Flight Dispatcher Job

[AWACS FE]

Next summer, I retire from the US Air Force after 21 years service. I have been flying as an FE (instructor/examiner) for 16 years, accumulating somewhere around 5000 hours (I stopped counting after they stopped giving a free set of tumblers with every 1000 hours). In August, I'm off to sunny Fort Lauderdale to get my FAA Flight Dispatchers licence, ETOPS and Advanced International Flight Plannning courses. By Christmas 2000, I will have finished a BSc in Aeronautics (Aviation Safety) with Embry-Riddle (currently maintaining a 3.91/4.00 grade point average)and I'm hoping all of that will translate into, "Why, yes Mr Nelson. We'd love to employ you as a Flight Dispatcher/Flight Operations Officer at our UK based airline!" You see, I left the UK in 1980 to join the French Foreign Legion and somehow ended up in the USAF recruiters office at Mildenhall. Anyway, I'd like to come home now and I promise to behave. Can anyone steer me in the right direction? How do I get started? I sincerely appreciate your help .

[Opsman]

I'm also thinking of doing my dispatchers licence. I'd be grateful for any info re where to go to study & do the exam.
Once you have the licence i would suggest you try British Airways at LHR. Alternatively all the senior ops officers at JMC, AIH, AMM have the licence so you may like to contact them.
NB They're all based at MAN

[AWACS FE]

Ops Man

Thanks for the advice. I really appreciate it. As far as obtaining a FAA Flight Dispatcher certificate goes, you have several options.

Option 1.Take a month and a half out of your busy schedule and attend a 6-week (200 hours) FAA certified course at any number of schools or universities across the US. They cost around $3500, plus lodging, food, and transportation, so it's an expensive proposal even for those not travelling from abroad. However, the fees for the FAA written (ADX), practical, and oral are included.

Option 2. Some schools (Flight Safety International & Sierra Academy) offer reduced length courses for those with experience. FSI will reduce to 3 weeks for airline pilots.

Option 3. I'm taking this route. Several schools offer 2-week accelerated programs of 100 hours (M-F, 10 hours a day!) Some of these are little more than prep for FAA exams while others adhere strictly to the FAA required 100 classroom hours of instruction. In either case, you must have completed the ADX (minimum 70% pass) prior to attending the course. This can be done at any number of computer facilities across the world but the nearest ones to you are:

(LaserGrade test)
American Aviation Services LTD.
SE 15 Gloucestershire Airport
Gloucestershire 01452-857757 / FAX 01452-714747
Weekly Schedule: 8:30am-8pm Mon Wed Thu Fri, 8:30am-10pm Tue, 9am-5pm Sat, 9am-11pm Sun

Or

(Sylvan test)
Sylvan Prometric
1st Floor, Sovereign House
26-30 London Road
Twickenham,
TW1 3RW
0181-607-9090

Prior to taking the class, you will need to study. There are 1513 possible questions from which the computer will randomly select 80. The FAA makes all 1513 questions public knowledge, and so they can be downloaded from their website. Better still, get a book and CD from Gleim Publications (www.gleim.com) and that will help you to study what you need for the ADX. The CD also allows you to practice test in the format you need (LaserGrade, Sylvan, CATS, etc)


In addition to the test, the FAA must be satisfied that your experience qualifies you to take the accelerated class. Check out the following websites, www.sheffield.com (http://www.sheffield.com) and www.airlinedispatcher.com (http://www.airlinedispatcher.com) for more info. The latter also offers a 5-day course! The cost for these is around $1500 and may or may not include FAA oral & practical exams.

Option 4. Some schools are offering a combination correspondence course (which covers the first four weeks of a six-week course) followed by a two-week course in residence. For one example, check out this site... http://www.academyeducation.com/aviafrst.html
All the reputable schools in the US are listed on the ADF website at http://www.dispatcher.org/default.html This is an excellent site for gaining an insight into the US dispatch business. Dispatching has really taken off as a career option since the FAA made dispatcher flight release mandatory for all passenger aircraft with more than 10 seats.

Option 5. The EU Option. Deutsche Flugsicherung here in Germany offers 6-week dispatcher courses in English & German. I saw it advertised in Flight International one week but I was unable to find it on their website at www.dfs.de (http://www.dfs.de)

I hope this has been of some use to you. If you have any further question, gimme a shout. If you happen to hear of any positions that might be able to utilize my extensive(!) skills, I'd appreciate a lead.
Cheers
Dave Nelson

[no sig]

awacs fe

Where do you want to live is the first question, then identify the airlines with their Ops centres nearest. Get the names of their Ops Managers and then write with a CV. Don't forget in the UK the term Flight Dispatcher often will register as 'ramp' dispatch as we do not operate to the FAR121 dispatch system. I have no doubt that your qualifications will get you in somewhere.

Be sure to try the US and Middle east carriers who do have dispatch centres in LHR. Also some of the handling agents at the likes of LGW look for the FAA ticket

You would also be well qualified to work in a flight planning section of any airline.

So good luck with your search AWACs FE hope the above helps.

[mutt]

Awacs...

Can i ask why u want to leave flying?

The last time that i checked out the European salries for Flight Dispatchers, they were pretty disappointing. (BA UK18,500 starting, London based)

Europe hasnt woken up to the fact yet that the dispatcher is as important as the pilot!!

[This message has been edited by mutt (edited 31 May 2000).]

[mutt]

Capt P, i dont work for this company and this isnt meant to be advertising, I'm just trying to help an American chap.

AWACS send your CV to the company advertised below and check out the salary.. I think that you may be shocked!!

KLMUK
Flight Planning Officer
A vacancy has been created for a high calibre, computer literate individual to fill a key role as a Flight Planning
Officer in the Navigation and Flight Planning Department. A member of a small specialist team, you
will be responsible for route selection and planning, flight plan compilation and filing, management of computerised flight planning systems, and the maintenance of the aeronautical publications library. You will be expected to assimilate knowledge quickly and progress within the department to take on additional responsibilities within the navigation and flight planning function.
You will be enthusiastic, willing to learn, self motivated, and have an interest in aviation. Educated to A' Level
or equivalent, you will have relevant C & G or associated qualifications and/or previous experience in
the aviation field.
Competitive remuneration package including life assurance, contributory pension scheme and concessionary travel benefits.
Please write enclosing your CV by Friday 9th June 2000. Flight Services,
Endeavour House, Stansted Airport. Essex CM24 1RS

[AWACS FE]

Mutt
Thanks for the lead at KLMuk. Unfortunately, I'm not released from Federal Service yet (it's somewhat akin to being "detained at Her Majesty's Pleasure"). However, I will send them a CV on spec to see what might come about. Also, I speak enough Dutch to impress the cleaning lady. Might come in handy. To answer your first question, I'm leaving flying because I'm not a (licensed) pilot and there aren't enough FE seats left in enough stable companies to hold my interest. I'm getting on at 38 and the ab initio pilot sponsorship option has long since passed away. I could pay my way through training in the US but that'll take time I don't have. I should have made my move years ago, but I was wrapped up in the special ops business and life was a bit hectic. Never mind, eh. Now I spend my days looking after an AWACS simulator, and I do that by constantly ops checking it! In fact, I have more sim PIC time than sim FE time in the last year. My boss makes me give all the rides to the friggin' tour groups and dignitaries. I'm getting pretty good though. I figured out the VFR stuff and 3-engine work fairly quickly. Now I'm working on air refuelling and IFR stuff.

Thanks for the leads once again.
AWACS FE

[This message has been edited by AWACS FE (edited 31 May 2000).]