I must vent about Dispatchers...

[Typhoon1244]

At my company, we're required to notify our dispatcher any time we enter an unexpected hold. (In routine Part 121 airline operations, is there such thing as expected holding?) That's fine, I have absolutely no problem with that.

The problem is that a long time ago, my airline determined exactly how many dispatchers they would need to operate efficiently, multiplied that number by 0.6, and then hired that many. The result? On days when the weather stinks and one of our hub airports gets shut down for half an hour (as happened tonight at DFW) I can't get through to our dispatcher due to radio/telephone congestion! By the time I finally get the guy on the horn, Center has cleared us to the airport and we're on our way. I heard one flight that had to divert without ever being able to talk to dispatch.

Now I'm not talking about safety here. With the knowledge and equipment at my disposal, I can handle a potential diversion without having my dispatcher hold my hand through the process. But it pis_es me off that my company has a required procedure that becomes unworkable during high-stress periods! (Nothing like taking one crewmember completely out of the loop to talk to flight control during a situation like this.)

Does anybody else have this problem? Or is it just my large, Atlanta-based Delta-connection carrier that deals with this?

 

[dispatchguy]

As a current 121 major dispatcher, I must respond.

First, its not your carriers dispatchers thats the problem, all they are doing is being buried. You work one flight at a time, but having been a regional dispatcher, and working at LEAST 65 flights in a 10-hour shift, you wanna see a high workload, its being the dispatcher with 10+ flights all going into a major hub, all being given holding instructions at the same time - your situational awareness decreases, stress level increases dramatically. Plus, I work with the same flight planning system that your airline uses, and its not the easiest, nor the fastest, nor the most user friendly system around (in fact, its the least of all those measurements). Mathematically accurate yes, but I'd rather have a root canal then deal with this system when it doesnt want to cooperate.

Also keep in mind that under 121, youre only released to your destination airport (and alternate), and that you cant deviate from that plan unless you either A) declare an emergency, or B) coordinate an amendment thru, you guessed it, your dispatcher. Since you fly under the 121 domestic rules, I assume, your dispatcher MUST be included in any new plan to deviate from the plan. Under 121 supplemental operations, the PIC and Director of Ops share the operational control responsibility, but under 121 flag and domestic its the PIC and the dispatcher JOINTLY.

The requirement to coordinate over a radio to dispatch when the weather tanks is stupid, considering that ACARS (when it works), is the best thing since sliced bread. But, if your airline is too cheap to install it and get it approved as a primary communications method, well then, a very crowded radio freq it is. As a dispatcher, its easier for me to type a quick bingo instruction (hold to xxx.x FOB then divert - curr wx is yadda yadda yadda) than read it over a congested freq, but until your management gets off its a$$ and installs acars, thats what you will have to do, or declare an emergency and do whatever you want.

I'm legally required to flight follow, and when you enter a hold over CQY or whereever, I have to know, so the downline stations dont think youre overdue and we have to grab the redbook, as well as update ETAs, and follow-on ETDs. Plus, if I had a fed over my shoulder (as occasionally we get desk checked as well by an unannounced fed), and you started doing something on your own, it could become LOIs for all of us!

If tonite was unworkable, and being on THIS side I know what you mean, then you need to get with your union flight safety committee and press management to get acars installed AND approved as a primary communications source (if its not already) -my airline deals with Atlanta Radio as a back-up comms system, and I'd rather use the email on my cell fone then ATL radio.

And no, few airlines (if any) ever bring in additional staff on the ops control side when the wx is forecasted to tank, as a dispatcher, I just strap in and hold on...

 

[Rvrrat]

general lack of proactivity

I agree with dispatchguy, generally dispatching is periods of routine business punctuated by moments of Oh S&#$. Followed directly by reaching for the excedrin once everyone is accounted for and plan e is taking place.

The powers to be in the outfits I've worked for always point to statistics that say the Oh S#*& moments do not occur often enough to justify an extra body even periodically. However, it sure would be nice. As an aside, I find it ironic that a major left coast telco beefs up its staff when the wx tanks & calls it just what it is; Storm Coverage.

 

[Groucho]

About Dispatchers

ACARS doesn't fix the problem. If the company overloads the dispatch dept. then they are just as busy acars or not.

I just send them a message with my intentions and advise them I will be leaving holding for x alternate at y time with z amount of fuel on board and if they want to stop me or suggest another course of action then they can respond. If they are to busy the acars has recorded my input and that's the end of the story.

 

[Typhoon1244]

Yes, my kingdom for ACARS!

I apologize if I sounded like I was being hard on dispatchers. They work their butts off. At my company, even during good times these guys (and gals, too) often get swamped.

If they'd just hire a few more...!

When in flight, we connect with our Flight Control Center (usually) via Delta Radio. Last night it got so bad that after being on hold for twenty minutes, the Delta operator cut us off, saying that she couldn't tie up the frequency any longer waiting for my company to pick up the phone. We relayed the holding information to the arrival station--DFW--but I don't know if they ever got hold of our dispatcher either. Probably not.

We did hear a message relayed to another flight from their dispatcher via DFW. The message was, "hold as long as you can, then divert wherever you want to."

It doesn't get much simpler than that!

 

[Viking]

First of all, I want to say that my hat is off to you dispatchers! Most of you do an outstanding job!

Secondly, I know a fellow that is a dispatcher for a 121 carrier and makes $10 an hour. In my opinion, this wage is totally unacceptable for the work and responsibility required of a certified dispatcher. You guys should seriously consider unionizing. Unlike pilots, "a dime a dozen", I can't imagine there being an over abundance of licensed dispatchers. In other words, dispatchers have the company they work for by the cajones!

 

[dispatchguy]

Most DX offices are union, however, most DX unions have nowhere near the strength of, nor the cajones, of say ALPA.

My office is union here in the desert.

 

[SSDD]

For the record, if you feel the need to use it, the word is COJONES.

 

[dispatchguy]

Thx - I stand corrected

Feliz navidad