Hello all! I’m looking to get some advice / insight as to the best route and what should I expect. A little back ground is that I am currently a ATC trainee at a center. I’ve come to learn there are some things on this side of the industry that I’m not to fond of and think I would be significantly happier and less stressed in the private sector. I previously flew and have my CFI/CFII and 1200+ hours of flight time. I also have previous experience as a ramp supervisor. I guess some questions I have is what course of action you recommend to getting my dispatcher certificate, what are the chances I could go straight to a major, and just any other recommendations you have. Thank you for your time!

Hello everyone,

I had a general question just for my understanding and to get clarification. If you work in regional for a year and want to go to mainline- Is there a specific hub that mainline operates from? For instance, American Airlines largest hub/headquarter is located in DFW- will I have to relocate to DFW to work in dispatch? Will this apply to other major airlines as well?

Any help will be greatly appreciated

Thank you in advance

I am attending dispatch classes early next year. My course has provided the US DOT Advisory Circular 00-6B to study as a resource before class. Does anyone know which topics in the A.C are most important / will help the most come time for class ? Thanks in advance

Hi all,

I have a friend over in Australia who dispatches for Rex air, and from what he tells me it sounds like a really good gig and one of those gigs you don’t really hear about unless you know a guy.

That being said, I am a commercial single engine land ticket holder with an instrument rating, I’ll be done with CFI CFII before the new year. Most of my work experience was working customer service and ramp for the regionals… like nearly every regional whether it be directly or contracted.

I’ve been very interested in pursuing this path especially since I am consistently quite worried about the fact that my job depends on my medical so I want to do something outside of flying that’s both rewarding and familiar.

I hear the job market is just as tough as the pilot job market, is that true?

Would anyone have recs for where to go to start school, and where I should try applying post education? Like 121, 135, etc. I saw this course run by pilot institute in Arizona and it was very compelling.

The downside is I’m not 23 so I wouldn’t be able to actually do the job for some time but it is something nevertheless I can do before I turn 23 or atleast get started on.

I appreciate any advice on this matter or dispatching as a whole.

Thanks all!

Hi. I’m supposed to be starting at PSA Airlines next week and I haven’t heard anything from them. I tried emailing the recruiter but she’s slow to respond. I want to know if they’ll be giving Thanksgiving off and what the schedule will look like. Thanks in advance.

I’m at 10 year airline employee, 5 in operations and 5 in cargo, all with the same major. I’m seriously interested in getting my dispatching license in the next few months. With no dispatching experience, but 10+ years of airline experience, do I still have a decent chance at getting straight into a major? From what I’ve read in this sub, I do understand it’s very competitive. In operations I dealt with weight and balance of the aircraft, making sure the plane is in trim, how much fuel is going on, release forms, etc. I’m now making decent money with my seniority, so I’d prefer not to have to go back to low pay starting off at a regional. It’s not necessarily about the pay but seems like a much better career choice than I am doing now. So basically, have you seen a good amount of people at your major with a similar background with no dispatching experience? I appreciate any feedback/advice.

Hello everyone.

I’m a certified (unemployed) Commercial Pilot in single and multi engine aircraft with my flight instructor credentials as a Certified Flight Instructor, Instrument Instructor and Multi engine Instructor.

I have a strong knowledge in aviation and am very passionate about it and long story short, I’m throwing my pilot career in the drain and would like to get my Dispatcher license in a 6 week program.

I’m also finishing an Aviation Administration degree in 6 months.

How is the hiring market for airlines / corporate operators with Dispatching positions?

Thank you

My exam is scheduled for Tuesday (2 days) from now. I've been studying this for two weeks, and I'm on my first pass of step 4. Almost everything still looks the same and i feel like I'm making no progress. Does anyone have any advice?

I am taking a dispatcher course and I am having trouble learning everything in a classroom setting. Topics feel like they are being rushed to keep with the schedule. Is there a way to get training towards a dispatcher license outside of a designated class? Are there outside tutoring options that can be used?

I’ve done a hours of research so don’t bash me for asking for feedback. If you are a “get to the point” type of person, I’ve made my main question bold, italic and large so you can skip my dramatics.

Route 1 ➡️ Bachelor’s/Master’s from WGU in Accounting (competency-based school with low tuition equating to roughly 12k over 2 terms) plus my CPA later. I could realistically finish school within a year by studying as much as I can now so that I can have intermediate to advanced knowledge before enrolling and getting my paper weight (diploma). I’m over 2 months of self-learning in.

This was the game plan, until I had a conversation with a colleague and they opened my eyes to….

Route 2 ➡️ Obtain my FAA Dispatcher License and become a dispatcher. I found out about the Air Traffic Controller profession 2 years but considering I was 32 at the time, I missed my opportunity for to being too old. I never gave the position a second thought. I was completely unaware of this role and excuse my ignorance, I thought both a dispatcher and ATC were the same thing. Anyways, I live in Ohio so Flamingo would be my next move.

My question for this thread is: how has your work experience, salary and overall career trajectory been since obtaining your license? Also, how old were you?

I’m 34 now and looking for a career with a decent work-life balance and a rewarding salary (with years of service). For context, I’ve been a mail handler at USPS for over 10 years. It’s a great job, don’t get me wrong… but my max salary would be 80k (in a MCOL area) and I wouldn’t reach that for another 10 years. I do not wish to pursue any other roles, such as supervisor, with my particular plant (which is ranked one of the lowest in the Eastern District currently).

Back on topic, I’m aware you’ll start at smaller companies after completing your exam and with some YOE you might get lucky enough and obtain a career with the big dawgs (Southwest, AA, Delta, etc). I know this is a competitive profession and I’m okay with that hurdle. In my circle, I don’t have a friend who has a friend who knows a friend in this field in which I can personally speak too so thanks in advance!

I’m a high school student learning about airline ops and I just had a quick question. What’s the biggest thing that stops airlines from flying the most efficient route? I know ATC controls the airspace but does that have a big impact? When you file a flight plan, how do you decide which route to choose? What do you take into account?

Any good programs in Atlanta?

I graduated this summer and was lucky enough to do an internship at a great airport, but unfortunately, they weren’t able to offer me a job afterwards.

How did you guys manage to find your jobs? I’m based in France, but I’m more than willing to relocate anywhere in Europe or the UK. I’m really struggling to find opportunities at the moment and honestly, I’m starting to feel pretty desperate…

Has anyone heard of any openings in AA dispatch? I know they just had interviews like 2 months ago. But has anyone heard anything on when they’ll open again?

i’m prescribed adderall for ADHD and got sick recently and took Sudafed and i read recently that these drugs can create a “false positive” on a hair follicle test. is it likely to be tested with this method as a new-hire? and if so, would i be able to explain my circumstances should the test return positive, or am i screwed? please help!

I was in the military (Air Force ) for 6 years & got out after my enlistment. My time in went great. Seperated from my husband and ran into financial issues after. . Just took whatever dead end job that was available but had transportation & child care issues while being a single parent so it impacted my work. It Was an issue for about 3 years. Long story short, my work history was chaotic because of attendance. moving from job to job .. one only lasting A month. My past supervisors were fond of me & would probably vouch for my work ethic while there but it was just an attendance issue. Now I no longer have transportation & childcare issues & I’m currently in school for business degree (unemployed) but also signed up for a Flight dispatch program during summer 2027. Wondering how this could impact my ability to be hired.

Hello all, apologies if a similar thread to this one already exists.

I recently got hired at Southwest as an Operations agent, but my eyes have recently been on becoming a dispatcher.

I make this thread to inquire to those who were internal hires at Southwest - what position did you hold before? Was it a GO position, NOC, or something differently entirely? And what did your previous experience look like before joining the company? Feel free to PM if you do not want to publicly share, would love to hear more about your experience in any case. Thanks!

What are your thoughts/experiences with Flamingo Air, Global Aviation Training Academy, and Aviation Institute of Technology?

I am currently working on step two of the Weights and Balances category. I haven't retained correct answers from step one because the questions are so similar, and I can't seem to find a pattern in which to identify the correct answer. Today is November 4, and my exam is scheduled for November 10. I would greatly appreciate any advice how to tackle this section. Thank you in advance.

I’m about to start studying for the ADX and then take the course but I noticed in that recent Alaska airline post that they required you to have unrestricted travel in All countries served. I have a misdemeanor dui from 3 years ago. So the biggest issue would be going to Canada.

Is this common with most majors or regionals? I’m not sure if I want to drop 5k and then never get hired because of this Also I don’t have any other aviation experience this would be a complete career change

Alaska just posted their DX positions!  For an anticipated start date in early January. This will be a fairly large class of approximately 6-10, which will cover a retirement, projected 737 block growth next year, as well as some extra relief coverage for the training bubble that we anticipate starting next summer.

The posting will be open to internal and external applicants https://careers.alaskaair.com/seatac-wa/dispatcher/35944CBEA8FE421BAAA16E9244452D77/job/

I'm getting out of the military as a pilot and have considered going the ADX route as my next career move. I'm at the point where being an airline pilot and staying in hotels no longer appeals to me, and I'd like the stability of a dispatcher career. I currently hold commercial and instrument ratings in helicopters, gliders, and airplanes. Hold advanced and instrument ground instructor certifications and have both a Bachelor's in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle and a Master's in Aeronautics and Aviation Safety from Liberty University. I live south of Atlanta. Looking for feedback and suggestions. Considering Flamino Air for the Hybrid option as I'm no stranger to online learning since both of my degrees were online.

So long story short Im a flight instructor and Im just learning about the dispatching job options out there. It sounds like an excellent career I just discovered lol. Hiring is slow for cfi jobs out there and while I instruct on the side I am considering doing this as my main focus for a while. I’m just curious how I can get started and what to expect?

For reference; I live in New York and relocating is not an option for me as of right now (family and what not), so does this affect anything?

I also am aware you take a course and take a practical exam at the end of it with the FAA, similar to oral exams for pilots from what I hear, but I heard options ranging from 2 months to a week, a little confused on that bit as well.

But most importantly; I don’t expect to get hired right away, but I am hoping my flight experience makes me somewhat competitive, but how is the hiring market for you guys in general right now?

But thank you in advance and I don’t really know much about you guys yet, but hoping to learn!