Tough choice : FI or Flight dispatcher ?
Join Date: Jul 2005
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Do the instructing, you gain hours and experience. Don't mess around doing a ground job on the premise of being offered a flying position. I've seen too many guys hang around for jobs that never materialise.
Join Date: Mar 2006
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heres my advice:
IF YOU HAVE THE PASSION DO THE FLYING JOB!!!!
Flight dispatchers are 'ground airline captain' positions, they do not fly and its ground duties. Yes FD (license holders) in major airlines are getting good basic pay comparable towards FOd basic pay, but why waste your effort of gaining your flying license? unless your going towards airline operational managment level?
I have my FAA flight dispatch license after obtaining my fATPL years back, but i told it for a backup and i just pratically did the written and pratical exams over a 1 week period in Dallas. Thats just for me to display it on my resume if i would to change airlines to work with.
Go do the flying job, gain the experience and hours then you move on from there... FD positions are always open to pple whom got flying experiences thats always a backup job for any pilots who has lose their liences....
Cheers!
Great Way to Fly!
IF YOU HAVE THE PASSION DO THE FLYING JOB!!!!
Flight dispatchers are 'ground airline captain' positions, they do not fly and its ground duties. Yes FD (license holders) in major airlines are getting good basic pay comparable towards FOd basic pay, but why waste your effort of gaining your flying license? unless your going towards airline operational managment level?
I have my FAA flight dispatch license after obtaining my fATPL years back, but i told it for a backup and i just pratically did the written and pratical exams over a 1 week period in Dallas. Thats just for me to display it on my resume if i would to change airlines to work with.
Go do the flying job, gain the experience and hours then you move on from there... FD positions are always open to pple whom got flying experiences thats always a backup job for any pilots who has lose their liences....
Cheers!
Great Way to Fly!
Join Date: Mar 1999
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I wouldn't take the dispatch job, unless the corporate company actually writes in your employment contract, a specific promise of a FO position after a certain length of time working as a flight dispatcher.
The only thing that matters in this business, is hours in the logbook and money in the bank. Anything else, is hot air and bullsh!t and empty promises.
The only thing that matters in this business, is hours in the logbook and money in the bank. Anything else, is hot air and bullsh!t and empty promises.
Join Date: May 2007
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Speaking from experience, take the FI route. I was a dispatcher for two years and it hasn't helped me in anyway! I now instruct part-time and the hours are clocking up fast, but only do the FIC if you're willing to put in 100% don't forget you have a paying customer to teach, it's hard work!
Fireboy
Fireboy
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I would say fly. You could do both. Be a full time despatcher and instruct on your days off.
A cautionary tale: I worked in Operations for an airline. There were several pilots working there and they would sometimes get an interview and sim check. I was well in with the Chief pilot and well regarded by everyone. It all looked good. I was already imagining myself in the right seat of one of their jets. Meanwhile I started my FI training.
But there was a restructuring and I was out along with many others. No job no money, no Instructors course either. A huge setback.
Get the Instructors course done.
A cautionary tale: I worked in Operations for an airline. There were several pilots working there and they would sometimes get an interview and sim check. I was well in with the Chief pilot and well regarded by everyone. It all looked good. I was already imagining myself in the right seat of one of their jets. Meanwhile I started my FI training.
But there was a restructuring and I was out along with many others. No job no money, no Instructors course either. A huge setback.
Get the Instructors course done.
Join Date: Mar 2007
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Done both...
I got a C-Cat instructor ratng in NZ end of 2003, did enough instructing to get out of direct supervision by the following March. Unfortunately there was no work available so ended up with a job in flight operations a few months later. I managed to find a part-time instructing job a few months into the op's job which only got me about 100 hours a years, just enough to keep current.
Flight op's was good fun, learnt alot, met some interesting people and made good contacts. I did the job for almost 4 years and left recently because it was becoming very boring and there was no flying job in sight. So, I went back to instructing full-time and now have over 1200 hours total time and about 800 instructing.
I wouldn't recommend it if you want to be a pilot. It can be a dead-end job.
My 2 cents worth anyway
Flight op's was good fun, learnt alot, met some interesting people and made good contacts. I did the job for almost 4 years and left recently because it was becoming very boring and there was no flying job in sight. So, I went back to instructing full-time and now have over 1200 hours total time and about 800 instructing.
I wouldn't recommend it if you want to be a pilot. It can be a dead-end job.
My 2 cents worth anyway
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In your position I would do both.
Those on this thread who advocate going FI only have obviously never worked as a Flight Dispatcher and experienced all the airline contacts one can make this way. I can testify that when it comes to getting the elusive interviews, it's simply priceless. I applied to a number of outfits for ages with no results (not even an acknowledgement) - but when I started passing CVs to crews on turnarounds, hey pronto! I got invited to interviews within weeks. As in many other businesses, it's not (only) what you know, but who you know. Incidentally, you will also learn lots of useful stuff in ops/ground handling. Most large handling companies (Servisair, Aviance, Swissport, Menzies, etc.) will be happy to have you as a Flight Dispatcher, even part-time. That's for the airline exposure.
Then, by all means, do work as an part-time FI to build up your hours and keep current. Likewise, a number of flight schools/aeroclubs will be only too happy to have even a part-time FI.
That way, with careful planning, you can get the best of both worlds. A couple of my friends did exactly that, and they didn't have to wait long for the call, and the interviewers were impressed by the "can do" attitude.
Cheers
Those on this thread who advocate going FI only have obviously never worked as a Flight Dispatcher and experienced all the airline contacts one can make this way. I can testify that when it comes to getting the elusive interviews, it's simply priceless. I applied to a number of outfits for ages with no results (not even an acknowledgement) - but when I started passing CVs to crews on turnarounds, hey pronto! I got invited to interviews within weeks. As in many other businesses, it's not (only) what you know, but who you know. Incidentally, you will also learn lots of useful stuff in ops/ground handling. Most large handling companies (Servisair, Aviance, Swissport, Menzies, etc.) will be happy to have you as a Flight Dispatcher, even part-time. That's for the airline exposure.
Then, by all means, do work as an part-time FI to build up your hours and keep current. Likewise, a number of flight schools/aeroclubs will be only too happy to have even a part-time FI.
That way, with careful planning, you can get the best of both worlds. A couple of my friends did exactly that, and they didn't have to wait long for the call, and the interviewers were impressed by the "can do" attitude.
Cheers
