Dispatcher Career Guide
About SkyWest Dispatch
Dispatchers serve as a crucial component to the entire airline operation. Aircraft dispatchers are licensed airmen certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. Dispatchers must undergo extensive testing and training to earn this certificate, and must pass both an extensive oral examination and the comprehensive written Aircraft Dispatcher test. These tests are equivalent to the Air Transport Pilot (ATP) written and oral examinations that airline pilots must successfully complete.
Requirements
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Responsible for economics, passenger service and operational control of day-to-day flight operations.
- Prepare and sign the dispatch release to provide legal authorization for a flight to depart according to government and company regulations to expedite and ensure safety of flight.
- Analyze and evaluate meteorological conditions, aircraft position reports and aeronautical navigation charts to evaluate the progress of flight, determine potential hazards to safety of flight, and select the most desirable and economic route of flight.
- Compute the amount of fuel required for the safe completion of flight according to type of aircraft, distance of flight, maintenance limitations, weather conditions and minimum fuel requirements prescribed by federal aviation regulations.
- Prepare flight plans containing information such as maximum allowable takeoff and landing weights, weather reports, field conditions, NOTAMs, and many other informational components required for the safe completion of flight.
- Update the pilot in command of significant changes to weather or flight plan, and recommend flight plan alternates, such as changing course, altitude and, if required, enroute landings in the interest of safety and economy. This may include delaying or canceling flights if unsafe conditions threaten the safety of the dispatcher’s aircraft or passengers.
- Participate in yearly recurrent training courses covering aircraft systems, company operations policy, meteorology and Federal Air Regulations as required by the FAA. Also complete yearly operations familiarization or “jumpseating” for each aircraft the dispatcher is qualified in.
Initial New Hire Training
All dispatch training is conducted at SkyWest Airlines’ headquarters in St. George, Utah. Initial New Hire training includes more than 100 hours of formal classroom instruction and testing. A designated dispatch trainer will then conduct practical training until the trainee is deemed ready for a Competency Check. Initial New Hire training normally lasts two to three months.
The Competency Check is conducted by the manager of OCC Training. Upon successfully passing the “Comp Check,” the dispatcher will complete the certification process by participating in an Aircraft Familiarization or “jumpseat” time of five hours.
All written tests administered during training require a score of 80 percent or better with one retake permitted.
Pay
Pay will begin on the first day of training. Base pay starts at $16.32 per hour and will increase to $18.24 after one year with the company. Additional raises will occur on an annual basis. Vacation and personal days are accrued according to hours worked.
Accommodations
All accommodations during training are the responsibility of the trainee, at their own expense.
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