FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certification School-about Sheffield

Sheffield School of Aeronautics

The World's Premier Airline Dispatch School!!!
Testimonials 2005

"During all 4 interviews, a statement was made by the interviewer indicating that they look favorably upon or outright prefer Sheffield graduates."

2004 Graduate - J.M.

Wed, 7 Dec 2005 18:21:16 +0100 (CET)

Subject: Training
Hi Eric,
Just started training with Miami Air, HR stuff, and HAZ MAT today. Will start dispatcher training prob in a few days. I can tell you already that Sheffield has prepared me for this... Thanks for ... setting your stardards high. Our customers deserve it. Hope your holdiay season is great, and my best to Brett, Katja, et al.

Best Regards,

J.K.

December 2005 (letter-regular mail)

Dear Mr. Eric Morris,

First of all I'd like to thank you for all the support you gave me. Becoming an Aircraft Dispatcher was my long dream since I was (a) young student. Mr. Morris taught me conscientious instructions, which I believe, will be helpful..

I told this happy news to all of family members of mine, and they were very happy about the certificate. Also, I told them how inspiring the Sheffield life had been!

I will visit you in the future for the international course, etc..for sure. I'm looking forward to meeting you again! Have a nice X'mas!!

H. Nishimura
Japan

Mon, 7 Nov 2005 15:43:50 (email-prospective student)

My father and uncle are both dispatchers for American Airlines and they had highly recommended your course.

Sincerely,

R.B.

Thu, 27 Oct 2005 05:43:05

Hello Eric, Katja & Brett.
I hope u guys are fine and in good health...I have reached home safe and doing fine, Thanks for your training and guidance during six weeks. i feel a lot better compared to others around me.

Thanks again for the special attention and care during my stay.
Take care-bye
M.

Sun, 23 Oct 2005 17:08:52

Eric,
I did not get a chance to talk to you after my exams, and just wanted to say thank you. I have learned so much in your class and was very impressed by your staff as well as your whole set up. It was a fun, yet challenging course. I will always speak very highly of your program, and will send as much business your way as I can. Keep up the good work. Thanks for setting up my login.

Thanks again,
daniel k.

Below is what may happen when an airline tries to save $$$ and do the certification training themselves:

Subject: Thanks
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 04:43:24
...the training of the thirty-odd new dispatchers was not without
considerable pain - I'm confident that the Sheffield way would have
certainly been more efficient.

As always, Best Regards,

B.R.
(airline employee/Sheffield graduate)

Result: Extended training, overtime pay, future substandard flight planning = LOSING $$$.

Thu, 13 Oct 2005 13:43:31

Subject: Aircraft Router
Hi Eric.....

Just wanted to let you know that I have just accepted a position with Horizon Air as an Aircraft Router.....I start on Nov 2nd........This is a great opportunity for me because I will be the Flight Control Manger's right hand man and the position is viewed by some as a stepping stone into a Flight Control Manger position...

Take Care

Andrew A.

From a graduate who asked for direct job assistance on October 3rd! In less than 12 hours, he was hired!

Tue, 04 Oct 2005 22:32:35

Good feeling Boss. Thanks A Million! Don't know what you said but it worked! Thanks Again! I start on the 17th!
P.J.

Another example of job assistance that you will have a difficult time locating on other schools' web sites.

Sat, 24 Sep 2005 03:42:15

Eric,

You may not remember me, but you went out of your way to write a letter of introduction for me to xxx xxx Airlines back in September of 2003. I got the job and have been with them ever since. ...It's the best job I've ever had. I love every minute of it and it's all due to the excellent education I received at Sheffield and the letter you took the time to write for me. Thank you for all your help!

W.Egan

And another...

Thu, 22 Sep 2005 22:32:28 -0700 (PDT)

Subject: Interviews
Hi Eric,

Well....got through both interviews and I am still alive....lol
I am being hired by Pinnacle Airlines....the one I wanted when I first registered for the course!! I start 10 Oct.
Thank you for your help and patience.

Hutch

Thu, 28 Jul 2005 09:18:21 -0700 (PDT)

Subject: Greetings and updates
Hello Eric, Brett, and Katja,

Life is pretty good here... I have been
signed off and dispatching at (airline) on my own for
about 3.5 months and feeling more comfortable each
day. We work 4 10-hr shifts and bid on 3-month
schedules. ...overall have a highly competent group of dispatchers with
several Sheffield graduates. (My future manager) mentioned
specifically in our interview that Sheffield graduates
were consistently among the best dispatchers out on
the floor. In fact, I was asked just yesterday to
conduct OJT for one of the new-hires beginning this
weekend!

I hope all is well in sunny south Florida! I look
forward to seeing you all again soon...Thanks again for
helping launch my new career so quickly with your
excellent courses and world-class instruction!
N.P., class of Jan/Feb '05
Dispatcher

Mon, 25 Jul 2005 10:57:23

Subject: Thanks
Hi Eric,

Just wanted to drop you a line to say thanks for providing a great course.

From my initial enquiry to graduation Sheffield provided a professional and high-quality approach in conducting the training.

... excellent instructor, very knowledgeable in the subjects he delivered, took a genuine approach in helping students and has an excellent ability to break down complex concepts into easy to understand format.

All the best

Wade B.
Sydney, Australia

Wed, 01 Jun 2005
Hello Guys!

Well, I interviewed in San Juan and everything went very well. ...about the pre-interview test and I must say, it was not really what I was expecting. ...but I think I got all but about 2-3 of them. I thought it was very challenging .... I should start off by saying that they told me I scored the highest on it of anyone that's ever taken it (Thank you Scott!).

Well, I want to think you again for the training and all the advice. Sheffield was a wonderful experience for me and it got me what I wasn't able to get myself in the last two years, an airline job!!!!!! Thanks a million and I'll be seeing you guys within a year when I come back for a refresher.

Best regards,

J. Suhr
Dispatcher
Executive Airlines

Wed, 25 May 2005
Subject: Brett...Muchos Saludos de SJU Eagle Dispatcher.....
To our best instructor in this world.
We are doing a great job and it's thanks to you. Sheffield was the hardest thing we have ever been thru, but it was worth it - like always thanks to you. We always name you for the good things that happened to us. We are teaching them!!!! We all are very proud of you. because we did learned.

God Bless you and all people around you.

by the way..the picture looks fantastic..dont take it out.... NEVER....

Best regards,
jackie, gladys, malery, ivelisse,clarisa,benny y robert

Sat, 14 May 2005 17:37:06 EDT

Subject: Greetings from NWA
Hello Ron, Eric and the rest of the Sheffield staff,

I attended Sheffield the summer of 1996. I haven't been back in touch with anyone there since I graduated..I just wanted to write to let you know how much I enjoyed the school and appreciate the excellent instruction that we were given.

Within about two months of leaving Sheffield I was hired by Trans States Airlines in St. Louis and I spend about a year and a half there. I was then hired by Mesaba Airlines of Minneapolis in Jan of 1998. After working at Mesaba for two and a half years I interviewed and was hired as an Assistant Dispatcher for Northwest. With the events of 9/11 I was laid off for almost three years but returned last June and upgraded to Dispatcher during January of this year. I just moved into an Operations Planner position which is part of the same office as Dispatch.

Thank you all for providing the foundation to my career. The friendly staff and beautiful surroundings were as memorable as all the hard work that was put into studying and exams.

I hope everyone is doing well and I hope to someday stop in to say Hi!

Take care and thanks again,

R. Nelson

May 2005
Eric, Katja, Ron, Brett, Scott and Bruce,

As per June 1st I will be no longer working for ATM-Training department. I
have made a promotion to Supervisor/Chief Dispatcher on our dispatch
department. (I will be working in the same department only in another
function.) Please, for future planning please contact (RZ). He
will be your "new" contactperson for all matters. For the last several years it was very nice to work with all of you. Personally I think you have a great school with a good course with a high reputation worldwide. You do pay a lot of attention the the course: setup, lesson plans, material, website, which expresses in quality of the course, instructors etc. You are all very enthusiastic and very flexible for KLM to
meet our planning requirements. It was, and still is, very nice to work with all of you and I really enjoyed it. And although Iam not a trainer anymore you can always contact me for whatever reasons.
To all of you: Take Care
Rgds
René

10 May 2005 06:53:40 -0700 (PDT)

Hi Eric:
Thanks for setting up access to your web-site. I took a look at the job postings and was amazed at the demand for dispatchers. I was also gratified to see some of the old names have been revived. I saw PanAm has risen from the grave again, as well as Boston & Maine Airlines, which was the forerunner to Northeast Airlines - an early adopter of the Boeing 727 which they made famous as their "Yellow Birds."

I have got to tell you that your program has been a real education for me, at many levels. I like to think of myself as a fairly sophisticated consumer of training programs - having attended many in my years of flying - and I can say without equivocation that attending your school was time and money well spent. I would recommend the experience to anyone.

P. Taber

07 May 2005

Hi Eric.....I just wanted to touch base and say "hello". i am currently
Working in navigation data for american airlines (soc) in ft worth, TX. I just wanted to thank you again for the excellent training that your facility provided me and for the sense that I have options. I will gain knowledge and experience here and see where the road leads me. I certainly hope that all of your family is well. Please pass along my well wishes.
Respectfully,
C. Blake

4-21-05
I'd like to thank you for the great instruction. I was hired by Atlas Air about a week ago, and I know that my instruction at Sheffield was the reason they hired me. I was given an exam prior to being interviewed by the Dispatch Manager. During the interview, I knew I did well on the exam because I didn't have to talk at all. The only times I spoke were when I was asked how I felt about their training program and when I would be able to relocate.
Thanks,
M.

Sun, 17 Apr 2005 16:41:48

Subject: Hello from Iceland!
Just a few words and warmest greetings from an old Sheffield graduate!
I spend a couple of months in Miami almost 40 years ago and graduated along with some good people in early 1966. Some of them I have heard from now and then, like Suzuki in Tokyo and Ali in Iran!!. The world has changed in 40 years!!
I achieved the Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate from the FAA after having been well prepared by the Sheffield School of Aeronautics staff. Good old Wilbur and Virginia Sheffield were still in a fine shape running the school and their old students will never forget them. Wilbur urged me to take all possible FAA exams, in order to get some credit for the school and I went several times to the FAA office at Opa-Locka in order to take the written tests. The Dispatchers of course, also the PPL, CPL, IFR the Ground Instructor Basic and the Advanced Certificate.
I remember when I was sent to Opa-Locka to take the Dispatcher´s test. I had been prepared to all the possible tests the FAA had in the Field-Office. But, I got number 42! - this test was not supposed to be in this office and I remember the debriefing at the old School at the 36th street when I came back. The test had some questions I had not been asked by the school tests!! and Wilbur did not like that - but I came out with flying colors 98% and the good old school got some credit.
I spent my 45 years career with the Icelandic CAA and the independent AAIB (similar to the NTSB) and I retired in 2002. My thoughts are often with the nice people I met down there and the nice people I stayed with at 401 Palmetto Drive, Miami Springs.

I wish you all the best and may the Sheffield School of Aeronautics prosper and be respected by the aviation industry!
Skuli Jon Sigurdarson
Soltun 9,
Reykjavik, Iceland.

1 Apr 2005

Eric,

Thanks for your help and thanks again for everything. I can honestly say the school is as thorough and legitimate as your website and advertising materials promise. It's nice to graduate and know that you made the best choice of schools.

Sincerely,

M.C.

27 Mar 2005 10:38:03 -0600

Just wanted to say thank you for the excellent trianing I recieved at Sheffield. The instructors were very knowledgable and were willing to go the extra mile to help me succeed. I graduated from a leading aviation university and can honestly say the training I recieved in college pales in comparison to the instruction I recieved while at Sheffield. I was offered an interview two weeks before I even graduated and was hired four days after I graduated. Thanks again Sheffield!!!!
Thanks Brett, Eric and Katja

D.M. March 2005 - 4 week course
(Air Wisconsin)

17 Feb 2005

Brett requested that we send updates of our job searches so, here it is… I
have received an opportunity at Pinnacle Airline in the Memphis Tennessee
area. The job will start out around 27K. Also I have received calls from
Nextel, American Eagle, Lynx Air...Thank you for your
services and ability to get to where I need to be in order to begin a bright
future in aviation.
D.P.

Mon, 14 Feb 2005
Thanks Eric!

I may not be using the new password a whole lot as I will be working for Pinnacle Airlines starting Feb. 28! Thanks for making Sheffield the best in the business. It certainly was a key factor in landing a job only one day after graduation having never worked in aviation before!

N. Polderman

11 Feb 2005
Thanks Eric,

... Also, I'd like to pass along a word of praise for Brett. ..., everything was
explained clearly and any mistaken responses were corrected professionally
and thoroughly. In addition, the extra advice and comments about real world situations and circumstances we may run in to was, I thought, invaluable.
You're lucky to have Scott and Brett, in my opinion!
Cheers,
Jim

8 Feb 2005
Dear Eric,
I would like to thank you for allowing me to sit in recurrent dispatcher course in Jan 2005. I was out of touch for FAA stuff for long time. I was thinking in the beginning of the course, that “Oh my God” I have to go through same extensive hard work again that I have gone thorough in my initial course, nine years ago. But it turned out to be wrong because I still recalled what I learned in my initial class. This recurrent put me on track help me improved from my bad habits. I also would like thank to Brett for his wonderful and friendly nature of instruction helped me learn to improve from my mistakes. He is an excellent instructor. Eric, I am trying to get permission from VP to get all my ops control people to be trained from Sheffield. Once I have permission I will get back to you. I am hoping to get my self enrolled for EWINS course in April.

Again thank you very much,

Sincerely,
J.B. Khawaja
A Proud Sheffield Graduate

2 Feb 2005 22:49:59 -0500

Eric,

I wanted to finally take the time to express my thanks and appreciation for
the training I received at Sheffield .... It's a thank-you that has been a long time coming, but very well deserved on your part. Quite frankly, I feel that I owe my current position dispatching 35 to 70 seat jets to the reputation of the Sheffield training.

As a 4/1/2004 graduate from Sheffield, I interviewed with my current
employer on 4/8/2004, and was offered the job (which I accepted) that very day! During the interview, the hiring manager even said to me ...." I have never hired a bad dispatcher from Sheffield". I silently congratulated myself on researching dispatch schools and choosing Sheffield. As an additional testament to the Sheffield reputation, my employer hires a high percentage of Sheffield graduates as dispatchers.

Quite simply, Sheffield is in a class by itself, and that reputation gives
Sheffield students an advantage over other school's students when it comes to the job market. Thanks for such a fast start into a carreer that I am loving!

W. Easterling

Wed, 19 Jan 2005
Thanks again for everything. I had a very good experience down there & will recommend your school to anyone interested.

Take care,
Craig

12 Jan 2005

First of all let me express my gratitude to Eric, Katja, Bruce and Brett.
You made my staying in USA very comfortable.
I really enjoyed all three classes.
Tests were very impressive.
Everything was beyond expectations.

I wish all the team in Sheffield the best of good luck for 2005.
--
Best regards,
Tamir
MIAT-Mongolian Airlines

4 Jan 2005
Subject: Good News

Hi Everyone,
...I've been recruited by an airline - Air Deccan who commenced operations in 2003 as an Assistant Dispatcher. They fly A320s and ATR 42s and are a budget, no-frills airline and will be expanding this year with flights to neighboring countries. ...I'm looking at the experience factor that I'll get within a span of 3-4 years which would hold me in good stead for a major and permanent jump later. I'm based in New Delhi for the moment but will be moving around India.
Thank you for all your prayers and will wishes and just in case I forgot, Happy New Year to you and your families.
Sincerely yours,
Kartik(KT/KTK)

P.S. Thanks to Bruce and Brett at Sheffield.Gents, I'd have sunk like a stone in my Indian License Dispatch classes had it not been for the FAA License.

Special Notes From the EUFALDA Board regarding international dispatch requirements:

http://www.eufalda.org/forum/messages/1/117.html?1105981481

FAA DISPATCHER
By Eric Morris on Monday, January 17, 2005 - 05:04 pm:
International students: please note that according to the FAA (Washington, D.C.) it is absolutely NOT LEGAL or authorized for a successful graduate of aircraft dispatcher training to receive final certification (the FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate under FAR Part 65) via practical examination testing OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.A.. There are ZERO permitted exemptions (including Part 142) to this rule no matter what you've been told by certain course operators running training classes outside of the U.S.A.. We know for a fact that this situation has resulted in more than a few problems for students and course operators in the past. Yes, the FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate may be surrendered, suspended, or revoked. It is also possible to receive the FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate in the U.S. and convert it in certain "states" (countries) at a low cost and short time. For those seeking an education in addition to a Dispatch certificate in the U.S., you should ask around before enrolling anywhere. Not all "FAA-approved" schools are created equal or operate equally.
Eric Morris
President
Sheffield School of Aeronautics
www.sheffield.com
See followups below:

By Ruud Sikma on Sunday, January 23, 2005 - 07:41 pm:
Reading all of the above I would like to add a comment. KLM has recently introduced Dispatch according FAR 121. All our Dispatchers have a FAA-certificate (FAR 65) and we had all of our Flightplanners trained at Sheffield to become FAA-Dispatchers.
Ruud Sikma
Chief-Dispatcher KLM

By professional on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 06:20 am:
I agree with the message Mr Morris has posted.
Not all FAA APPROVED SCHOOLS are created equal.
Be careful in choosing which school you want to attend. Some schools train only in the Dispatch profession while others train in the dispatch profession and beyond. Some schools have more resources than others and produce superior quality materials and training.
It is important that any European considering Dispatch as a career choice, whether licensed or not, complete a course in accordance with ICAO
Doc 7192-D3, The Flight Operations Officer/Aircraft Dispatcher Training manual.
Many schools train the student to pass the FAA exam only. The truth is, the FAA curriculum has not been updated in a while and the ICAO standard covers more of the current applications in the real world such as RVSM, RNP etc. Some schools do not train to this level.

By rogero on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 06:28 am:
International students should also note that an FAA licence is not required** overseas unless you are dispatching US 121 operations or through a code share. In this case, an ICAO approved/compliant training course covers the FAA curriculum and more and may save you the expense of travelling to the US.

**See following note!

By PORTER David (Dporter) on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 04:36 pm:
The writer above is mostly correct. There are a few States/operators (Saudi Arabia, for one..at least a couple of years ago) that required an FAA Dispatcher license. I recall about 10 years ago, there was a huge controversy because the FAA revoked a number of Aircraft Dispatcher Airman's Certificates acquired through a major aeronautical college in Florida. The college apparently reduced the number of hours required under it's ab initio course and when FAA learned this, they revoked the licenses.
I was the President of IFALDA at the time and I got an urgent phone call from a colleague in London about this since apparently, Saudia Arabian Airlines required the FAA license and several of their London-based dispatchers had their FAA licenses revoked. I understand that this dilema was later resolved.
The real issue outside of the U.S. isn't whether the FAA license is required by law or state regulation but rather, it is desirable for competitive reasons. Hiring someone to plan and monitor flights with an FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Airman's Certificate gives applicants a major competitive advantage.

Regarding the note from Eric Morris above, I've know Eric for years and in my strictly personal opinion, his school is the Gold Standard for thorough, professional Dispatch schools. Their courses are not easy to get through and pass but if you do, you'll have a solid basic knowledge of aircraft dispatching, whether you ever exercise the privileges of your FAA certificate or not. A classic example is the U.S. Air Force Tanker/Airlift Command Center. Eric's school provided FAA-level certification training for U.S. Air Force Flight Managers even though they will never actually exercise the privileges of their license while working for the Air Force since it is not an FAR Part 121 operation.

..... I should note that I have no attachment to Eric's school, either professional or financial. Everything above is strictly my personal opinion, for whatever its worth.
Cheers,
Dave Porter