1. What
type of student are you looking for?
Only
the highly motivated. That does not mean experienced. Experience can
sometimes help save some study time, but not much. Our course begins
at a basic level, then exponentially increases to the most comprehensive
6-week Aircraft Dispatcher course in the world. Our pass rate is high,
our free tutoring is offered on a daily basis to anyone who desires
it, but our course is not for the unmotivated. It is intense, but
the license that you earn at Sheffield has value. That is the consistent
theme that you hear when you ask around or interview.
2. What
is your opinion of very short accelerated courses that simply prep
an individual to pass tests?
They
are a farce. We believe in preparing our students not only for tests,
but for real life. Airline initial training is not necessarily an
easy pass. If you graduate from a Dispatcher school, you may get hired,
but you may also get fired. No other school will tell you this hidden
fact. One school recently had a large group of their graduates hired
by a local airline - most of them are no longer employed because they
FAILED to meet the required training standards. We believe prospective
students should also consider the latter when contemplating school
selection based on proximity and price. Seek quality - it is a safer
investment. Our shortest course is 5-10 days; however, we are very
selective about who we allow into the course and it is very intense,
whether in person or through high-level online course modules.
3. Do
you guarantee a license?
No. If
we would, we would never have remained in business for 6 decades.
Our reputation would have eroded long ago. Certifying anybody and
everybody no matter how long it takes to understand the material or
how poorly they perform is a DISGRACE to this profession. This utter
lack of licensing standards and oversight is a major contributing
factor to the term used for uneducated graduates - clerks. Sheffield
refuses to produce "clerks." We respect our students and
the airline dispatcher profession too much.
Our pass
rate for motivated individuals who study hard is virtually
100%.
4. If
I have a question concerning the school, career, current job situation,
or a technical procedure, may I call on the CEO or the President directly?
At
Sheffield School, yes. If we are temporarily out of the office, we
can usually e-mail an answer within 24 hours.
5. I
spoke to one school who claims to be about 70 years old. Is this a lie?
Huge
lie. There is one company out there that periodically claims about
6.5 decades more experience than actual. [we have printed and electronic
documentation.] The founder started the company in the late 1930's
as "aviation supplies" company. He was a great man, a nice
man who has passed on. Only in 2000 or 2001, did a faction within
the company decide to start an "academy." There's a difference
between 70 years and 7 years. Sheffield has conducted Aircraft Dispatcher
Training since 1948. (schools become desperate when seeing the number
on the logo below...)
6.
What other claims should I be wary of or investigate?
Other
"schools" out there claim "40 years in Aviation business",
but won't tell you that Aircraft Dispatching has made up no more 6-9
of their years.
Others
provide bloated stats on their numbers of graduates or won't distinguish
between full-time students and those who got the 1-3 day quickie "written"
exam only - not certification.
Watch
the honesty/exaggeration factor though. One of our favorites: "We're
the first school authorized to teach outside the U.S.A.!" Wow
- unfortunately, the FAA in that school's state (not in NY) along
with the FAA NY International Field Office approved that operation
WITHOUT the approval of the FAA in Washington, D.C., who actually
knew the rules. If you ever hear these claims, feel free to ask how
long this "1st ever" authorization lasted, and why it was
closed down,...er, not renewed. Was the last "class" outside
the U.S. closed down in the middle of a class leaving students without
certification??? If unsure of the answers you receive, I'll send you
the email addresses of all persons in Washington D.C. who are aware
of the answers.
Good
question. Just do your homework. A good school is difficult to find.
Good and honest...likely more difficult. 60
consecutive years for Sheffield School of Aeronautics is usually
all anyone needs to decide, but we welcome you to
do your research and ask airlines, friends, pilots, dispatchers, etc..
Do not ask a school for "their references" and not
do further research. Any school can find somebody to "recommend"
them who may not despise them. It is the opinion of the majority that
should count.
Contact
us at:
499
NW 70th Ave Suite 110
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33317 - USA
Tel 800-843-8289, 954-581-6022
Fax 954-584-8980
email morris@sheffield.com
