US dispatch qualification

[oceanicclarence]

Hi guys, i really need some help here, ive spoken to a few people on pprune about this but i need as much info as possible, basically im looking to go to the USA and train for an FAA Dispatch rating, so my question is this, what is the best school over there, and do the british airlines like to recruit from these schools ? i understand the FAA qualification is highly valued, i am willing to work for an airline in any other position to get a foot in the door if needs be, can anyone help who is in the UK (im UK citizen) im very determined, and do have aviation experience, PPL, IMC, night qualified. im trying to get as much info as possible from people in the industry, please help guys, the thought of shelling out alot of cash and training in the states without doing any groundwork is scary, cheers guys (feel free to e-mail)

[email protected]

[Lifeguard2728]

OC

http://www.airlinedispatcher.com

They are a good school in Dallas, Texas.

LF2728

[Out Of Trim]

Why?

The FAA Flight Dispatch (Despatch) qualification is not required in the UK. So unless you're looking to emigrate to the USA it is not of much use to you.

If you want some qualifications, the standard UK City & Guilds should be adequate.

[KLM fod]

Hi OC.
I'm currently in Miami, studying for my FAA Dispatch license here, and my god, this is hard work! I'm at the Sheffield School of Aeronautics, which by all accounts, is one of the best. They specialise in the Dispatch license and are contracted to a lot of airlines around the world including KLM, Delta and China Airlines. One of the main reasons for this is that they not only teach you for the purpose of the license, but they also prepare you for the actual job as well ( which is a lot different to our definition of Dispatcher in the UK ).
As a non-American, a lot of this is useless to me, and the course costs quite a bit more than at other schools. In reality, there are a lot of jobs over here ( students of the school get priority interviews for many of them ), however I'm yet to hear of one which will even give international candidates an interview. The opportunities in Europe are limited, however more and more airlines are training their staff in preperation for JAR-OPS, showing that the tide is changing, albeit slowly. The best bet seems to be corporate/specialist airlines or else the Middle East carriers are big fans of the qualification.
Having been here for the past month and experiencing the general feeling towards international students, my advise to you would be to put the thought of getting a job here after graduation right out of your mind. Short of a massive shortage of trained staff, I can't envisage it happening. In terms of a school, I probably wouldn't recommend this particular one to a non-American. The training and practical skills are second to non, but are specific to American, domestic operations. You're much better off going to a standard school, saving some money and lightening the workload. Put it this way, I'm whiter than when I first got here, and it's the high 70's most days!!!
It definetely is a brilliant course and as someone from the European industry, it has shown me a whole new aspect of our job. The qualification is a fantastic thing to have and I'm sure it will lead onto bigger things, but not immediately. As a non-American, I'll just have to wait for the rest of the aviation world to catch up!!

Good luck!

[SAIIP]

I think it may be an idea to look at the FAA ticket as an advance to you knowledge, although is not a basic requirement but they will give you a foundation to build you career. It will be an add-on for your CV and show the recognition to our trade professionally. Is not an easy course to study, in a very short time punch in lots of stuff but when you got the ticket you will know what I mean.

For the school, there are a few major one:- AFDTC, Sheffield and FCA all teach in difference ways. But also remember the cost of living as well.

At the end when you pass your exam and check the ticket doesn't mention which school you went for, is the knowledge that count. I graduated from AFDTC (http://www.airlinedispatcher.com) in 2000 it doesn't mean nothing at all.

Good luck

[limey lad]

hi o.c. may i suggest checking out www.dispatcher.org. this is the website of the airline dispatcher federation. it has numerous helpful links for you including schools offering dispatcher courses as well as a vast array of resources available to dispatchers. it also has links to websites of eufalda and ifalda, which are the european federation of airline dispatchers and international federation. these may also be very helpful for you too in your quest. they may certainly give you a good chance to network and to give you a way to be one-up on other candidates for any positions. good luck.

[Pete McGuirk]

Oceanic

I did my FAA DIspatcher course at Dallas in 2001 and now have a job with Air Midwest in Wichita Kansas. If you need any info on the course etc e-mail me.

Pete

[ACE Dispatcher]

Hey KLM Fod....I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the course at Sheffield School.
I too am a non-American and graduated Sheffield in May 2001! I also really enjoyed the course as it was very challenging.
I am currently working for a ground handling company in the UK but I have an interview next month as a flight dispatcher for Emirates!.... Having an FAA licence on a CV is something that you can be proud of! :D Especially when you have graduated from Sheffield School.

PS When you see Bruce and Eric tell them that Simon says hello!;)