Do I want to be a Dispatcher?

[Cardinal]

In recent ponderings it occured to me that perhaps there may be a chance (albeit slight :) )of finding satisfying employment outside the cockpit. In the U.S it appears that a dispatch rating can be had in only a few months. I've read all the hype that the schools put out, but do you enjoy it? Is it repetetive skullduggery or is it rather satisfying? For that matter, is load-planning done by the same individual? As a bagggage smasher I've witnessed some of the output from this department, is it just running numbers all day? Here I am, sounding like a newbie. I'm afraid I've embraced flying at the expense of all rational thought. Anyway, help me out. Inform the ignorant, if you will.

[Squawk Ident]

Sorry Cardinal, can't really give you any advice on that one. 'Down under', both big airlines tend to run the same way (domestic flts), where most of the flt dispatch comes under the reign of the Customer Service, including areas like Load Control, aircraft preparation prior to boarding etc. etc., obviously very different to what you are describing. I used to work out on the tarmac, the duties included marshalling, preparing a/c for departure in that the a/c was cleaned, refuelled, catered, CREWED!!, along with actually planning the a/c parking positions for the day.... loved it, but then came computers!!, ah well! it was good while it lasted. Hope the decision you make is the right one.

[This message has been edited by Squawk Ident (edited 22 August 1999).]

[Cardinal]

What I'm looking for info on is what we call in the U.S. a "dispatcher," as in the holder of an FAA Part 121 license and "the individual that shares with the Captain responsibility for the safety of flight", etc, etc. I'm still wondering

[FREDA]

I have a US dispatch license and can offer some info on the course.

I studied full-time at the Sheffield school of Aeronautics in Fort Lauderdale and got the license in six-weeks. The course is expensive but I gained a lot of valuable industry-specific knowledge that has definitely been a great benefit in my work as an ops controller and now as a pilot (gonnabe-type).

The course includes Met (a LOT of Met, almost half the course), flight planning and other factors to be considered in flight planning (MEL, CDL etc). The job of Dispatcher in the states is very much more involved than it is here in Europe. The dispatcher generates the flight plan and also checks it for mistakes and compliance with both met(There have been many occasions in LGW where I have seen aircrew handed a flight plan together with a met report showing the alternate or sometimes even the destination aerodrome below minima) and MEL/CDL.

Once the aircraft is dispatched the dispatcher remains responsible for the flight watch of that aircraft and is in touch with the aircrew by company frequency throughout the flight. He or she is involved in any decisions regarding diversion and may even instigate diversion if weather becomes a factor during the flight. As such the dispatcher is a vital "extra crewmember" available to advise the aircrew on decisions that have a bearing on safety and also on commercial matters, relieving the crew of extra workload and allowing them to concentrate on the important matter of flying the airplane.

The value of the license in Europe is not so clear. IMHO there is a definite need for this kind of support for the cockpit crew, particularly given the workload that the two pilots at the sharp-end have to deal with in Europe´s congested airspace, however there is not as yet any requirement for it. The license, ot more specifically the knowledge I gained, has helped me to better understand the technical decisions which pilots make and made me a more effective ops controller. Furthermore, now that I am flying I find that the knowledge I gained in those six weeks has given me a stronger foundation in general aviation knowledge on which to build my career.