Advice on FAA Flight Dispatch courses

[MilOps]

Greetings ladies and gentlemen, I need some advice.
I am an RAF Flight Operations Manager who is leaving the Service in 18 months and want to pursue a career in civil aviation, Ops and dispatch. Have any of you done the FAA Flight Dispatchers course, and if so can any one recommend a school? I've looked at the list on the Flight Dispatchers Federation website and it is rather daunting. All I'm looking for really is cost and quality of instruction. Also having spoken to the team at Norwich, my local airport, they say that all UK dispatchers are to be licenced, will this also apply to Ops bods and is this the start to regulation within the specialisation in the UK? Any help will be gratefully appreciated.

[super aviator]

Have a look at www.sheffield.com

Its not the cheapest school around, but the quality of the courses offered is first class!

The course instruction is admired worldwide.

They are offering an online course from autumn 03, and part instruction/exams in Florida.

Contact: [email protected]

Very helpful and great advice.

[SAIIP]

http://www.airlinedispatcher.com/
Tel: 001-817-281-2290 RIchard or Sarah

Airline Flight Dispatcher Training Centre
The school established in 1991, base in Hurst (20 minutes from Dallas). Living cost in hurst is reasonably low with an easy access to Dallas. Although is not a popular tourist area as such but you may found it hard to find spare time during the course.

In general if you can spare 6 weeks to study the course in US, is a much better idea you will find it a lot easier. For distance learning course you may heard about the FAA licence training, there are a few questions which is unclear, who can verified the training time you receive in each subject and whether it is approved by the FAA or not.

Out of all the dispatch schools, the first few would be AFDTC and Sheffield purely conducting dispatcher training. Remember one thing, doesn't matter which school you go to, once you got your ticket it won't make any difference hence you are certified by the FAA and all school require to have the same standard set by the FAA.

One serious matter is the money, 6 weeks without work and your living expenses. Look around and may be a good idea to speak to some of the school you will find out more about them and what they do. It is not easy, but with a bit of determination you will find it rewarding.

Good luck with your search.

How about the C & G Courses?

AVTECH runs a few distance learning C & G programs, which is good for Flight Ops, Despatch and Airfield Ops etc...
It reconised by most company.

www.avtech2000.co.uk

[super aviator]

Milops

As you are probably very experienced in Ops already being an Ops manager, you should qualify for either the 2 or 4 week courses offered by Sheffield!

That will reduce the cost of housing etc.

[SAIIP]

http://www.airlinedispatcher.com/Prior.html

FAR 65.57: Experience or training requirements.

An applicant for an aircraft dispatcher certificate must present documentary evidence satisfactory to the Administrator that he or she has the experience prescribed in paragraph (a) of this section or has accomplished the training described in paragraph (b) of this section as follows:

(a) A total of at least 2 years experience in the 3 years before the date of application, in any one or in any combination of the following areas:

(1) In military aircraft operations as a -- (i) Pilot; (ii) Flight navigator; or (iii) Meteorologist.

(2) In aircraft operations conducted under part 121 of this chapter as -- (i) An assistant in dispatching air carrier aircraft, under the direct supervision of a dispatcher certificated under this subpart; (ii) A pilot; (iii) A flight engineer; or (iv) A meteorologist.

(3) In aircraft operations as -- (i) An Air Traffic Controller; or (ii) A Flight Service Specialist.

(4) In aircraft operations, performing other duties that the Administrator finds provide equivalent experience.

(b) A statement of graduation issued or revalidated in accordance with §65.70(b) of this part, showing that the person has successfully completed an approved aircraft dispatcher course.

[MilOps]

Thanks fellas, catalogues duly requested from both schools.

[desertking]

Trying to decide which school to go to and making the decision is always difficult.

I attended Flight Control Academy in Tucson, Arizona.

www.flightcontrolacademy.com

They offer a very good program at a reasonable price for the certificate and your housing is a very nice hotel located at the Tucson In'tl Airport, not sharing rooms with other people.

The five instructors utilized at Flight Control have quite a bit of experience in the subjects taught and I found their program very informative and was hired within two weeks after graduation.

They are very aware of the Civil Aviation requirements and will tell you that certfication in most countries is not necessary but holding the FAA certificate may put you at the beginning of the line if applying for a position and the competition does not too much experience or the certificate.

You just have to make the decision as to where you would like to spend 5-6 weeks of your time and decide.

Appendix A of FAR Part 65 tells all the schools what subjects must be covered in the program and some do it different than others.

You make the decision but you should contact the folks at Flight Control about their course as well. They can assist with the From I-20 to obtain a student visa to attend their course.

[Lewy Boy]

I went to flight safety @ La Guardia in New York. They were superb!!!! The instructors were excellent and the free field trip to the New York Tracon makes it worth while. (2 months in New York aint bad two)

Regards

LL

[El Jefe]

MILOPS

As you may have gathered from all the other post. Bite the Bullet and go and get your FAA license.
It will cost you a fair bit in the short term, but you will recoup that within a couple of years. It is getting harder for those guys out there without a license to get an interview let alone the good jobs.
I can hear all those guys without an FAA license screaming about how it is not recognised and it means nothing. Unfortunately it does and we all know it.
I went AFDTC in Dallas. recommend it highly. Don't know too much about Sheffield or Flight Saftey so i am not going to put them down.
No place quite like The Stockyard in Ft Worth to blow off some steam after 6 weeks of studying.

El Jefe

[MilOps]

Thanks everybody for your advice. I have spent a fair amount of time cold calling ops departments seeking advice and get the impression that any form of formal training is a plus. The FAA License is probably the most sensible route as it appears to be highly regarded globally. I've sent off to all the schools recommended here for their glossies and will decide from there. At least I have an advantage in that being military the RAF gives me 7 weeks for training courses in my last 12 months of service and a few sheckles to put towards it too. See you all out there sometime.

[metru]

HI,

A new school opened last year in Dallas fort Worth. Called World Airline dispatch. try them out. They are giving diso****s at the moment and can do both the regular course and the short one if necessary.

I know the guys there and they are excellent instructors.

Metru

[Saddam 4 US Presidnt]

Milops

Further to your enquiry ref the FAA Dispatch School.

I personally would recommend the Airline Flight Dispatcher Training Center (AFDTC) at Hurst, Texas (KDFW).

http://www.airlinedispatcher.com/

I obtained my FAA Disp Lic their as well along wz El Jefe and Saiip.

The World Aircraft Dispatcher School not too sure about that particular school I think it is a new one recently opened - on the other hand the AFDTC is the most popular by far in the Dallas area.

As far as schools in Tucson - Heard they have a very poor pass mark and they give FAA Licences away easily without having to work for them.

Regards


Saddam 4 US Presidnt

[Rollin Goat]

Just wondering...... with so many Organizations offering Flight Dispatch courses, how do you know if the qualification they are offering is F.A.A. approved?? Could be a waste of a lot of time and money if it means nothing at the end of the day.

Does anyone know a good contact to verify such a course/company ??

I have seen a few advertised recently offering a Distance Learning Course over a year with a 6 day residency to finish off.

Any ideas?
Thanks:eek:

[Buzzz]

Hi,

If you want to verify a course / company then the best people to speak to would be the local FSDO office. The number for the DFW FSDO is +1 817 684 6700.

If you need further contact details for other FSDO offices you can search for them on the FAA website:

www.faa.gov

Hope that helps

Buzzz

[SAIIP]

http://www1.faa.gov/avr/afs/afs200/afs220/part65.htm

Most of the original founder like "AFDTC" & "Sheffield" are well known in the business. On the other hand if they are not certified you won't be able to take the exam.


Be careful with the Distance Learning, as the question with the FAA is how to prove your tuition hours without attending the course. And I would think carefully before taking the option, try to speak to the FAA to confirm beforehand.

Good luck :ok: