flight planner
 

sorry if this is the wrong thread but this is my first time posting here

anyway i want to ask if anyone knows the degrees/qualifications one needs to be a flight planner*, you know the people who actually create the flight plans (routes+weather)

*this may not be the correct name though

Hi First question is where do you want to be a flight planner(tech dispatch) In the USA you must be a FAA licensed Dispatcher and there are many several schools you can go to. They are all about six weeks of intense training. The rest of the world does not require a license but many companies are turning to people who have a license. A degree per say is not required anywhere, just the qualification. It is a plus if you can get the license and have a good knowledge and understanding of flying and how the airline you want to work for operates.
Will say this the license is not cheap for the short time it takes to get it, but the reward in the end when you finally get to sit in the dispatch seat is the best return.

thanks for the reply
i want to do it here in england. iam currently studying maths, physics and chemistry at 6th form and i have been looking for more info on this job. when you say license do you mean an atpl???

hi

the license i am talking about is the FAA certificate/ license. it is the same test as the atpl. Here in the uk we are not required to have a license, though companies are happy to see people with it then they know you have had training and an idea of what is going on.
now as for finding a company that will hire you. my suggestion is to a first start by working for an airline and work your way into the department. that is what i did. i started as a customer service agent in the us and moved my way up the system and made it into flight ops, learning as many areas of the company as possible along the way. Many of the larger companies hire from within. hope this helps

skyyblue

are you by any chance a flight planner yourself. if yes whats the job like. anymore info will be greatly appreciated. thanks for the replies

Others that don't require the Dispatching licence, will require at least a PPL if not CPL, and train you on the job

Have you thought about Business/ general aviation?

There are many small charter operators in the UK who offer on the job training. A ppl or knowledge of aviation is a distinct advantage, but no degree required!

The work tends to be more varied routes/ countries than if you were with a major airline.

Just a thought... :D

hi

yes i am a flight planner. I was a flight planner in the US for 5 yrs with a regional airline in the Washington dc area and then left to become a flight planner with a major airline here in the UK. I worked my way up the ladder with the major. I have been in the aviation world for 10yrs.
If your looking for schools or just more info about planners there are several sites. school site would be the school i went to and that's Sheffield in Florida. They have a Very good rep and a lot of carriers like Korean air, KLM, Delta and several other big names use to train their planners. www.sheffield.com.
you can also go to dispatcher.org it is a site that many dispatchers in the us use as guide tools. it has many other links to use.

I did this at BACX before my current ops role. It was aboslutely fantastic. I started off as an assistant straight out of GCSE level at school and progressed from there. The tactical re-routing is the most fun part...how much money can you save in slot times?!

matamisa

Where the advice you are getting here is sound, please take a minute (or 60) and read back over the posts regarding changes to European ops officer training (that covers flight planning). You may well do better considering the ICAO Flight Operations Officer/Flight Dispacther based qualification rather than the FAA Licence. The reason I say that is the FAA licence is based on the requirements of the US federal rules and although a very valuable qualifcation, the ICAO based course is more in line with European airline operations.

At present, as others have said, there is no requirement for a licence in the UK, but changes are afoot at a European level which is likely to lead to a formal accreditdation based, most likely, on the ICAO recommendations.

'I have a dream'
 

Nice one Bob; Just like Martin Luther King.....................Unfortunately, it's just not happening. Spent too long on your side of the fence wishing it would. Now,looking from the other side I understand why it wont...........(but, would be happy to be proved wrong;) )

Rgds
The Moss:ok:

Hello Ballymoss

Well, a licence I agree is someway off, but from what we are reading at ICAO and EASA level, an ICAO 7192 D3 based qualification or minimum training standard is moving closer. We of course know the issues at the airlines level, it needs clearly regulated and I do think that EASA may indeed move it forward.

All the best