Airplane Dispatchers: Job Description, Education, Skills and Duties, Earnings and Outlook
Submitted by: paula
Job Overview Advancement and improvement in aviation industry have made people rely on airplanes to travel from one place to the other. This created more job openings for different tasks in the airport.Before the development in the industry, one person performed different tasks like being a radio operator, meteorologist, station manager, mechanic and airplane dispatcher. Some pilots were even assigned as dispatchers. As number of commercial flights increased, each task became more specialized. The safety of the commercial air travel is ensured by the airplane dispatchers.
Education,Knowledge and Trainings Required
Important courses to prepare an individual to be an airplane dispatcher are Computer courses and Business Administration. It is possible for them to secure a student pilot’s license while in high school. Studies in Air Transportation and Meteorology for at least two years is needed. Those who are college graduate in Meteorology, Mathematics and Physics have more opportunities working for an airline. Dispatcher training is offered in at least 40 schools which are licensed by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Skills and Abilities
Airplane dispatchers should have good judgment. They should make realistic, workable and fast decisions. They need to stay focused and calm. They should think quickly and sensibly during emergency situations. Their decisions will affect the lives of hundreds of people and tragedy may happen out of poor decisions made. They should have an excellent vision and memory. Airplane dispatchers should know how to multi-task or do many things at the same time correctly.
It is important to know how to work with a team and to communicate effectively with other workers.
Duties
Those who provide clearance in allowing planes to take off are airplane dispatchers. They consider different factors before providing clearance like wind speed and direction, weather forecasts, weather conditions and other factors. They also decide if different route should be used or if including another stopover is necessary to avoid weather disturbance. It is their responsibility to discuss with the pilot the conditions of the flight. They are both authorized to cancel or delay flights because of hazardous conditions. It is the duty of airplane dispatcher to record and know the balance and weight of the plane after loading. They should be in constant communication with flight crews while in the air. It is their responsibility to provide weather conditions that the aircraft will encounter.
Earnings and Job Outlook
The income of an airplane dispatcher depends on the airline they are working for. Those who work for major airlines can earn $100,000 or more in a year. For some airlines, their employees are entitled to big discounts or free air travel. Job opportunities are available for private firms with smaller carrier. Major airlines prefer to hire someone with considerable experience in handling smaller carriers. Advancement in technology also affected the narrowing down of the job openings for airplane dispatchers.
Paula Hiz is a researcher and a human resource specialist who helps newly graduates, job applicants and post graduate professionals be aware of their job opportunities and available trainings for skills and practice upgrading.
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