With over 45,000 flights operating within the United States every day, it’s easy to praise the pilots who safely deliver passengers from A to B.
But have you ever wondered who’s behind the scenes? Busy organizing and planning the tiny details that go into every flight.
The answer lies with the aircraft dispatchers. An important yet easily overlooked figure in aviation.
In this article, we will go over everything you need to know about aircraft dispatchers. We will cover how much they earn and why you might want to consider becoming one.
What is an Aircraft Dispatcher?
An aircraft dispatcher works behind the scenes to keep the schedule running effortlessly. They are in charge of planning and supervising the operation. They ensure that the passengers and aircraft arrive in the right place.
The aircraft dispatcher must perform three main jobs while a flight is taking place. Let’s review them.
Flight Planning
Thorough flight planning is important for any airline operation. Dispatchers have to plan a safe route based on multiple factors. These factors include weather conditions, airspace restrictions, and aircraft performance.
Most airlines have preset flight plans for each route. Dispatchers allow for extra fuel when flights can anticipate poor weather conditions. This allows for extra time to divert around the weather. The dispatcher may choose to change the route to avoid weather altogether.
Dispatchers use the same logic regarding airspace restrictions and aircraft performance.
Flight Monitoring
Dispatchers monitor the flight, ensuring everything runs in a safe manner. They use computer screens to track current aircraft positions.
They stay updated with any relevant changes relating to the current flights. These changes include information about airspace, weather, or anything affecting operations.
Communications
Good communication is fundamental for safety. A dispatcher will spend a lot of time communicating with pilots throughout the day. So they have to be clear and concise with their messages.
Dispatchers will update pilots with any important changes to the operation. There are two ways to do this. The first is by using a company radio frequency to talk over HF or VHF channels. The other, more modern way is using ACARS.
ACARS stands for Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System. This system allows dispatchers to send and receive text messages by satellite.
How Do You Become An Aircraft Dispatcher?
You now know what an aircraft dispatcher is, so what do you need to become one?
Required Skills
Before starting any training, you should evaluate whether you have the right skills. What does it take to be a good aircraft dispatcher?
Below we have summarized a few fundamental skills you will need.
Ability to Work Under Pressure
On a good day, being an aircraft dispatcher is an easy job. But as soon as disruptions start to happen, it can become stressful and demanding fast.
You should be able to handle your nerves when working in a high-pressure environment.
Flexible
Working in a constantly evolving environment means things change fast. A last-minute weather or engineering disruption may require changes to the original plan.
You should be flexible and able to keep calm to work through these problems methodically.
Problem Solver
Due to the nature of the industry, you will face constant problems. Often, many issues occur all at once.
Being a good problem solver will help you find unique solutions to fix these problems.
FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate
Like many other positions in aviation, you will need to obtain a qualification. So how do you go about becoming certified?
Requirements
To be eligible for an FAA aircraft dispatcher certificate, you must be at least 23 years old. You will also need a high school diploma or equivalent education.
If you meet these two requirements, you can start looking for a school to teach you everything you need to know.
School
First, you must decide whether you want to complete the course in person or online. Many schools offer these courses. So it’s best to do some research and find a school that best suits your learning style.
The course itself lasts four to six weeks and costs from $3000 to $8000. The FAA requires you to complete a minimum of 200 hours of classroom instruction.
After you have finished the course you are able to sit the written and practical exam.
Exams
The written exams cover many topics that will be relevant to the job. The topics include flight planning, meteorology, aircraft systems, and air traffic control procedures.
For your practical exam, you’ll have to create a manual flight plan. They will provide you with a weather package and any relevant information.
Once complete, the examiner will ask you questions relating to the flight plan. They will also ask questions about the FAA rules, regulations, and emergency procedures.
If you pass the exams, they will issue you an FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate. Now, you can start working as an aircraft dispatcher!
Benefits of Becoming an Aircraft Dispatcher
Career Progression
The longer you spend as an aircraft dispatcher, the more sought-after you become. Once you have valuable experience, you will be able to work for major carriers. The major carriers tend to pay more and have better staff benefits.
Union Representation
The ADF (Aircraft Dispatchers Federation) is a union set up for dispatchers. The union represents aircraft dispatchers and focuses on increasing salaries and working conditions. Having a union backing your career will mean you will always have support.
Airline Benefits
When you join an airline, you will get all the staff benefits you normally get as an employee. This generally includes staff travel, insurance, jumpseat authority, and retail discounts.
Salary
Now to the part you’ve been waiting for! How much do aircraft dispatchers get paid?
Salaries for aircraft dispatchers can vary. It can depend on which carrier you work for, years of service and your collective agreement.
If you work for a small airport, you can expect to earn around $20,000 to $30,000 per year as an entry-level hire.
If you are a new hire for an express airline, you can expect to earn around $40,000 per year. This tops out at around $60,000 per year.
If you work for a major carrier, you can expect to earn a bit more. With new hires earning around $60,000 per year and experienced dispatchers earning $150,000 or more per year.
There are opportunities at both express and major airlines to become Specially Qualified. This extra training can push your salary even higher.
Conclusion
It takes a lot of hard-working people to run an airline. Aircraft dispatchers are one job among the many that keep it running efficiently.
Becoming an aircraft dispatcher is a very rewarding career. There’s no greater sense of achievement than ensuring people reach their destinations safely. Not to mention the great benefits and salary that come with it.
But maybe you prefer to work on the frontline, flying people from A to B? If this interests you, check out our latest article, How to Become a Pilot.
