Opssys / no sig / Epsilon minus,
I am sure that the multitudes who read your posts here in silence, do so with interest. Indeed, quite a few of my colleagues (myself included) feel that the time is nigh to get on and get the ball rolling so far as qualifications are concerned.
Just thought (and for the benefit of others reading who might be interested) I'd post some of my own personal experience of this quest thus far:
1) Decided to go the FAA route as this appears to still be the most established and the most definitive bench mark. Booked up for a 4-week accelerated course with Sheffield in Florida last Sep/Oct, which was subsequently cancelled due to lack of instructors (NB. Sheffield handled the whole thing as professionally as they could have, and full monies were re-imbursed, so no shame on them).
2) Have more recently been looking at the Jeppesen option - they have been rather slow and difficult to deal with, and they want to charge over a THOUSAND dollars more for their 2-week fast-track course in LON/FRA/DXB than it would cost to do the same course with them in the States!!!!
3) So now I revert back to my two last options: GCNS and AVTECH. Neither of these have featured for me up until now because quite frankly, GCNS has had (and may still have?) teething problems, and many regard the AVTECH couse as the poor man's cousin - this might be unfair, I just don't know enough about AVTECH to comment.
I'm quite sure that there are MANY more individuals out there who are trying their best to get started on an Ops/Dispatch course but are coming up against similar hurdles. Firstly, the cost is coming out of OUR back pockets, so the difference between a thousand USD here and there really DOES make a difference. Secondly, we are trying to co-ordinate our leave with others to be able to get the time off for the two/four/six weeks it takes to study the syllabus. And lasty (and probably most importantly) there is perceived to be this 'fear' that if the wrong course is studied now, that when JAA imposes it's regulations, folk will have to go and re-study the 'approved' syllabus.
In a nutshell, the reason why I think you are not getting much feedback from elsewhere on this topic, is because the REAL onus for such training and qualification must surely rest with the EMPLOYER, and they know that, and for now they are burying their heads in the sand!!!! Well I truly hope that these proposed regulations are soon firmed up and passed, and that that is a real wake-up call for employers globally to sit up and start to take an interest in their under-valued, under-recognised, over-utilised and over-abused Operations Teams!
Exception of course to the above those more conscientious, forward thinking employers who are already providing in-house training and support.
Sorry for the rant, but you wanted feedback!
