dispatch interview preparation

[gekko]

Hey everybody,


I am invited for an interview for the function of flight dispatcher.

In August of this year I finished my fATPL and I consider a job as dispather as a nice job to gain some more experience in the world of aviation.

Is there anyone who could give me some constructive advise? Which subjects should I revise: flight planning, performance, operational procedures, meteo...?

Any advise of good books I could read to prepare myself? Any ideas of questions that could be asked or cases I should be able to solve?

All help, advise would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks:ok:

[Maude Charlee]

All depends who you're going to be working for. Many companies have different ideas on what a dispatcher is. In most places you would be more accurately described as a turnround co-ordinator. More info please.

[older_wiser]

As maude charlee says , everything depends on who the company is, I have worked for a couple of the leading handling agents as well as an airline, i have also had interviews at others so if you want to pm me ( if you don't want to advertise who your interview is with ) maybe i can pass on any advice :ok:

[gekko]

hey!

Thanks for your willingness to help me!
So a bit more info. The company I am applying for is a Belgian low-cost airliners.
But as you're saying that the procedures are different for every airliner... I just want to know which subjects generally I should review or what I can do (information that I should read) to prepare myself for a general dispatch function.

Many thanks! :ok:

[Maude Charlee]

OK, difficult to know what your employer may see as your role, but brush up on basic mathematics (useful for any load planning or loadsheet/mass and balance work) and familiarise yourself with IFR flight plans and basic aviation meteorology (how to decode TAFs and METARS). If you have an aviation background already then this will be familiar territory.

Other than that, not much else I can think of that you might be able to do. The greatest challenges you are likely to face are things you cannot really study for - people skills, time management, organising and prioritising your work, and troubleshooting through problems.

It's a fun job and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

[Abdel]

learn to read NOTAMS - airfield ones and FIR ones

TAFS/Metars as Maude Charlee says - you might wanna learn how to decipher graphic weather too - hig sig charts and winds aloft.

http://www.jeppesen.com/wlcs/index.jsp?section=weather&content=weather.jsp


you'll also need the patient and skill of a saint - if you're dealing with EuroControl (flight planning)

you may also be exposed to things like crew rostering, third-party service setups (eg fuel, handling, catering), you may assist with crew visas etc

get a good idea of what the job entails before you sign on the dotted line!

these sites may be of use....

www.dispatcher.org/
http://euro.wx.propilots.net/



Abdel

[gekko]

Hey,


many thanks for your helpful replies, info and advise!
I will certainly keep it in mind!

Other advise, info or experiences are of course still more than welcome!

[FougaMagister]

I would also recommend that you brush up on Mass & Balance; something like re-learning the usual definitions like MZFW, MTOW, MLW, RTOW, traffic load, underload, ramp fuel, Take-Off fuel, trip fuel, etc. and knowing the relations between them will pay dividends when you are let out on your own to turn around a lo-cost 737 in 25 minutes flat!

The CAA yellow booklet provided for the frozen ATPL exams should be sufficient in that respect, but you can also use whatever feedback or ATPL groundschool material you still have. Brushing up on performance can be useful too.

Once at the interview, be modest and don't overdo the "I've got a frozen ATPL, so I'll be fine as a Flight Dispatcher" thing; it might just upset your interviewer...

G'd luck! :ok: