FAA-approved dispatcher school
Become an FAA-certified aircraft dispatcher in 10 weeks. No pilot's license required.
Dispatchers plan airline flights and decide, with the captain, whether each one is safe to go. You can train for the job in 10 weeks: 6 online from home, then 4 in person. No flight training, and none of the cost of flight school.
An airline career you can start this year, without the cockpit
Before an airline flight leaves, a dispatcher has signed off on it. You decide with the captain whether it's safe to go, then watch over it until it lands. You work alongside pilots, make real decisions, and get airline travel benefits. Pay typically starts at $45,000 to $55,000 a year and reaches $85,000 or more at major airlines. See how dispatcher pay works.
Plan the flight
You choose the route, altitude, fuel, and backup airports, based on the day's weather.
Share the captain's authority
By law, you and the captain share responsibility for the flight. Either of you can delay, reroute, or cancel it.
Follow every flight
You track your flights live and warn the crew about weather, airport closures, and route changes before they run into them.
From zero to FAA certificate in 10 weeks
You need no aviation background. The course is 200 hours of FAA-approved training: the first 6 weeks are online, so you can keep your job, and the last 4 are in person, where you put it to work.
Who can enroll: anyone 21 or older with a high school diploma or GED who reads, writes, and speaks English. The FAA issues your certificate at 23.
Online foundations
Start from zero and learn at your own pace, about 100 hours in all: how aircraft fly, weather, FAA rules, and navigation. 3D animations make it click, every quiz explains its answers, and your instructor answers your questions. Every graduate we surveyed said the pace was just right.
In person in Prescott
Another 100 hours, this time planning real flights with live weather, Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm. Classes are 15 students at most, and graduates rate this part 4.9 out of 5.
Exams and hiring prep
You take a practice exam first, then the FAA written exam and the hands-on exam with an FAA examiner. We also prepare you for airline hiring tests and help with your resume and interviews.
A new class starts every month
Each class has 15 seats, and most students reserve two to three months ahead. Pick a date to start your application.
See all dates and applyLoading class dates…
Every school teaches the same 200 hours. Here's what's different.
What matters is whether you leave understanding the job or having memorized a test. Here's how you train with us, and the numbers behind it.
We teach the job, not the test
Every topic ends with a real decision: is this flight safe to go? You make the call and explain why, just as your FAA examiner and your first captain will ask you to.
Ready for the exam before you sit it
You take a full practice exam with your instructor first. By exam day, you have planned and defended dozens of flights.
Hands-on training with a working dispatcher
For four weeks you plan real flights with live weather, in a room set up like an airline operations center. Your instructor is an FAA-certified dispatcher who works beside you, not a lecturer at the front of a hall.
A school you can look up
Pilot Institute has trained over 400,000 pilots since 2019. It's on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies (#8 in education) and is an FAA Safety Team industry partner.
You leave ready to get hired, not just certified
Airlines hire on three things: your FAA certificate, your interview, and their own hiring test. Every approved school gives you the same certificate. We help you with the other two.
Hear it from our graduates
Four graduates on where the course took them, in their own words.
Meet your lead instructor
Double-A Andrews
Lead Instructor, Director of Aircraft Dispatch Education
- FAA-certified Aircraft Dispatcher
- Former University Professor of Aircraft Dispatch
- U.S. Army Chief Flight Dispatcher, 101st Airborne Division
Double-A teaches with the situations you'll face on the job: weather that turns, an airport that closes, a captain waiting on your answer. He prepares you for the exam and for your first day at work.
He also calls every applicant himself before they pay anything. Ask him about the job, about hiring, or whether this is right for you.
Train in downtown Prescott, Arizona
Your four in-person weeks are in downtown Prescott. The classroom is a short walk from hotels, restaurants, and coffee shops, so most students walk to class in under 10 minutes and never need a car.
- Hotels, extended-stay suites, and Airbnbs within walking distance
- Fly into Prescott (PRC), or into Phoenix (PHX) and take the shuttle
- Mild weather at 5,300 feet, with Sedona and the Grand Canyon close enough for a weekend trip
What you pay, and what you get
Tuition covers all 200 hours of training, your course materials, and airline hiring prep before you graduate. Exam fees and your stay in Prescott are extra, and they're listed below. Reserve your seat with a $799 deposit and pay the rest before graduation. The deposit is refundable for 14 days into the online phase, and you can move to any class in the next 12 months at no cost.
What's included
- 200 hours of FAA-approved training, 6 weeks online and 4 weeks in Prescott
- All course materials, digital resources, and flight planning software
- Practice exam and airline hiring test prep
- Resume and interview coaching
- Deposit refundable for 14 days into the online phase
- Free transfer to any class in the next 12 months
Paid separately
- $175 FAA written exam fee
- About $500 for the hands-on exam with an FAA examiner
- Travel and accommodations in Prescott
No application fee. Only 15 seats per class.
Do I need pilot or aviation experience?
No. Many of our students start with no aviation background at all. The course begins with the basics, and students with and without experience pass at the same rate.
Can I keep working while I do this?
Yes, through the six online weeks. Plan on about 15 hours a week. You'll need four weeks off for the in-person part in Prescott.
What if I fail an FAA exam?
You can retake it, and we coach you until you pass at no extra charge. 97% of our students pass the written exam on the first try and every graduate has passed the hands-on exam.
What if I change my mind after paying the deposit?
Your $799 deposit is refundable for 14 days into the online phase. If the dates stop working, move to any class in the next 12 months at no cost.
Where do I stay in Prescott?
Most students book an Airbnb or an extended-stay suite within walking distance of the classroom. Once you're accepted, we send a list of options with partner rates. See where past students stayed.
Can I pay monthly?
Yes. Reserve with $799 and pay the $2,200 balance before graduation with no credit check, or finance the tuition monthly with Klarna at checkout.
I'm 21. Can I start?
Yes. You can complete the course and pass both exams at 21. The FAA issues the dispatcher certificate at 23.
Ready to start? Apply in less than a minute.
There's no application fee. Your instructor calls you within a day to answer your questions.