoy it and make sure you make time for a beer at the weekend. Ensure you always get your home work done in the week and don't allow yourself to be distracted by others. We had a very disruptive student in our house, so had to do what we could to concentrate when they were being a distraction. Another thing I found that helped was studying in a group, it worked studying together and helping each other out.

Could talk on for ages with information and advice, but if you need anything I still have all my course work, folders and itinerary, send us a message and i'll help out where I can.

This is right, too.

I did the ADX about halfway through the class. I also suggest getting it done to take the pressure off yourself, which only puts the pressure back on for the oral and practical. Get the first weight off your shoulders.

And while you don't think you want to do it, memorization will get you through the ADX multiple choice. I knew the answer to nearly all of the 1200 question bank nearly instinctively.

Like 9999 says, being in groups helps a lot. Talking it out away from an instructor takes a lot of the pressure off and you can discuss together what you learned or what you may not grasp. Pardon the cliché, but you're probably not alone with the question.

Agreed, learning all 1200 answers was the way I was advised as well.

Definitely discussing it together helps, you'll all find you have your own area's where you excel in, and if your as lucky as I was you'll have a really useful person like the meteorologist we had in our house.

Oh and one last thing, post it notes or note cards should become your best friend for the course

Cunard wrote:

I'm going to have a rant here just because I felt the need to.

For all of those posters who are not familiar with the correct term it is Maths with an S or Mathematics as the full term or even Arithmetics, the use of Math as a shortened version of Maths is lazy and not right but it seems to be a North American thing, no one would say that they have an A in Math it would be an A in Mathematics or Maths (with an S) for short.

As a European I find the use of Math as a term totally annoying and everytime that I read it even more so especially from adults, kids could probably get away with that term until there educated enough to know otherwise.

Is it a new phenomenon to use the term Math over Maths as I'm sure I hadn't seen it used five years ago.

Others I dislike are 'what's up' and the worst being 'my bad' rather than my mistake!

Rant over now

Rant away - you're not going to change anybody. In the United States we use "math".

Just under a month to go, and I’m trying to make sense out of the ADX.

It’s completely foreign to me.

Marc

Just over a week out. Any tips?

Marc Eichler

Cadet985 wrote:

Just over a week out. Any tips?

Marc Eichler

Don't psych yourself out. If you have studied and/or memorized test answers, you will do fine. There will likely be questions you don't know know the answer to or have never seen before, give it your best educated guess and move on. Many people feel they did poorly, including myself, and had nothing to worry about in the end. This is just step one of many.

Don't use your time in Florida checking out beaches and drinking. Any time you are not in the class you should be in your room studying. Don't wash out because you didn't take it seriously. It's very tempting to enjoy Florida while you are there (so I have heard.)

Adispatcher wrote:

Cadet985 wrote:

Just over a week out. Any tips?

Marc Eichler

Don't psych yourself out. If you have studied and/or memorized test answers, you will do fine. There will likely be questions you don't know know the answer to or have never seen before, give it your best educated guess and move on. Many people feel they did poorly, including myself, and had nothing to worry about in the end. This is just step one of many.

I’ve taken a full practice test once so far and failed, miserably.

YYZatcboy wrote:

Don't use your time in Florida checking out beaches and drinking. Any time you are not in the class you should be in your room studying. Don't wash out because you didn't take it seriously. It's very tempting to enjoy Florida while you are there (so I have heard.)

I was basically figuring one day a week to relax, drink, whatever. If I see that’s not doable then I can change my thinking.

In terms of checking out sites or being a tourist, money depending, I’ve got a one way ticket so far. I can always do stuff after I’m done there.



Should I feel nervous if a lot of the questions on the practice ADX tests seem like a foreign language to me and make absolutely no sense?

Thanks,

Marc

I wouldn't say failing a practice test a week out from the real thing is a good sign. Without an aviation background, many of the questions will probably seem foreign, as they should. However, you know what the questions are and what the answers are. Dig in and memorize. By the end, I was able to answer a question just by seeing the first few words of it. I knew instinctively that the answer was, for example, C, just by glancing.

The ADX has very little relevance to actual dispatching. Never have I been asked about floor loading or where the megaphones are located. What is important is the FARs and your company's OPSPECS.

Adispatcher wrote:

I wouldn't say failing a practice test a week out from the real thing is a good sign. Without an aviation background, many of the questions will probably seem foreign, as they should. However, you know what the questions are and what the answers are. Dig in and memorize. By the end, I was able to answer a question just by seeing the first few words of it. I knew instinctively that the answer was, for example, C, just by glancing.

The ADX has very little relevance to actual dispatching. Never have I been asked about floor loading or where the megaphones are located. What is important is the FARs and your company's OPSPECS.

Yeah, I keep getting in trouble with the questions on airspace, cargo, weather theory, and stuff like that. I honestly think that once I’m past the ADX, I’ll have little problem with the course. My biggest concern with the ADX is that I’ll try to memorize, and I’ll end up with 80 questions beginning with “Using graphic xyz...”

Marc

Cadet985 wrote:

Yeah, I keep getting in trouble with the questions on airspace, cargo, weather theory, and stuff like that. I honestly think that once I’m past the ADX, I’ll have little problem with the course. My biggest concern with the ADX is that I’ll try to memorize, and I’ll end up with 80 questions beginning with “Using graphic xyz...”

Marc

Airspace, cargo, and weather theory are very important. Perhaps not in the context of the ADX, but certainly in the real world.

My method was memorization. I did the test approximately half way through the course, so I needed to compartmentalize the information between the two. I did have an aviation background, though, so the theory behind it all made sense.

Hunker down and study or memorize until you feel confident. Don't go into the test thinking you're going to fail.

Dispatching for an Airline is Not about finding a JOB nor getting the training. It's about you getting work Where you want to LIVE.
You're going to make Great money after you get your "Chops" up tp speed (Experience). The question is? Can you live where the Job IS?? I spent 35 years with United and had to move from SFO to Chicago. (Downtown) I enjoyed my work but driving downtown TO qork?? Not so much. But making $116K/yr? Took a lot of the sting out of that.

strfyr51 wrote:

Dispatching for an Airline is Not about finding a JOB nor getting the training. It's about you getting work Where you want to LIVE.
You're going to make Great money after you get your "Chops" up tp speed (Experience). The question is? Can you live where the Job IS?? I spent 35 years with United and had to move from SFO to Chicago. (Downtown) I enjoyed my work but driving downtown TO qork?? Not so much. But making $116K/yr? Took a lot of the sting out of that.

A good point. Your ability to relocate is important. Airlines NOC/OCC/SOC, etc., will likely be near the HQ or largest hub. Flexibility is important. Heck, many major airline dispatchers still commute due to mergers and consolidation.

Adispatcher wrote:

strfyr51 wrote:

Dispatching for an Airline is Not about finding a JOB nor getting the training. It's about you getting work Where you want to LIVE.
You're going to make Great money after you get your "Chops" up tp speed (Experience). The question is? Can you live where the Job IS?? I spent 35 years with United and had to move from SFO to Chicago. (Downtown) I enjoyed my work but driving downtown TO qork?? Not so much. But making $116K/yr? Took a lot of the sting out of that.

A good point. Your ability to relocate is important. Airlines NOC/OCC/SOC, etc., will likely be near the HQ or largest hub. Flexibility is important. Heck, many major airline dispatchers still commute due to mergers and consolidation.

Let me ask this.

I have a degree in journalism. I applied to stations in 49/50 states. I said in my cover letter and resume that I’m “Willing to relocate.” Do you think airlines would see that as something obvious (purely hypothetically speaking, if I were to apply with Frontier, I’d obviously be willing to move to Denver)?

By the way, I arrived in Florida last night and start class tomorrow.

Marc

Cadet985 wrote:

Adispatcher wrote:

strfyr51 wrote:

Dispatching for an Airline is Not about finding a JOB nor getting the training. It's about you getting work Where you want to LIVE.
You're going to make Great money after you get your "Chops" up tp speed (Experience). The question is? Can you live where the Job IS?? I spent 35 years with United and had to move from SFO to Chicago. (Downtown) I enjoyed my work but driving downtown TO qork?? Not so much. But making $116K/yr? Took a lot of the sting out of that.

A good point. Your ability to relocate is important. Airlines NOC/OCC/SOC, etc., will likely be near the HQ or largest hub. Flexibility is important. Heck, many major airline dispatchers still commute due to mergers and consolidation.

Let me ask this.

I have a degree in journalism. I applied to stations in 49/50 states. I said in my cover letter and resume that I’m “Willing to relocate.” Do you think airlines would see that as something obvious (purely hypothetically speaking, if I were to apply with Frontier, I’d obviously be willing to move to Denver)?

By the way, I arrived in Florida last night and start class tomorrow.

Marc

I've seen that exact question on applications.

"Are you willing to relocate?"

Yes. It is almost implied. You go where the job is. At a regional, are you willing to move for $15/hr for the chance at a major? If/when a major calls, you'll likely move again.

Keep in mind how small the field is.

Cadet985 wrote:

Adispatcher wrote:

strfyr51 wrote:

Dispatching for an Airline is Not about finding a JOB nor getting the training. It's about you getting work Where you want to LIVE.
You're going to make Great money after you get your "Chops" up tp speed (Experience). The question is? Can you live where the Job IS?? I spent 35 years with United and had to move from SFO to Chicago. (Downtown) I enjoyed my work but driving downtown TO qork?? Not so much. But making $116K/yr? Took a lot of the sting out of that.

A good point. Your ability to relocate is important. Airlines NOC/OCC/SOC, etc., will likely be near the HQ or largest hub. Flexibility is important. Heck, many major airline dispatchers still commute due to mergers and consolidation.

Let me ask this.

I have a degree in journalism. I applied to stations in 49/50 states. I said in my cover letter and resume that I’m “Willing to relocate.” Do you think airlines would see that as something obvious (purely hypothetically speaking, if I were to apply with Frontier, I’d obviously be willing to move to Denver)?

By the way, I arrived in Florida last night and start class tomorrow.

Marc

Good for you I hope you get a slam bang up position where you can enjoy the area and the amenities of it!
Ron

Are we seeing any dispatching for airlines being outsourced? It seems like this is the perfect thing to be able to do in a cheaper country. All you need is the training. The access to the weather and software can be sent anywhere.

Is this already happening? Are there "free agent" dispatchers for private companies or small flight departments? Is moonlighting common?

CCGPV wrote:

Are we seeing any dispatching for airlines being outsourced? It seems like this is the perfect thing to be able to do in a cheaper country. All you need is the training. The access to the weather and software can be sent anywhere.

Is this already happening? Are there "free agent" dispatchers for private companies or small flight departments? Is moonlighting common?

Hasn't happened in the US at the 121 level (illegal at the moment), but there are definitely airlines who would love to see that happen. There are "contract dispatch" like companies for part 91 fractional ownership companies (NetJets, Wheels Up, etc). In Europe, there aren't dispatchers per se (they don't have the same legal authority on a flight), but are called Flight Commanders who do many of the same pre-flight functions as dispatch.

LittleFokker wrote:

CCGPV wrote:

Are we seeing any dispatching for airlines being outsourced? It seems like this is the perfect thing to be able to do in a cheaper country. All you need is the training. The access to the weather and software can be sent anywhere.

Is this already happening? Are there "free agent" dispatchers for private companies or small flight departments? Is moonlighting common?

Hasn't happened in the US at the 121 level (illegal at the moment), but there are definitely airlines who would love to see that happen. There are "contract dispatch" like companies for part 91 fractional ownership companies (NetJets, Wheels Up, etc). In Europe, there aren't dispatchers per se (they don't have the same legal authority on a flight), but are called Flight Commanders who do many of the same pre-flight functions as dispatch.

Interesting. What sort of liability does a dispatcher have? Do they have personal malpractice insurance like doctors? Have there been any accidents attributed to a dispatcher?

CCGPV wrote:

Interesting. What sort of liability does a dispatcher have? Do they have personal malpractice insurance like doctors? Have there been any accidents attributed to a dispatcher?

A dispatcher shares responsibility for safety of flight along with the Captain - both names appear on a dispatch release. Dispatchers are responsible for keeping the crew briefed on notable changes to enroute weather or conditions at relevant airports. They are also the first point of contact should any inflight issue arise, and our work will be heavily scrutinized in the event of an accident.

I'm not aware of any accident in which a dispatcher was directly blamed, but there have times where the dispatcher either neglected to pass along weather information that would have greatly assisted the crew or given bad information. The first accident that comes to mind, and I wouldn't be surprised if all airlines have used it as a case study for their dispatchers is AA 1420, the MD80 that overran the runway at LIT on a stormy night in 1999. It was a DFW-LIT, when thunderstorms basically the entire route of the flight (I believe DFW was listed as the alternate). As the flight approached LIT, the dispatcher told the crew very optimistically that there was a gap in the WX that if they hurry, they could squeeze through. Ulimately, that gap did not exist, and after circling, the crew tried to land and windshear ended up giving the flight too strong of a tailwind causing the runway overrun.