FAA qualified dispatchers in the UK

[johnnypick]

Just a quick one. What's the market like in the UK for FAA qualified dispatchers. I'm a Brit so no worries about the right to work in the EU. I'm just about to start working on the FAA ATP written and was thinking about taking the exam twice and doing the practical course for the dispatcher license (as a back up if flying in the UK takes a while).

Cheers

[ILPAAW]

Very poor market in the UK for FAA qualified people, and not many airlines in the UK recognise it as a requirement at all.
Its worth having to enhance your personnel knowledge, but obviously there is a cost attached. :D

[opsboy]

Quote
NMC Officer (Operations)

This is an exciting and challenging role, as the operations team work in a highly pressurised environment. You will work as part of a dedicated team within our Network Management Centre on a rotating shift pattern (currently 12 hours - day and night).


Ideally you should have a minimum of 2 years experience in an airline operations environment, together with a qualification such as FAA dispatch Licence or recognised equivalent.
Unquote :ok:

[opswench]

But....how many of you guys that already work there have that qualification...?!

[Who'stheDaddy]

I got my licence back in feb which I funded myself at sheffield FLL (excellent school by the way!!)......

Before my licence I applied for jobs and got the odd i/view for Ops control, FOO's etc, but never got the job.

Upon getting the licence I had many more i/views. Adverts requesting some sort of Flt planning Exp or licence and was i/viewed for every application I sent out. The interviewer was always v impressed and interested in the licence.

I am now happy working for a middle eastern airline who require their dispatchers to be FAA licenced, I wouldn't say they are few and far between but it is mainly middle/far east airlines plus the odd euro ones ie LX, KL who require FAA.

More recently GF, JL, SV, EZ, EK, Navtech, Etihad, Astraeus, Titan and All Nippon have all been looking for people with Flt planning Licences or experience.

What I would say is more important is EXPERIENCE. I mean genuine ops experience. It was something I was seriously lacking in..... before my licence i had only worked in handling agent ops depts,BD and AMM mainly as a load controller. If I had had more ops experience i.e CFMU, Flt watch, Flt Planning etc then I would have been a certain bet for some jobs.

My advice get both(Licence/Experience) Doing the licence can be good fun if you go to the right place and not worry about the cost it WILL pay off in the end!!

Incidentally did anyone hear back from EZY???

[opsjockey]

Hmm ,interesting...

Been thinkinga bout getting myself one of these licences for a while. Do they cover ETOPS dispatch or is this something completely different. If anyone has anymore details about course lengths, price and accomodation and any personal experiences then please reply to this topic or feel free to PM.

Cheers
OJ

[kowlaski]

oj and gents,
I got my FAA ticket at sheffield back in 96 and have kept it current ever since, it certainly opens doors with regard to jobs and such,they do ETOPS cources at sheffield but they are outside the normal curriculum and I think from memory they hold the classes for ETOPS and advanced flight planning after the normal school day or saturday mornings, as far as the orange bunch are concerned there are only approx 2 of us currently holding it here.

[no sig]

JonnyPick
Do the Dispacth ticket at the same time, if nothing else its a bit of lost licence insurance. But make sure you've taken advice on the Dispatch practical exam. Its the more difficult part, at least when I did it.

Its a positive advantage in the UK.

[KLM fod]

Kind of disheartened about the whole thing, to be honest. Don't know if it's because I'm looking in the wrong places for the vacancies or what but I also studied at Sheffield School in FLL in January and I haven't had an awful lot of interest.

My reasons for studying for the license were primarily to get away from the handling-agent rut that I had got into. I love my job but there seems to be only so far you can go and after 5 years I'm looking for something more.

The license does get you interviews for jobs that would otherwise be a definite 'thanks but no thanks' but because of the knowledge and skills it gives you, these positions often carry additional desires for buckets of experience.

It's a good thing to both experience and to possess, but to repeat another reply on this subject, without the accompanying experience, I don't seem to get any major opportunities.

In comparison, Americans that I studied with who had no aviation experience at all, walked straight into dispatch jobs over there on $50,000 - $60,000 a year. Somebody get me a freakin' Green Card!!!!!!!

I'm hopeful that it will pay off in the years to come and the School and general experience were brilliant. Fingers crossed!