The Role of the Aircraft Dispatcher
The profession of Aircraft
Dispatcher is often the most
misunderstood profession in
aviation. A dispatcher is neither
an Air Traffic Controller
nor a Ramp Control agent.
This article sheds light on the
vital role of the aircraft dispatcher.
A person taking a trip on
an airliner is used to the familiar
scenes of the airport.
The passenger is greeted by a
ticket agent who checks a bag,
tags it, and puts on a moving
belt. Somewhere in the innards
of the terminal, baggage
handlers heft those bags
onto a baggage cart, and a
ramp worker drives a “train”
of baggage carts to a waiting
airplane. Our passenger
checks in, moves past the security
checkpoint, and waits
by the gate for the agent to
board the flight. Outside, the
ramp is bustling with activity.
From the terminal windows,
the passenger can see that the
airplane is being fueled, a mechanic
is changing the nosewheel
landing light bulb, and
ramp workers are busy loading
bags onto a motorized,
inclined belt that feeds the
belly of the airplane. The crew
shows up, in their smart uniforms,
and proceed down the
jetbridge to prepare the airplane
for flight. In a few minutes,
it is time to board, and
our passenger settles in for
a safe relaxing flight and the
excitement of another adventure.
What is not visible to the
average traveler is the important
behind the scenes action.
How much fuel, exactly, is being
put on board the airplane?
How are all those baggage and
cargo containers arranged?
Does it matter in what order
they are loaded? What is the
weather at our destination?
Was it necessary to change out
the landing light right now?
How is the Captain so sure
that our flight to Miami today
will last exactly “two hours
and seventeen minutes at
38,000 feet”? Last week it took
me only an hour and 57 minutes
at 41,000 feet on the way
up. How does anyone know
this anyway?
All this figuring is the job
of the Aircraft Dispatcher, the
heart of an airline operation.
He or she has Operational
Control of an airline flight,
which means the dispatcher
oversees planning, authorizing
(dispatching), delaying,
or cancelling a flight. The dispatcher
shares responsibility
of the safety of the flight with
the Captain, the Pilot in Command
AIRPORT V 26 OICE, JANUARY 2021
(PIC). The dispatcher
is the Co-Captain, the Air
Boss on the ground. The dispatch
office is known by many
names, Dispatch, Network Operations
Control (NOC), System
Operations Control (SOC),
Flight Control, and in the case
of NASA, Mission Control.
Much attention is paid to the
pilots and flight attendants,
but the real hero of airline operations
is the quarterback of
this whole team effort, the aircraft
dispatcher.
The dispatch profession
came into being in 1938 in
response to the horrendous
accident rate of our nation’s
fledgling airlines. The Civil
Aeronautics Board (CAB)
saw fit to require airmail
and passenger flights to be
aided by a professional on
the ground, like the railroads
did. Someone who could
keep track of the flights, and
who would have access to
weather and technical information
(Krause, n.d.). The
Dispatcher could so help the
Captain negotiate his or her
way through weather or deal
with an inflight emergency.
The Dispatcher today is considered
a vital member of the
crew and the most important
resource for the flight crew.
The Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) requires that
the Dispatcher exercise Operational
Control and share
the authority and responsibility
with the airline Captain.
It is the Dispatcher’s job to
create the flight plan for every
airline flight. Flight planning
includes analyzing the
weather at the departure airport
and destination. In case
of inclement weather at the
destination, the dispatcher
pre-plans an alternate airport
and calculates the fuel to
get there. The Dispatcher also
accurately calculates weight
and balance and is certain
that the airliner will have
sufficient runway to land and
stop safely in snow-covered
LaGuardia airport, because
he or she calculated all this
beforehand. The Dispatch
team maintains control of all
the flights and is in constant
contact with the PIC of each
of his or her aircraft by way
of radio, satellite communications,
or a form of aviation
texting called Aircraft Communication
Addressing and
Reporting System (ACARS).
To earn this privilege, a Dispatcher
must pass stringent
training and testing requirements
very much like those
of the airline Captain. A dispatcher
is an airline employee,
and like all airline
employees, enjoys free pass
privileges. However, a dispatcher
may ride the “jumpseat”,
not just on his or her
own airline, but on the competitor’s
airline as well, and
is at the front of the non-revenue
line, regardless of how
long the “standby list” is. Dispatchers
have priority when
it comes to riding the jumpseat,
as an extra Captain is
always welcomed on the flight
deck of any airliner.
Industry leaders Boeing
and Airbus predict that the
demand for pilots, mechanics,
dispatchers and airline
personnel will pick up rapidly.
In the USA alone, the forecast
numbers are for 569,000 pilots
and technicians. Worldwide,
that number is 2,069,000
in commercial airlines and
319,000 in corporate aviation.
The demand for aviation professionals
is increased, due
to a worldwide rise in affluence.
Compounding this demand
is the large number of
experienced professionals
reaching retirement age. The
current slowdown due to the
Coronavirus is temporary
and represents economic cycles
common in our economic
environment and reflected in
the airline industry. Like the
industry after 9/11/2001 and
he Great Recession of 2007-
2008, the airline industry has
always bounced back to robust
demand. The current stand
down brought on by the COVID
19 pandemic presents an
opportunity to use your time
productively and be prepared
to meet the market for dispatchers
when the economy
comes roaring back to life as it
will certainly do!
There are two ways to earn
an Aircraft Dispatchers Certificate.
Those with prior ry
experience as flight followers,
Air Traffic Control, or
crewmembers (military or
civilian) may take the tests
outright. For the rest of us,
an FAA-approved Dispatcher
Certification course (Code of
Federal Regulations 65.57) is
the way to go. Aviation is a living,
breathing, and constantly
evolving profession, full of opportunities
for those who are
willing to go for it. Aviation
is in our blood and becoming
and Aircraft Dispatcher is an
opportunity to line up your career
to take off!
Frequently Asked
Questions
1. What are the requirements
to earn a dispatcher license?
To take the class, a person
must be 21 years of age.
To earn an Aircraft Dispatcher
certificate, a person must be
23 years of age, and speak,
read and understand the English
language.
2. What are the requirements
to take the course? A
high school diploma is not required,
but to be competitive
for any dispatch jobs, a high
school diploma (or GED) is required.
A college degree only
adds to your competitiveness.
3. Is this an Accredited
Course? The FAA Aircraft Dispatcher
Certificate is issued by
the Government of the United
States under the Authority of
the Federal Aviation Administration.
It carries the same
authority and privilege as any
other FAA airman certificate,
such as a pilot’s license. The
dispatcher training is usually
not accredited unless affiliated
with an established college or
university.
4. How much does a Dispatcher
earn? The salary of
a Dispatcher varies by airline
and by level of experience. Entry
level dispatchers may earn
$42,000 to $60,000 at the
regional airlines. Dispatchers
for major airlines make in excess
of $150,000 base salary.
(Source: Avjobs.com)
5. Are there online classes
offered? Aircraft Dispatch is a
very demanding, precise profession.
Interaction with your
willing mentors and facilitators
at GATA is the best way
to master the material. Some
training providers offer online
options.
6. I already have my Private
and/or Instrument Ratings.
Does this qualify me for
a discount? The pilot certificates
will certainly help you in
mastering the course, as you
already have mastered these
aspects of aviation. Having a
dispatcher license will help you
as you further your aviation
career towards your instructor,
and airline pilot training!
7. What aviation experience
may I credit toward my
Dispatcher Rating? The Code
of Federal Regulations (14 CFR
65.57) specifies the following
requirements:
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.
8. Where can I find training
near me?
Global Aviation Training
Academy is conveniently located
at the Islip airport, withing
walking distance to the
LIRR Ronkonkoma station.
Our instructor staff have over
20 years of professional airline
dispatch and pilot operations.
For more information,
visit www.globalaviationtrainingacademy.
com or call
/www.globalaviationtrain-ingacademy.com
/www.globalaviationtrain-ingacademy.com
/www.globalaviationtrain-ingacademy.com
/Avjobs.com
