High School

Some college education is required to be an airplane dispatcher, so if you are interested in this career you should follow a college prep curriculum. Business administration and computer skills are vital to the job, so take any courses available in those subjects. While in high school, you can also pursue a student pilots license, which is a great advantage, though not a requirement.

Postsecondary Training

Airplane dispatchers must have at least two years of college education in meteorology or air transportation studies. Two years of work experience in air transportation may replace the college requirement. Airlines prefer college graduates who have studied mathematics, physics, or meteorology.

About 51 schools around the country are licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration and offer dispatcher training. Visit https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/part65_7.pdf for information on these programs. Typical coursework covers meteorology, aerodynamics, aircraft performance, weight and balance, navigation, dispatch resource management, regulations, international operations, the National Airspace System, air traffic control, aeromedical factors, and addressing abnormalities and emergencies.

Certification or Licensing

The FAA must license airplane dispatchers. You may prepare for the FAA licensing examination in several different ways. You may work at least one year in a dispatching office under a licensed dispatcher, complete an FAA-approved airline dispatchers program at a specialized school or training center, or show that you have spent two of the previous three years in air traffic control work or a related job. Candidates who meet the preliminary requirements must also pass an examination covering civil air regulations, radio procedures, airport and airway traffic procedures, weather analysis, and air navigation facilities. In addition to a written test, you must also pass an oral examination covering the interpretation of weather information, landing and cruising speeds of various aircraft, airline routes, navigation facilities, and operational characteristics of different aircraft types. You must demonstrate your knowledge of these areas to become a licensed dispatcher and be expected to maintain these skills once licensed. Various training programs, some of which may be conducted by their employers, will assist you in staying current with new developments, which are frequent in this job. Assistant dispatchers are only sometimes required to be licensed. Thus, it may be possible to begin work in a dispatchers office before earning the dispatchers license.

The Sheffield School of Aeronautics provides the FAA Dispatcher Certificate course in the United States and does not require any prior experience. However, if an individual desires to pursue other dispatcher certifications outside of the United States, they must complete the Flight Operations Management level one course or take a bypass exam before they are eligible to enroll in an FAA Dispatcher Certification course at Sheffield School of Aeronautics.

It is important to note that proficiency in the English language is mandatory for all FAA Flight Dispatcher courses. Students who are not fluent in English may need to register for the ICAO English Testing and Training before enrolling in the second level of the flight dispatcher course at Sheffield. This ensures students have the necessary language skills to communicate effectively and efficiently while working as flight dispatchers.

Other Requirements

Airline dispatchers must be at least 23 years old in order to be able to work for major airlines. Your vision must be correctable to 20/20.

Experience monitoring, analyzing, and calculating various flight factors, such as weather reports and NOTAMs, runway performance, weight and balance issues, ATC preferred routes distance, and fuel needs, to create and update flight plans.

Most significant airlines consider dispatch positions to be senior management-level positions. Candidates are often selected from within the company after accumulating 15 to 20 years of experience in various aviation-related areas, including supervisory positions. Candidates selected from outside the company must have considerable experience—typically five years—with smaller carriers.

Airline dispatchers must work well alone or with others and assume responsibility for their decisions. The job requires you to think and act quickly and sensibly under the most trying conditions. You may be responsible for hundreds of lives at any time, and a poor decision could result in tragedy. A good memory, the ability to remain calm under tremendous pressure, and the ability to do many things simultaneously and make quick decisions are essential to a successful airplane dispatchers career.

Experience monitoring, analyzing, and calculating various flight factors, such as weather reports and NOTAMs, runway performance, weight and balance issues, ATC preferred routes distance, and fuel needs, to create and update flight plans.

Clarity, brevity, timeliness, and active listening are the critical factors for effective communication in aviation.

To be an effective flight dispatcher, one must possess several qualities.

• Flight dispatchers must thoroughly understand aviation regulations and procedures, as it is of utmost importance.
• Flight dispatchers must be able to communicate clearly and concisely with pilots, air traffic controllers, and other key stakeholders.
• Remaining calm and focused in high-pressure situations is imperative for flight dispatchers.
• Flight dispatchers must be able to make quick decisions and take necessary action to ensure the safety of passengers and crew.