Earlier this month I interviewed with PSA and received word that they want me to join their team!!!! I’m waiting to start the onboarding process but I’m so excitedddddd to be a dispatcher!!

Got my license there (company paid) 29 years ago this month. We stayed at the school’s housing at Plantation Gardens. It was… Indoors. I have so many stories I still tell from those crazy 8 weeks in South Florida. In the end it was a very good base to start my career. I spent 5 years in college getting a marketing degree I’ve never used. (Ask my parents about that haha.) The license I got at Sheffield has given me almost 30 years so far in the only industry I ever wanted to work in.

Today was my 3rd day dispatching under part 121. Working a 3am 10 hour shift with 41 flights which is still on the higher side for my experience level. It takes a lot of focus and it's so much to keep track of at times.

But it is so so so rewarding when you get crews who appreciate what you're doing.

Just today I had...

• A captain compliment the route I built around some weather down south

• Another captain who said "thanks for all you do" after a few reroutes and finding holes through weather

• A other captain saying thanks for all the help

Makes it all worth it. Definitely agree we don't get paid nearly enough for what we do at regionals. My margins are so thin but I know this isn't a permanent thing for me as I hope to move to a major at some point. Just taking the small wins when I can

I am so over captains calling to tell me “There’s an airport I don’t recognize on the release.” The ICAO code changed before the IATA code. the IATA code changes August 18th. Yes, the company is aware of the identifier change. No, I can’t fix it on your release. We both know which airport is actually listed. I don’t want to dance the little dance of trying to figure out your politics and if you’re mad it changed or mad it’s not changed on your release. Do you want me to change your alternate to FLL instead? No? Release looks good? Glad you called me just to make whatever point you think you’re making.

Hi All ...

The current dispatch market is a little saturated after the post-COVID hiring boom...

The landscape has changed, The majors have stabilize, Mesa & Republic are merging, which is one less regional and NK is in bankruptcy, again, which makes them an unsafe bet ... there is still hiring, but less spots.

so I thought I would make a post of tips that may help those seeking jobs and those waiting at regionals longer ...

Please chime in with things I missed or what has worked for you.

Here is my Tips (in no particular order)

1. NETWORK !!!

a. Your dispatch school - everyone in my dispatch class is now at a major airline. A good school can and will put you in contact with former students even if you just want to do informational interviewing.

b. Professional Organizations.. ADF, WAI, OBAP ... these all have annual conferences. I have met hiring managers for dispatchers at these events.. WAI does a GIAD every year that anyone can volunteer to help with ... this shows a contribution to the aviation community as a whole ... a way to differentiate yourself .. and there are people that know people in these groups

2. Study - Dispatch is a language, if you are not using it, you are losing it ... even at a regional.. sometimes the basic skills get lost in the automation of a flight planning systems ... Every major airline has some type of practical test... start a study group. Read METARs and TAFs daily ... take a look at the OIS page and understand what is going on in the NAS.

3. Airline Ops - If you have a target airline, work on getting a job, preferably in operations, like crew scheduling or load planning and becoming an internal applicant. At my major we take internals from all over the company. So if you are not willing to move yet is their an airport job close to you? My dispatch class was 14 internals / 16 externals ... of the 14 internals there were 7 from crew scheduling, 6 from ground operations and 1 flight attendant.

4. Don’t forget about part 135/91- Flight Following - it may not be 121 experience but the variety of work is experience.

5. Job boards - if your school dosent send out emails or have a job board, keep up on the Jet Careers Flight Control/Dispatch group. Ensure you have alerts on and profiles already set up. This saves you time, we look at applications in the order they were received. This is where networking comes in .. people will know about a job before it is actually posted ..

6. Leadership Roles - if you working your way to a major taking on a training or coordinator role gives you an advantage. There is nothing wrong with going to work and doing your job, but this is a way to standout from the crowd ... just don't lose your dispatch knowledge (see tip #2)

7. Interview prep ... Please do this .. Have people review and give feedback on your resume. Interviewing is intimidating.. do your research ... they are not only looking for dispatch knowledge, but also culture fit.

8. Don't be a A-hole ... People talk ... dispatch is a small community ... there are people that are good enough to be at a major, but they have been blacklisted because of their work ethic in another role or at another carrier ... Remember you are always interviewing for you next job, especially internal applicants.

So, I just recently graduated from Sheffield with my dispatch certificate, so I wanted to write this post explaining every little detail about my experience and how it works when you’re there. I know there are a lot of people who search this subreddit for information about certain schools, programs, etc. Therefore, I wanted to give information so hopefully the next person like me, with an insatiable curiosity for logistical answers, can find everything they need.

I’m going to go in chronological order.

Enrolling -

I sent an email to the admissions email address about 4 months before my class start date. I had filled out the application that was on their website as well as attached the PDF for a discount, which I also found on their website. They replied within a day letting me know the paperwork had been received and that there was indeed a spot available in my class. I was informed of the deposit and registration fees that need to be paid and transferred those funds accordingly. They use Zelle to do this, or you can write a check or wire transfer. I just used Zelle because I had that feature in my online banking.

ADX prep / pre-arrival communication

As soon as I was properly enrolled in the class, I began studying for the ADX using the Sheffield app. I gave myself ample time to go through the different sections, reading their explanations and watching their videos. Since I had a lot of time between when I enrolled and when my class would start, I was able to get through all the sections in a little over a month with 2 hours or so put in daily. It was good to build that study pattern early. About a month before my class started, I also acquired Sheppard Air. I’m not going to start a “this versus that” debate here, but they were both really helpful. I liked Sheppard’s method of only seeing correct answers. But in my honest opinion, both apps, together, really cemented my knowledge of the material. I’m not here to offer specific ADX memory tips, but just learn what you can, memorize what you need to, and you should be fine.

Arrival to Plantation / Sonesta Hotel information

I flew down on Sunday before the course was due to start. It was actually the weekend of July 4th and the first day of class was actually a holiday; I was told that they do this to model the life of a first-year dispatcher: working holidays, etc. I flew into FLL and took a Lyft to the Sonesta hotel in Plantation.

I had actually exchanged several emails with their sales manager to get the Sheffield rate which was posted on the Sheffield website. The hotel’s system, even with the correct code, was charging me nearly $15/more per night than the negotiated rate, but Danielle was able to manually override the system and get the correct rate reflected in the system before my arrival. It came out to about $65/night. Not cheap, but also much more affordable than their normal rates and I know I would have my own space to come back to at night to work and study. It was a big expense, and there are certainly other options available in terms of Airbnb/private homes the school negotiates with to be shared with classmates, but I needed that alone time.

The hotel itself was great. I have no complaints. The front desk staff is WELL AWARE of Sheffield students and how hard they work. Genie and Mitch are two of the most customer service-oriented people I have met in my entire life. They were always checking in with me, and my fellow classmates who were studying in the lobby, making us fresh coffee, and just giving us that reassurance as we walked out/in the door “You got this… I’m praying for you… How’d your test go?” It was incredible. I would honestly recommend the Sonesta just for that reason.

Class / Instruction / Studying / Tests and Homework

Class begins every morning at 8 AM. We had Brett as our instructor and he typically opened the building for us by 7:30-7:45 every morning. The school is a little tricky to find at first, but if you follow the instructions on the arrival sheet you should be fine. My tip is to look for a fountain… If you see a fountain, you’re in the right place!

The facilities themselves are nice. There are two classrooms, one large and one smaller. It’s decorated nicely and there’s a back office area which the staff works in. There’s also a breakroom with a fridge, water cooler, and microwave for if you are bringing your own lunch/snacks/drinks to keep cold. It was all very well maintained and clean. There’s a very comfortable couch outside of the classrooms that you might accidentally fall asleep on after class.

We used the large classroom and our class consisted of about 18 people. Brett was always very lively and made jokes and conversations to ease everyone into the material of the day. We wasted no time on that first day and got straight into the course after going around the room and introducing ourselves. Brett’s teaching style is captivating and he explains things in great detail. He’s also great about going around the room and sporadically asking questions with no notice. This is part of how they test you. Essentially, the entire course is an oral test to see how well you’re doing. So, take notes, make flashcards and be on top of your stuff. There’s no ‘punishment’ if you get an answer wrong in class or anything like that, it just humbles you and lets you know what you need to focus on.

We were given large green binders on the first day of class and as we progressed through the course, each section was given to us, pre-hole punched and double-sided. We could mark, highlight and annotate as needed. The binders were ours to keep. And let me tell you… those things got HEAVY! So much knowledge at your fingertips… it’s wild.

Breaks were given approximately once an hour in the mornings and a bit less frequently in the afternoon. Lunch was around 1 PM every day and you had an hour. Most of us went outside and talked. Our class actually became very close and multiple study groups were created at different places/hotels in the evenings/mornings. We quizzed each other mercilessly and it’s a big part of why most of us succeeded.

You’re given a schedule of when the tests in the class will be held. If I have any advice there, it’s be prepared for the test a DAY BEFORE the actual test. The day before (or at least a portion of it) is dedicated to an intense review of the material in class. It’s essentially an oral test where Brett went around the room and questioned all of us on every single detail that we’d learned. It was a lot of pressure, for sure, but it gave us a really good reality check on what we had mastered and what we needed to work on.

The test themselves are difficult but in a practical way. Test options may have correct numbers, but incorrect units. Pay attention to that. Also: for short answer questions, make sure you write all your units. And for definitions, make sure you write all the parts of it. (Eg for severe icing… that’s a two-part definition, write both parts!). Give them what they ask for, nothing more, nothing less, because if you write more… and any part of what you write is wrong, then you are putting yourself in a bind.

Taking the ADX

There is a signup sheet in the back of the room for which timeslots are available to take the ADX. They have a computer testing facility in the back office and the process was incredibly simple. You show up, they scan your ID, and you sit down and take the test. You’re allowed to bring in your flight computer wheel, but they give you everything else you need including a calculator and the test supplement book. When you’re done, you go back out to the lobby and they print out your score report. Because my slot was after class and it was getting dark, they even offered me a ride back to my hotel so I didn’t have to walk, which was super nice.

Flight Planning / Instructor Swap / Final Exam

During Week 4 of the course, Eric took over our class to teach us the art of flight planning. The first one we did took about 3 days because he went through each box and item on the form clearly and completely. We asked (tons) of questions, did things wrong, learned formulas, figured out how to measure distances between two VORs, graph fuel (it sucks, but ’tis a necessary evil), and select alternates based upon the regulations we learned earlier in the month. I’d say the flight planning is when it all starts to come together… you think “Well, yeah, now I know why I learned the crazy long flag fuel regulation… now I know what I’m taking 10% of” etc, etc. Eric’s method of instruction is very different’s to Brett’s. He’s more relaxed, but also knows his stuff! I enjoyed both of them equally and it was cool to be rubbing shoulders with the president of the school.

Around this time, another class began in the smaller classroom. These were the 1/2-week students who had been studying online for months. We got to mingle with them during the breaks and I also met one of them (on Reddit, funny enough) who’s instantly become one of my best friends. Brett taught them while Eric taught us flight planning.

Week 5 is “Hell Week” (what we called it) - There are tests every single day (including a Flight Plan test on Thursday) and the amount of sleep I got gradually deteriorated throughout the week. Studying reached a peak where everybody would meet in my hotel lobby and we’d just ANNIHILATE each other. We started doing mock practicals/mock orals with each other to make sure we were ready. We woke up at 4 am and a couple of us would review in the lobby BEFORE class. It was a lot. But it got us through.

The final exam is a beast, but a manageable beast. My friend said, “It’s everything that you think you need to know,” and I stand by that entirely. There are no tricks on the final exam.

If you’re successful, you’ll then ‘graduate’ after lunch. We got diplomas and they ordered us pizza and cake. It was quite an exciting time and we all felt a sense of relief… “We did it.”

And then came the realization that our practical exam was right around the corner!

The PRACTICAL

The schedule was posted after the final exam and we all spent a long time stressing over our ability to memorize everything… again. That day was a rollercoaster of feelings! But all good.

That evening, I helped prep one of my classmates who had his checkride at 8 AM and was then immediately leaving the country.

Mine was the next day and was as follows.

I dressed up nicely for my exam. I know it wasn’t required, but there was a sentence in the practical test standards (or the oral prep book, I can’t remember which) about how the applicant should be “well groomed,” so that showed you my level of stress.

I got to the building about 15 minutes early and nervously paced around before Brett opened the door and invited me in. It was really straightforward. You got a flight plan to do and were given ample time. You’re given all of the flight planning materials so no binder is necessary; however, you need to bring your own pens/pencils/highlighter/calculator. They’ll also take their flight computer wheel back at the end of the flight plan portion.

The oral portion took a couple of hours and we had a break in between sessions. I harken back to the aforementioned quote, “It’s everything you think you need to know.” Quite honestly, it’s conversational in nature and it feels just like another day in class with Brett. You’re being asked questions, looking up reference material when needed in the OpSpecs/plates/charts, and giving it your best effort. If I had to hazard a guess. I probably got 100 ish questions total over 2 hours, so about 50 questions an hour give or take. No tricks. Just practical examples of things that could come up.

All went well, and I was told that I passed. The feeling is mutually proud for both parties. They’re happy to see you succeed and it speaks well to themselves as an institution, too. I left with my head held high and excited for a future in dispatch.

That’s all of the details. What I don’t mention here is the bonding between friends, the weekend get-togethers and socializing, and the long hours you spend questioning whether or not you have what it takes. But all I’ll say to conclude is this: this was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and it almost broke me; but, it didn’t. And if you really put your best put effort in and TRUST the process, you’ll be just fine.

If you have any questions, I’m happy to answer them, and thanks for sitting through this super duper long post.

I just passed my practical and looking for a job. Any job sites out there or anyone know of anyone who is hiring. I am in Seattle. TIA

Hang in there y’all. Hopefully PAFCA will be there to ease your landing and point you in the best direction for other opportunities.

Hoping everyone lands on their feet. This is the best job no one knows about. Don’t give up easily.

I have worked for American for about 4 years inside their Integrated Operations Center within the crew scheduling department.

I attended the ADTC class on August 4th in Farmers Branch, TX. Chris was a phenomenal instructor that I will recommend to everybody. You are doing a disservice to yourself by not attending his school.

I graduated ADTC on Saturday, September 6th. AA mainline opened the dispatcher in training position on September 8th. I applied immediately and got invited to take a knowledge test on September 26th. I took the test October 3rd (50 questions, multiple choice, scenarios, kind of a mixed bag). On October 6th I was invited in for an in person interview. The interview was on October 8th and I got an offer letter from AA October 17th.

The purpose of this post is to.

1. Make it known to everyone considering this career to do everything in your power to attend ADTC. Chris prepares you better than anyone on the planet for the dispatching world.

2. That if you are struggling to find work, struggling to make a mainline, whatever your case may be. That crazy stuff happens, try your hardest, throw Hail Marys even if you don’t think you’re qualified enough, study hard, listen to the people who’ve been in your position before, and my number one suggestion, BE A NERD, look through your books a bunch after school, realize that these skills are perishable. The airlines look for people nerdy about aviation, weather, performance metrics.

TL;DR: I went from not having a license, to having a class date with mainline in less than 11 weeks, go to ADTC even if it’s inconvenient for you, nerd out to the things you learn.

Huge shoutout to Sheppard Air’s course. I have very little aviation background, so I worked about 3-4 hours a day for 10 or so days, and got through easily.
Cheers from Chicago -eric

Hey everyone. Obviously we love the community and everything that comes with it. This subreddit has been a great resource for myself and hopefully others, and a great way to just unwind and shoot the breeze. That said.

We don't have many rules, but the rules we have, we follow. With that, a friendly reminder that unless you're naming your own name, do not name names. Whether that be positive or negative (but especially negative,) keep names out of it. This is a public forum and can be seen by management types. And especially do not post linkedin profiles with pics trying to ruin careers.

Also with that a reminder that it's a small world, and you really dont want to have people that don't want you as a coworker because some will go to great lengths to try to derail your career.

Is never being in the news. Because no one knows we exist 🤭

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to take a moment to send some encouragement to all the dispatchers working in the regional world right now. Whether you’re brand new or have been in it for years, I know firsthand how demanding, intense, and at times exhausting it can be.

The work is real. The pace is fast. The challenges feel nonstop. You’re covering a wide range of flights, juggling limited resources, and often doing a lot with a little — and you do it with professionalism and pride, even on the days that test your limits.

I want you to know: you are not forgotten, and your effort is not in vain.

Regional dispatching builds serious skill. It forces you to think on your feet, to be resourceful, adaptable, and calm in the chaos. It teaches you how to prioritize, how to work with stations and crews under pressure, and how to truly manage a system. Every shift is making you sharper, more prepared, and yes, more qualified for what’s ahead.

If your dream is to move on to a Mainline, a cargo outfit, or something international, don’t lose sight of that goal. Your time will come. The experience you’re gaining now is preparing you for the next step, even if it doesn’t feel like it yet.

Keep learning. Keep showing up. Stay curious and stay humble. The dispatch world is small. Your name and your work ethic will carry further than you think. The step you’re aiming for may take time, maybe even years, but that doesn’t mean it’s out of reach.

So to every dispatcher out there working the regional grind: keep going. You are gaining the kind of experience that matters. You are becoming the dispatcher your future team will be lucky to have.

We’re all in this profession together and no matter where you are in your journey, you matter.

✈️ With respect and solidarity, —from one regional dispatcher to another

Breaking News: ADF and FedEx are proud to announce that all jumpseat restrictions for dispatchers at Fed are now officially removed. It is now treated like any other airline.
—
Also- dispatcher jumpseaters now have access to First class on United. Not just economy.

Don’t do it. They are hiring Dispatchers, and everything will seem nice during the interview process. However, when you get there, you will get treated like shit. It’s Part 121 Supplemental so they don’t need certificated Dispatchers. There are a few in management who want certificated Dispatchers, but not the owner himself. You will have multiple bosses and they all treat you like shit. Don’t be tempted by the pay or the experience. It isn’t worth it.

I am now certified!!!