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FAA dispatcher course -- good schools -- distance learning

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shon7

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2002
Posts
423
Can anyone suggest a good school for training for the FAA dispatcher certificate. Preferably one that offers distance learning.

Sheffield is the only one that seems to come up on the internet.
 
You have to basically be working as a dispatcher already in order to qualify for the distance course. The FAA has set strict restrictions on who can teach and who can attend the distance thingees.
 
I don't know what you are up with 1600 hrs of flying time but just go there for two weeks if you really want it, you have your commercial pilot certificate. Also, get your written out of the way before you get there.
 
deleted...........
 
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propsarebest said:
You have to basically be working as a dispatcher already in order to qualify for the distance course. The FAA has set strict restrictions on who can teach and who can attend the distance thingees.
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props,

Not to be rude as this is my first post on this board, but that is not entirely true. There are restrictions, but prior experience isn't one of them. I have ZERO experience and will be beginning Sheffield's Distance Learning course next month.

As RJAA stated, make sure to get the written over with about a month prior to attending the residency portion.

AGS (Airline Ground Schools) also has a distance program out of the Cinci area if I recall.
 
lwaldeck said:
props,

Not to be rude as this is my first post on this board, but that is not entirely true. There are restrictions, but prior experience isn't one of them. I have ZERO experience and will be beginning Sheffield's Distance Learning course next month.

As RJAA stated, make sure to get the written over with about a month prior to attending the residency portion.

AGS (Airline Ground Schools) also has a distance program out of the Cinci area if I recall.
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because you met the requirements of part 65...
 
ags

Again not to be rude to props but I did the AGS distance learning course (www.agschools.com) a year and a half ago and had no aviation experience whatsoever. Its all at your own pace and once you complete the independent study portion and the ADX written exam you attend a 1 week in class seminar. They offer these 1 week courses every other month I believe.

Some will tell you one school is better than the other and its probably true that you will learn more at Sheffield but I believe that once your work in dispatch for 3-6 monhts its all the same.

Because you have 1600 hours flying time I would recommend looking into AGS. Their ind study course consists of a private pilot written exam (which you already have so you skip that), the ATP written exam and 10 extremely easy open book 20 question quzzes. Then you go for the in class seminar when u are ready where they teach you the basics of dispatch and some applied applications and of course the manual flight plan.

I found that I spent way more time than most people in my class reading and studying the materials AGS sent to me and got a lot out of it because of how much I put into it. But people can easily get away with doing very little with that course and still pass the written and practical exam. (the owner of the school is the examiner). DX schools need an 80% practical exam pass rate to stay certified. Sounds like a conflict of interest to me.

For someone with no experience I would say Sheffield would teach you more (from what I hear) but for you, I would say consider AGS it could be cheaper and quicker and you will learn what you need to.

Just my two cents
 
I am a fellow AGS graduate and I would HIGHLY recommend that school. The instructors are top notch and I really enjoyed it. They even helped getting me placed at my current dispatching job. Just one thing, I did the 13 weekend course as I am local to the school.
 
Ohh Porterhouse said:
I am a fellow AGS graduate and I would HIGHLY recommend that school. The instructors are top notch and I really enjoyed it. They even helped getting me placed at my current dispatching job. Just one thing, I did the 13 weekend course as I am local to the school.
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CVG or MEM ??
 
Comair and I do enjoy it very much. How about you? Who signs your check?
 
Steve I? When did he work here? I cant think of him right off the top of my head.
 
:blush: oops..... Steve E. :blush:

I can't spell when I try the whole word much less trying to not type a whole name. I thought he was the Dispatch Manager there.
 
Ahhhh

shooter said:
:blush: oops..... Steve E. :blush:

I can't spell when I try the whole word much less trying to not type a whole name. I thought he was the Dispatch Manager there.
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Ahhh Steve E. Actually no and only recently. He went to work down at the ole ATL.

On a side note, how do you like things up at airborne?
 
Ohh Porterhouse said:
Ahhh Steve E. Actually no and only recently. He went to work down at the ole ATL.

On a side note, how do you like things up at airborne?
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so he went back to ATL. Delta I presume, good for him. We all should be so lucky.

ABX is...well...it's ABX. Things are kind of in the air now since we don't know if our main customer, DHL, will be using us in a few years. ACMI work is like the rope around the neck and you are dancing on the rail. One slip and your done for. I hope that our other work keeps filling our desks from all sides so we do not depend on only one source of work. Our ANA flying is doing well and should only get better as we expect to have I think 3 more 767's flying the Japan-China freight soon. With more South and Central America stuff we could get a nice piece of the pie. But that stuff is many many pay grades above lil ol me.

The pay could be better for the work we do and the beni's are good so I give it a C+ to B grade of employment. I hope it does no go down to the D or F range. And as we all know, it only takes 1 bad supervisor to take the office down for the company.
 
How much does dispatcher school cost with the distance learning?
 
shooter said:
so he went back to ATL. Delta I presume, good for him. We all should be so lucky.

ABX is...well...it's ABX. Things are kind of in the air now since we don't know if our main customer, DHL, will be using us in a few years. ACMI work is like the rope around the neck and you are dancing on the rail. One slip and your done for. I hope that our other work keeps filling our desks from all sides so we do not depend on only one source of work. Our ANA flying is doing well and should only get better as we expect to have I think 3 more 767's flying the Japan-China freight soon. With more South and Central America stuff we could get a nice piece of the pie. But that stuff is many many pay grades above lil ol me.

The pay could be better for the work we do and the beni's are good so I give it a C+ to B grade of employment. I hope it does no go down to the D or F range. And as we all know, it only takes 1 bad supervisor to take the office down for the company.
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Really, thats interesting. I wasn't aware that you actually had contract flying with other carriers. Thats cool. Pay can always be better no matter where you are. Not to say that I am complaining, but if you want better pay we can always look elsewhere I guess. Just takes the sacrafice of relocating which I dont know about you, but for me that would be really hard. We are very much planted right here in the NKY area. Plus I like the area and the job a lot. Just never understood why we are paid so differently compared to the majors. Last time I check we do the same job carrying the same people just smaller planes. That shouldn't make a difference in my eyes. You still have to know the knowledge and be able to use it correctly for each flight. Ok bitch session over.

How are your operating systems up at ABX? I heard the tech is a little "dated". Do you guys do a lot of manual prep or is your system automated.
 
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Ohh Porterhouse said:
Really, thats interesting. I wasn't aware that you actually had contract flying with other carriers. Thats cool. Pay can always be better no matter where you are. Not to say that I am complaining, but if you want better pay we can always look elsewhere I guess. Just takes the sacrafice of relocating which I dont know about you, but for me that would be really hard. We are very much planted right here in the NKY area. Plus I like the area and the job a lot. Just never understood why we are paid so differently compared to the majors. Last time I check we do the same job carrying the same people just smaller planes. That shouldn't make a difference in my eyes. You still have to know the knowledge and be able to use it correctly for each flight. Ok bitch session over.

How are your operating systems up at ABX? I heard the tech is a little "dated". Do you guys do a lot of manual prep or is your system automated.
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yes, ABX lags in the latest tech., to give you an example we are just now getting dual monitors and just got all flat screens earlier. That does not bother me so much. I would rather have a better paycheck than a fancy office. Our software is the real issue. We are still using Sabre which lacks in so many areas. Not that it's a bad system, but for an international planning system it really lacks in many areas. We have been looking at getting Lido for over a year and no decision has been made yet. I hope we do get it since we are going into many many more international flights.

So other than software our only real issue in the office is support from other departments and upper management. They really suck, but not because they don't know what they are doing but because they have no clue as to what we do. As a result we don't get the support or pay we need and deserve. It's like they put up with us because they have to rather than respect us. Maybe all the union talk will come to fruition and we will have someone make sure they understand our position. It's a shame because if they would only do what is right, we all would not be in that situation. Oh well, their actions are their choices. Kinda weird saying they made us do it, but it's true. Equal pay is a HUGE conflict in the office. That would be the first thing fixed, so pass out the cards! ;)

Maybe we gan get a Comair/ABX Dispatch golf match going. Maybe a best ball match? I suck at it, but it's still a good time. Losers buy the winners a round of cold beers.
 
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shooter said:
Maybe we gan get a Comair/ABX Dispatch golf match going. Maybe a best ball match? I suck at it, but it's still a good time. Losers buy the winners a round of cold beers.
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Uh oh, ABX throwing out a challenge! Now thats what I'm talking about. We should find a course NE side of Cincinnati somewhere. I am sure we could round up a few golfers here to play. I love to golf. Not to say that I am very good but I try to get out and play a few times a month. It's always fun to get out and hack away on the course. BRING IT ON! :)
 
Ohh Porterhouse said:
Uh oh, ABX throwing out a challenge! Now thats what I'm talking about. We should find a course NE side of Cincinnati somewhere. I am sure we could round up a few golfers here to play. I love to golf. Not to say that I am very good but I try to get out and play a few times a month. It's always fun to get out and hack away on the course. BRING IT ON! :)
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:D yeah, we have an ex-Comair Dispatcher and he told us you guys love to play golf. I'm sure we will get smoked, but a beer sure sounds tasty even if I have to buy them.
 
?

shooter said:
:D yeah, we have an ex-Comair Dispatcher and he told us you guys love to play golf. I'm sure we will get smoked, but a beer sure sounds tasty even if I have to buy them.
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Who do you have up there who is an ex comair dispatcher? I thought he left and went elsewhere. Anyway, don't be so sure you will be buying the beer though. We are all a bunch of weekend (or for me weekday) hackers. We have just a good a chance of buying the beer as you do :)
 

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