Aircraft Dispatchers Share Responsibility For Flights

The new Aircraft Dispatcher Certification Program at the Prescott, AZ campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is off to a great start, with five students becoming the first from their campus to obtain FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificates.

Students Sarah Baird, Kevin Choi, Jared Dunham, Robert McLaughlin, and Will Wobbe successfully passed the FAA Dispatcher Practical Test recently after previously completing the Embry-Riddle Aircraft Dispatcher Certification Program and passing the FAA Dispatcher Written Exam, according to university officials.

"An Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate is of tremendous worth as a complement to a student’s pilot certification or as a stand-alone career element," said Randy Rehbach, Air Science assistant professor and director of the Aircraft Dispatcher Certification Program. "Since students enrolled in a degree program at Embry-Riddle can receive aircraft dispatch education and training at no additional tuition cost, this is truly a value-added opportunity. "

Certificated dispatchers are required by federal regulation and share joint authority with the captain of every domestic and international air carrier flight. They plan the route, determine fuel requirements, analyze weather, issue safety-of-flight information, and monitor the progress of each flight to provide operational control for an airline.

To carry out these tasks properly, dispatchers must be knowledgeable in aircraft performance, meteorology, operating regulations, air traffic control, and instrument flight procedures. They must also be able to make sound decisions that incorporate the company’s economic and scheduling considerations.

Embry-Riddle says its Aircraft Dispatcher Certification Program is offered in conjunction with the pursuit of a degree. Six courses common to Aeronautical Science students lead to a capstone course, AS410, Airline Dispatch Operations. This sequence of courses is approved by the FAA to allow qualified students to sit for the exam.

FMI: www.embryriddle.edu