Possibly Switching Careers and Interested in Dispatch Advice

[Dilligaff]

Duckbilled,

I've been in aviation for almost 20 years now and I spent 5 of those years as a dispatcher. My advice to you is find a lucrative job that offers a good quality of life and quench your passion for aviation by getting your ppl and going to as many airshows as you can. The advice that everyone has given here about dispatching is pretty much spot on.

Dilligaff

 

[Gert_B_Frob]

I would advise against it, especially in SE MI as there are not many good options.

MIOA was a decent education, but they will tell you what you want to hear just to get your $$$.

I'm ready to go back to school just to get out.

 

[hoover]

My advice to you is find a lucrative job that offers a good quality of life and quench your passion for aviation by getting your ppl and going to as many airshows as you can.

This piece of advice should be passed on to anyone who who is considering a career in aviation.

 

[dispatchguy]

A friend of mine (who is still stuck to a desk working ops) asked me to comment.

Stay as far away as possible. I am a former Dispatcher, Dispatch Trainer, ground school instructor for both pilots and DX, Check Dispatcher, Bornemann/SABRE Eagle Key User, Operations Controller, crew babysitter, crew scheduling babysitter, stupid gate agent babysitter; I think that is all.

When the fit hits the shan, like nearly anyday in ORD with a wind or a cloud around, you'll be severely overworked and on any day grossly underpaid. For all of those functions I delineated up there, I was paid a whopping 14.28 an hour. Wow! Can I afford the cheese fries?

Granted, on the severe VFR days when the airplanes are working, ATC is cooperating, and not much is going on, dispatching can be the easiest job around. Release a flight, and surf the web for a bit. HOWEVER, there still is management going so far up your flight planning arse nitpicking every lb of fuel you added (did we need 10 minutes of contingency fuel for FWA - yes we did, considering I'm departing off 22L in ORD with a 30 min taxi from T2, and your block taxi burn is 12 minutes, and I really dont like to plan to land with just a ************************* hair over reserves on board you jagdorf).

I permanently left aviation, after 9 years, from throwing bags to moving airplanes. Even gave my DX ticket back to the Unclefed to insure that at some point in time in the future I dont get stupid and want to come back. Yeah, sometimes I miss it (at least on those days where there isnt a cloud for hundreds of miles), then I come back to FI and see all of the bitching, whining, and moaning (primarily pilot-based), then decide Nahh - I really dont miss it at all.

If you want to be in aviation, get a PPL and hit airshows, for if youre in it for a secure financial future - well, thats not going to happen, neither the secure, nor the financial part.

 

[homerjdispatch]

other side of it...

I have a different view than the posters above. I have been dispatching for almost 5 years and love it. At my company, we work a 4-3 schedule. 10 hours a day. I can easily get 6 or 7 days off without using a vacation day. I use that time to relax.

Yeah, it can be tough some days, but thats the nature of the beast. Other days are a breeze. To me, the worst days are when I run out of things to look at on the internet.

Pay is OK. Its not a 6 figure pay, but its not a six figure job, starting out. The pay can be good if you work it right. For example, this year my base pay, without any overtime or bonus checks, is $40,000. When I add in the bonus program we have here and the overtime (i pick up one or two days a pay period) I am on track to make over $55,000. Not bad for regional airline pay. And the overtime is not bad, when you are only working 4 days a week.

My advice is to call around to a couple of dispatch offices and go take a tour or two. The advice you get on here is not always the best.

PM me if you have nay other questions

homer

 

[duckbilled]

Thanks again for the advice. I think if I was single and I had the ability to move anywhere to get the best job, I would do this in a second. Since I am tied to this area, my job prospects are very limited.

Honestly, I worked in Washington for a while in the political/non-profit realm. If I could move anywhere, I would move back there and try to get a job with APOA or something.

It looks like I am off to grad school then. I wish there was a airport management grad degree program in the area. The are a few undergrad programs but I am not going back for another 4 year degree. I am probably going to do a Masters in Public Administration. I have seen a few jobs with the Airport Authority that required that degree and it also opens me up to a number of non-aviation careers.

 

[Gert_B_Frob]

Thanks again for the advice. I think if I was single and I had the ability to move anywhere to get the best job, I would do this in a second. Since I am tied to this area, my job prospects are very limited.

Honestly, I worked in Washington for a while in the political/non-profit realm. If I could move anywhere, I would move back there and try to get a job with APOA or something.

It looks like I am off to grad school then. I wish there was a airport management grad degree program in the area. The are a few undergrad programs but I am not going back for another 4 year degree. I am probably going to do a Masters in Public Administration. I have seen a few jobs with the Airport Authority that required that degree and it also opens me up to a number of non-aviation careers.

Everyday makes me think grad school isn't such a bad idea, I just don't know what I want to go for, as long as it isn't aviation.

 

[Draginass]

Have absolutely nothing to do with the airline industry unless you can go in as high level management, stuff as much money in your pockets as the rest of the executives, then leave.

 

[airplane wizard]

Well, IMOH, what job doesn't suck nowadays!! I was an Assistant Dispatcher for Skyway for about a year. Yes, it is stressful and the pay does suck. And of course there is the Management. Lets not even go there!! All thngs considered, it was not any worse that any other job that I have had. At least you can BS with the pilots. It is what you make it.

 

[SKC]

It is what you make it.

One of the few good statements in this thread.