With SimBrief and PFPX becoming quite popular as flight planning tools, I was wondering when the crews receive their dispatch releases.  Is it when they start their day, or are they done within an hour before flight.   

Usually after they've landed to compare what they did with what they should have done

Hi, usually flightplans (also referred to as OFPs or releases) are computed about an hour before the flight by the dispatcher. The time that the crew receives them can vary though.

 

If the crew is at the start of their day, they will normally print off the flight plan about an hour before departure when they arrive at the crew room. If the crew is on a short turn (arriving at the gate and staying onboard to operate a subsequent flight) sometimes the gate agent will print off the release and bring it down to the crew. Other times one of the pilots will get off and head to the crew room to print it off. In these cases they can receive the flight plan in as little as 30 minutes prior to departure (sometimes less on smaller aircraft).

Usually around one hour before departure time. 

 

jeff