Helping a friend prepare for dispatch school/career

[Berkut]

I have a friend who is interested in becoming a dispatcher. She will probably be attending Sheffield's six-week course sometime next year. She is 23, and has no aviation experience at all. I'm trying to help her prepare, but I'm a pilot/A&P, not a dispatcher, so I would like some suggestions.

I figure anything to do with weather and instrument flight is a safe bet, as well as prep for the knowlege test. How about basics such as flight instruments, engine instruments, nav instruments, the pitot-static system, airport signs, VFR charts, and so on? For example, she should know what a propeller does, but should she know how a prop governor works? Or what a beta tube does? How in-depth should some of this stuff go?


I realize anything I teach her will be beneficial, but I don't want to waste too much time on the less important stuff.

Any ideas?

 

[Berkut]

One more thing.

She doesn't have a degree. Will this put her at a significant disadvantage?

 

[405]

I have a friend who is interested in becoming a dispatcher. She will probably be attending Sheffield's six-week course sometime next year. She is 23, and has no aviation experience at all. I'm trying to help her prepare, but I'm a pilot/A&P, not a dispatcher, so I would like some suggestions.

I figure anything to do with weather and instrument flight is a safe bet, as well as prep for the knowlege test. How about basics such as flight instruments, engine instruments, nav instruments, the pitot-static system, airport signs, VFR charts, and so on? For example, she should know what a propeller does, but should she know how a prop governor works? Or what a beta tube does? How in-depth should some of this stuff go?


I realize anything I teach her will be beneficial, but I don't want to waste too much time on the less important stuff.

Any ideas?

She should get get the Aviation Weather Services book put out by NOAA and the FAA. That book should describe anything that'll be covered at Sheffield. It wouldn't hurt to break out some Jepp's either. Show her some approach plates, SID's, STAR's and enroute charts. Sheffield goes into detail on the how-to's. Being familiar with them beforehand helps out.

As far as aircraft systems, I wouldn't go into too much detail. She'll learn that at whatever airline she works for. Sheffield covers simple textbook aerodynamics and aircraft problems associated with weather, MEL's and CDL's.

Hope this helps.

 

[405]

One more thing.

She doesn't have a degree. Will this put her at a significant disadvantage?

Nope. She'll start out at a regional airline where a degree is preferred but not required more than likely.

I hope others contribute here though. There may be different stories out there.

 

[SKC]

Make sure her expectations are realistic. Like pilots, she shouldn't expect to walk in the door of a major and assume that she'll get hired with no experience. "Paying your dues" exists on this side of the flight release as well.

 

[shooter]

I have a friend who is interested in becoming a dispatcher. She will probably be attending Sheffield's six-week course sometime next year. She is 23, and has no aviation experience at all. I'm trying to help her prepare, but I'm a pilot/A&P, not a dispatcher, so I would like some suggestions.

I figure anything to do with weather and instrument flight is a safe bet, as well as prep for the knowlege test. How about basics such as flight instruments, engine instruments, nav instruments, the pitot-static system, airport signs, VFR charts, and so on? For example, she should know what a propeller does, but should she know how a prop governor works? Or what a beta tube does? How in-depth should some of this stuff go?


I realize anything I teach her will be beneficial, but I don't want to waste too much time on the less important stuff.

Any ideas?

I attended Sheffield and will say it's a GREAT school to learn about Dispatch. I found my private pilot skills to be helpful, but not necessary if you study and prepare. The FAA written are ATP questions, so your input will help her greatly.
Sheffield used the 727 to learn on when I was there, but do not spend too much time on instruments unless you want show how they will relate to flight planning. Such as VOR navigation (say you have no IRS or GPS) and service volumes of each. Approach plates, ILS minimums, airport TORA/TODA/LDA, alternate mins, how get them apply them with current NOTAMS. You can show her a VFR chart but stick to the IFR hi/lo charts with every symbol and information on the charts and plates. Published departures prefered routing as much about how ATC works as you can. ISA deviation, altimetry, standard atmosphere etc. airpace and RVSM.
weather weather weather if you can. radar summary, winds aloft (show her text and chart), Mb charts, AIRMETS/SIGMETS.
How to read an MEL/CDL and apply penalties.

If I can be of any help just let me know. But these are some of the things you need to know when you complete the course and pass the FAA written and oral. She will not learn how to Dispatch until she gets hired and learns the company dispatch system and aircraft. The schools teach the skills you need to do the job, but the job is learned at an airline. So tell her to not get too hung up on that part of it. They know what they are doing there at Sheffield, just follow their lead and she will be alright.

like I said before, I am willing help as much as I can. Just let me know.

 

[Berkut]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. She'll appreciate the headstart.

Shooter, do you have a syllabus or some kind of schedule that shows what they cover on a day-to-day basis?

 

[shooter]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. She'll appreciate the headstart.

Shooter, do you have a syllabus or some kind of schedule that shows what they cover on a day-to-day basis?

It has been many years, but I will see what I can dig up. I will PM you what I find.

 

[anasun2000]

I finished the course at Sheff very recently and would recommend reviewing the ATP review questions Sheffield has available on their website (I think the list has +/- 517 questions). As for a degree, I don't think it matters too much. I had some flight following experience and I think that was what helped me the most in my job hunt. I don't think the degree was a factor at all. Then again I'm at a small regional, so it might be different at a major.

 

[ss9e]

I finished the course at Sheff very recently and would recommend reviewing the ATP review questions Sheffield has available on their website (I think the list has +/- 517 questions). As for a degree, I don't think it matters too much. I had some flight following experience and I think that was what helped me the most in my job hunt. I don't think the degree was a factor at all. Then again I'm at a small regional, so it might be different at a major.

i don't have a degree and i got hired at a major. it's the experience that the majors are looking for.