Dispatcher?

[doorstep 46]

Can someone tell me what are the duties of a Dispatcher please?

 

I know they produce the flight plan with weather reports etc. but I regarded the job as 'sort after'?

 

Is it an unskilled job because it seems that the info they provide is easy to do, or have I got it wrong?

[aceridgey 330]

Can someone tell me what are the duties of a Dispatcher please?

 

I know they produce the flight plan with weather reports etc. but I regarded the job as 'sort after'?

 

Is it an unskilled job because it seems that the info they provide is easy to do, or have I got it wrong?

 

I have just got a job as a dispatcher here in the United Kingdom.

 

The role of dispatcher varies between company and country..

 

Over here, flight planning and the ground operations are two different things. Often in the States, a dispatcher will do the flight planning and updates to the routes.

 

Here, a dispatcher [or dispatching team] is basically responsible for the aircraft when engines are not running. They will organise the correct fuel, baggage and passenger loads, review the MTOW, ZFW etc. etc. and then finalise the figures with the pilots.

 

I definitely wouldn't class it as unskilled work.

Alex

[Ron Attwood 3,464]

Dispatcher? We don' need no steenkin' dispatcher! :lol:

[japascoe 98]

Per FAA rules a dispatcher is responsible for planning an aircraft's flight such that it meets all the legal requirements with respect to fuel reserves, legal alternates, ETOPS rules, etc. Although they have software to help them, these are not necessarily easy calculations and being a dispatcher is certainly not an unskilled job. It's not just a case of sticking different sheets of paper into a binder as the OP seems to think.

[doorstep 46]

. It's not just a case of sticking different sheets of paper into a binder as the OP seems to think.

I never said that. I was merely asking what is involved?

[japascoe 98]

I never said that. I was merely asking what is involved?

Sorry, I must have misread your post when you said that that the info they provide is easy to do.

[metalmike 34]

I wish I could explain it better, as I just officially became a licensed DX the other day, but I think this article gives a sufficient rundown.

 

http://www.avweb.com/news/careers/182995-1.html

 

 

[fencer 16]

I wish I could explain it better, as I just officially became a licensed DX the other day, but I think this article gives a sufficient rundown.

 

http://www.avweb.com/news/careers/182995-1.html

Thanks a lot, metalmike.

 

VERY interesting, educative article

 

Thanks again !

 

Rgds,

 

Bruno 

 

PS  (edit) : And many thanks to Alex (aceridgey) for emphasizing the difference between the US and UK meanings of the term dispatcher.

[Vulkan 2]

Are the dispatchers working only at the hubs? How do pilots get the loadsheets on a turnaround?

[metalmike 34]

They usually work at the company's main HQ. For example, United's is in Chicago, Delta in Atlanta, Alaska's in Seattle, Frontier in Denver, etc. I don't have any RW experience yet but I'm sure there's an agent, ground handling or someone wherever the aircraft is that gets the stuff electronically, then prints it and gives it to the pilot.

 

[Jeff Nielsen 1,385]

When I worked in dispatch for United Express in Fresno there were 2 types.  Flight Follower (no license required) for flights not requiring flight attendants; and Dispatcher (FAA licensed).  Not sure if flight follower is even used any more.  Dispatchers could jumpseat on aircraft also.

 

Today's dispatchers deal with numerous regulations these days when it comes to part 121 operations.  Dispatchers were often thought of as the people who actually ran the airline.  They had the most power in the airline.  We had the head of maintenance with an aircraft radio in the office, crew scheduling right next door, and god help the station manager who didn't report the in, out, and off times to me (AKA block time). 

 

And yes, they did have to file 'paper' after the flights.  Those records had to be kept.  Not sure how they do it today.  It's probably mostly computer driven, but it's a very long process before you even have to deal with ATC, before the crew arrives to get their 'airplane'.

[metalmike 34]

When I worked in dispatch for United Express in Fresno there were 2 types. Flight Follower (no license required) for flights not requiring flight attendants; and Dispatcher (FAA licensed). Not sure if flight follower is even used any more. Dispatchers could jumpseat on aircraft also.

 

Today's dispatchers deal with numerous regulations these days when it comes to part 121 operations. Dispatchers were often thought of as the people who actually ran the airline. They had the most power in the airline. We had the head of maintenance with an aircraft radio in the office, crew scheduling right next door, and god help the station manager who didn't report the in, out, and off times to me (AKA block time).

 

And yes, they did have to file 'paper' after the flights. Those records had to be kept. Not sure how they do it today. It's probably mostly computer driven, but it's a very long process before you even have to deal with ATC, before the crew arrives to get their 'airplane'.

How long ago was this? I thought United Express was made up of individual regionals?

[Jeff Nielsen 1,385]

How long ago was this? I thought United Express was made up of individual regionals?

This back in 88-89.  It was West Air (United Express) which later was bought by SkyWest.