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Dispatch/Ops Qualifications

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Old 3rd Jul 2008, 11:34
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flight dispatch officer

Hi John!
take a glance on it Aircraft dispatcher training airline flight dispatch trainers Sheffield school aeronautics if you're longing to be a dispatcher.
I'm an FDO since 2003, and after 5 years my boss has decided to give me a chance to go to...I will join them in october,hopefully, and for 6 weeks I'll stay there for a FAA licence course.
Look on their site...there are a lot of threads(from many many guys who tryed it) regarding everything you have to do to reach the course. Fees,tutition,homes,books,endurance,programs ecc...
But be aware ..there are some other courses that you can try. This is not the only chance to try for...
Stay tuned
OCNL
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Old 3rd Jul 2008, 12:41
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johncun47

You may already know the difference; but for clarity- our European use of the term 'flight dispatcher' more often then not, refers to 'ramp dispacthers' or 'red cap's' as they were once know. The US 'Aircraft Dispacther' is a completely difference job with joint responsibility with the Captain for the pre-flight planning and flight following of a flight.

Good advice from OCNL EMBD as Sheffield does come recommended by all I have spoken to who have been there. You might also have a look at the IFALDA website which is an Aircraft Dispatchers organisation IFALDA Home Page.

An afterthought johncun47; you might wish to claim relevant expereince on the back of your RAF career, think about ensuring you have plenty of RAF papers with descriptions of your expereince. The dispatcher expereince requires are pasted below.

FAR Sec. 65.55 Knowledge requirements.

(a) A person who applies for an Aircraft Dispatcher certificate must pass a knowledge test on the following:

(1) Federal Aviation Regulations that relate to Airline Transport Pilot privileges, limitations, flight operations (ops);
(2) Meteorology, including knowledge of fronts, clouds, icing, & upper air data;
(3) General system of weather & NOTAM collection, dissemination, interpretation, & use;
(4) Interpretation & use of weather charts, maps, forecasts, sequence reports, abbreviations, & symbols;
(5) National Weather Service functions as they pertain to ops in the National Airspace System;
(6) Wind shear & microburst awareness, identification, & avoidance;
(7) Principles of air navigation under instrument meteorology conditions in the National Airspace System;
(8) Air Traffic Control procedures & pilot responsibilities as they relate to enroute ops, terminal area & radar ops, & instrument departure & approach procedures;
(9) Aircraft loading; weight & balance; use of charts, graphs, tables, formulas, & computations on aircraft performance;
(10) Aerodynamics relating to an aircraft's flight characteristics & performance in normal & abnormal flight regimes.
(11) Human Factors;
(12) Aeronautical Decision-making & judgment;
(13) Crew Resource Management, including crew communication & coordination;

(b) The applicant must present documentary evidence satisfactory to the Examiner of having passed an Aircraft Dispatcher knowledge test within the preceding 24 calendar month

Sec. 65.57 Experience requirements.

An applicant for an Aircraft Dispatcher certificate must present documentary evidence satisfactory to the Examiner that he has the experience prescribed in par (a) of this section or accomplished the training prescribed in par (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 1 of, or combination of:

(1) In military aircraft ops as a--
(i) Pilot;
(ii) Flight navigator;
(iii) Meteorologist.
(2) In aircraft ops conducted under Part 121 as--
(i) An assistant in dispatching air carrier aircraft, under the direct supervision of a certificated Dispatcher;
(ii) A pilot;
(iii) A flight engineer;
(iv) A meteorologist.
(3) In aircraft ops as--
(i) An Air Traffic Controller; or
(ii) A Flight Service Station Specialist.
(4) In aircraft ops, performing other duties that the Examiner finds provides equivalent experience. You might get credit here
(b) A statement of graduation issued or revalidated under 65.70 showing that he has successfully
completed an approved Aircraft Dispatcher course.

Sec. 65.59 Skill requirements.

An applicant for an Aircraft Dispatcher certificate must pass a practical test given by an Examiner, with respect to any 1 type of large aircraft used in air carrier ops. The practical test must be based on the Aircraft Dispatcher Practical Test Standards on items in App A of this part.
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Old 3rd Jul 2008, 13:18
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..............I've got one of those............
Anybody want to give me a job so I can use it.

..............very cheap.........honest.......
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Old 4th Jul 2008, 00:17
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just to highlight

no sig
i'm fully agree with you concerned the accuracy of icao modules.
European fdo has another way of look at his job.
Italians thought that faa licence is the best thing on the aeronautical panorama...I don't think so... It helps us to adjust our curriculum only and to add on a bit of value on it, but that's all. some companies use to send their guys in USA to earn experience on their playground...and some other use to do on the job training, following skemes and skills, doing some tests
It's a long way to be the same. taking from 1 to 3 years to be released as dispatch officer "combat ready".
Actually, Italian CAA (ENAC),requires that for any dispatcher fully released,
His companie gives him an internal licence based upon his personal sillabus collected during the basical training and for any type of aircraft he/she goes to dispatch(pre-planning phase, flightwatch,normal/non-normal ops.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE THAT IN THE FUTURE EASA WILL FULLY RECOGNIZE OUR JOB AND ITS IMPORTANCE?
john:
if you look into your big own experience into RAF...if i were you i'd rather be in a cargo company... i think that fedex guys and stuff like that, may can learn how to load a big canister there are so many companies that need experienced people.
by the way if you wanna be a dispatcher...let it flow in that way.
It is a good job anyway, even if stressfull somedays. It's a part of the game to be in an airline company

Happy plannings
OCNL
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Old 4th Jul 2008, 07:54
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OCNL EMBD

EASA, at least at my last reading, have rejected any idea of a requirement for a FDO license along the lines of the FAA, but there are looking at alternatvies, such as requiring a 'qualification' for FOO/FDO to ICAO Doc 7192.

johncun47

Again OCNL comes up with a good idea re the cargo airlines, but even if you go back into loadmaster/loadcontrol type work- having the FAA dispatcher certificate under your belt is very good and might give you an advantage over others in the job search.
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Old 5th Jul 2008, 12:55
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Dispatching in the USA.. by a US dispatcher

Hey folks,

I have read this thread, and much of what has been said is pretty accurate. I am a licenced FAA dispatcher and pilot here and I thought I would shead some light on the subject.

The school you mentioned is know as the oldest dispatch school in the US, they have a good reputation, but they have a high failure rate due to the intensity of the 6 week training period.. Over here, the airlines really dont care where one gets the license, all schools here are part 65 certified by the FAA and approved to teach the exact same material.. the method of teaching is the only difference.
In the end, once hired by an airline, they are REQUIRED by the FAA regs to put each new hire though their own training program pertaining to their own specific operations specifcations, commonly referred here to as (OPS SPECS) and to their aircraft types.

We do share operational control with the PIC and bear a hugh responsibility for the safety of the overall flight and we feel strongly that we contribute greatly to the avoidance of accidents and company profits through our flight planning and weather/ aircraft knowledge.

As for our jobs future here.. well the economy here is in the crapper.. the worse In have seen it in many years, layoffs are to happen this year, some airlines may not make it at all.. I have to tell you many of us here in the US are looking to convert and move to other countries to dispatch or other airline work.. we dont see our industry here recovering from this oil problem anytime soon.. Over here seniority is EVERYTHING, so we would have recall rights before any new hires, with that, I would hate to see anyone come over here from overseas expecting to find a dispatch job with all the senior people here on a waiting recall list, you will have a very long wait.. years possibly!
As for getting a job with UPS/FED EX or mainline airlines.. forget it.. vertually all of us here are/have been trying to do the same, these companies only hire highly experienced (8 to 12) years dispatchers and only with internal recommendations.. very tuff.. infact near impossible... they have hard no turnover as they are the best places to work.

I hate to paint a dismal picture on this matter, but I felt it was important to give you all the "real" facts in the US.. ALL the dispatch schools will tell you or paint a rosey picture.. but they have to now don't they.. otherwise they would not be able to keep their door open.. I teach dispatching as well, I have a classroom available, I can help you get the same license that any school can teach you.. But I NOT going to sit here in Florida and blow shunshine up your butts.. It's not a pretty picture here..

I'll be glad to help anyone with more questions.. Good luck in your quests..
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Old 6th Jul 2008, 09:55
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Many Thanks

No Sig, That is all very useful, thank you for taking time to reply. I will have a look at Sheffield and the other websites you suggest now.
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Old 8th Jul 2008, 02:59
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FAA dispatch license/ US jobs

Well said. I am currently as a area ops mgr in Asia for a US carrier (on contract). I would probably not have gotten the job without the license as the carrier flies under N reg and that way we have to comply with local CAA regulations of every single country, as well as with FAR's and ICAO regs.

I think it was mentioned already in this thread, that the US is one of the only countries in the world where the license is a legal requirement, while many other countries have similar trainings (Germany, England, Canada, Australia), which are based on recommendations (welcome to ICAO, half of the chapters are recommendations in order to cater airlines globally).

It is getting harder and harder to penetrate the HR systems of mega carriers. Better chances are within the exploding business jet segment.
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Old 9th Jul 2008, 00:50
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many other countries have similar trainings (Germany, England, Canada, Australia)
Just for info - not Australia - some of the few airlines here who actually have dispatch are living in the dark ages. They pretty much do what they want, and is it not uncommon to find managers who have no idea of the significance of the role(s) the dispatcher plays. (By dispatcher, let me reiterate we are talking principally about flight planning.)

Australia is way behind in comparison to Europe and Canada, although there has been talk of creating and putting standards in place along the lines of the ICAO recommendations for some years now. Until all the holes line up and something dangerous or serious happens, nothing will happen, if you know what I mean. (Mind you, do you consider planning and dispatching a flight on months old TAFs and NOTAMs serious? It has happened. That's ignorance, negligence, poor training, poor staffing and lack of supervision for you.)

On another side of dispatch, I wonder, with the price of fuel nowadays, whether airlines might wake up and stop treating their dispatchers like cr@p and realise they can save huge $$$ if they properly select, train and renumerate their dispatchers, let alone staff their sections properly. I suspect there are some "managers", for want of a better word, who have no idea how much a good dispatcher can save them if given the time to flight plan properly.

Oops, I've gone off topic...

And on the subject of the FAA Dispatcher's license, I agree that generally it is the most recognised license globally and based on what I have heard about Sheffield, they seem like a good outfit.

If you like to crunch numbers and analyse weather and want a job where every day is different and you thrive on challenges, I'd go for it johncun47 especially since you are going to the USA where it is a profession that is held in some regard.

Last edited by silversaab; 9th Jul 2008 at 09:34.
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Old 10th Jul 2008, 05:23
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Dispatcher Course

Hi,
could you help me out in any institutions that conducts FAA courses, along with fees if you know.
Im working in AUH Airport as Load Controller. Cheers
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Old 10th Jul 2008, 06:56
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hi
Nearest insti u can find is EAC.;Emirates Aviation College in Gharhoud,DXB.
Do a google or call them.
Good Luck!
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Old 15th Jul 2008, 20:50
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Hi Would anyone know if completing a course in Dispatch/turnround coordinator ie completing manual load sheet, supervising the turnround AAA ect, i know the AAA course is manditory but not sure about the rest. Would seem strange if not, if there were to be an incident and the load sheet was signed off by the dispatcher ( all be it the Captain would be signing it off after ) would there be any negligence ???
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Old 16th Jul 2008, 06:02
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Dispatch training

I heard there is a training school opening in SA as well anyone got more news on it?
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Old 17th Jul 2008, 18:42
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Hello to you "no sig" thanks for taking the time to respond with all that info, it is very useful. I am continuing to look into getting the FAA recognised Flight Despatchers licence and will look at the various schools, i have also taken on board what others have said about high failure rates due to the intensity of the course. Therefore is there any pre- study course that can be undertaken prior to going to the school that you or indeed anyone else is aware of? This may include self study, previous exam papers etc etc.... What is your history and where/how did you get involved in despatch?
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Old 18th Jul 2008, 02:38
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hi there,

just been reading through this thread, well look for Gleims ATP prep test book 2008 for pratice and to study prior to class. the ATP book are used for all FAA dispatcher or ATP pilots test. dispatch test with FAA cover the some topic and is known as ADX.

this will prepare you for the FAA exam prior to your FAA oral and pratical exam. many schools conduct such programes, such as jeppesen, or IFOD...

cheers
great way to fly...
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Old 18th Jul 2008, 06:36
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grteat attribute theses days in uk aviation is arse liking
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Old 29th Jul 2008, 02:52
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Hi guys,

This is my first post on this forum. Thanks for all the interesting replies so far. I did the first part of the Jeppesen FOM course (FOM 1) in Frankfurt, Germany last year. I didn't have the time nor money to do the full course then.

I currently work as a Dispatcher for a business jet operator and have gained a huge amount of experience and knowledge over the past year. I feel I am now ready to do the rest of the course to get my Dispatcher Licence and am looking at the options.

One option would be to go back to Frankfurt and join FOM 2. But I would prefer to go to the US and get an FAA licence. I am thinking of going to Jeppesen in Denver. Does this facility offer a high-quality course or would it be better to attend another facility somewhere else?

Also, what are the chances like to be accepted for the 2-week, abbreviated course? (the experience substitution programme) I received an email from Jeppesen in which they say that they will do an oral exam through the phone to test the level of knowledge. Anyone any experience with this?

Looking forward to your answers!
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Old 3rd Aug 2008, 21:36
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Angel Dispatch qualification

"A licence is only required in the USA, Canada and some countries in the Gulf" Wrong!
Many European countries have a State qualification (licence) for dispatchers... Germany, Switzerland, Scandinavian countries...exceptions are France, UK, Ireland and a few others
Many Far East, Latin America and South American have State licences for dispatchers.
ICAO Document 7192 is the only official syllabus for the Flight Operations Officer/
Aircraft Dispatcher.
Aircraft Dispatcher and Flight Operations Officer (FOO) refer to the same profession. The term FOO is used in most European countries.
For more information, go to the IFALDA web page at IFALDA.org, IFALDA.com or the EUFALDA web page.
Better still, why not join IFALDA or EUFALDA.
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