Sheffield School of Aeronautics Blog

So, what is the true difference between an airline dispatcher and an airline pilot, if both have extremely important roles in the aircraft?

The first difference between a flight dispatcher and an airline pilot is that the dispatcher does not actually fly a plane – that’s the job of the airline pilot.

An airline dispatcher is responsible for:

• Knowing the different types of regulations of airline flight planning and coordinating
• Safe fuel planning systems, like knowing how much fuel goes into an aircraft for long destinations and how much fuel the plane needs until it can stop and re-fuel
• Sticking to FAA guidelines
• Knowing what kind of weather is going to occur, and other meteorology factors

A pilot reads the weather packages before the release of the plane, or maybe they take a glance at what the weather is looking like on their smartphone. But it is the airline dispatcher that feeds all the weather information to the airline pilot, as well as providing them with what routes to take.

An airline dispatcher also talks to multiple departments to make sure everything is flowing in the right direction, compared to an airline pilot who simply deals with one group at a time.

Pilots, however, must go through rigorous training at a flight school, and they are constantly learning – it never stops. An airline dispatcher must also attend an aeronautics school to learn flight dispatcher training.

A pilot and dispatcher must understand each other and speak the same language. It is the flight dispatcher, though, who makes sure the pilot gets to their proper destination, as well as formulating a backup plan if the pilot runs into bad weather.

Airline pilots and airline dispatchers must both work together as a team – one is needed for the other, and they both can’t operate without one another. After going to flight dispatcher training school, most airline dispatchers work for a bit, and then go on to be pilots in the future.

However, if you are interested in learning more information about our aeronautics school for airline dispatching, you can always contact us to learn more.

Aircraft dispatching and ground handling are two very important jobs when it come to the airline system. You need these two to equal the flow of running a successful airport or airline. Each one holds important tasks, and people often confuse aircraft dispatching with air traffic controlling. The fact is, these two jobs are completely different.

Aircraft Dispatching

So, what really is an aircraft dispatcher?

An aircraft dispatcher is hired by an airline. They are trained to know how much fuel must go into the flight destination of an airplane, and are deeply involved in the pre-planning of flights.

Aircraft dispatchers plan the route of a flight, altitude, and airports; and huge part of their job is knowing the weather. In the aircraft dispatch system, knowing the allowed weather for takeoff, and other weather conditions, are a huge role.

Ground Handling

We all know the first steps when entering an airport; you print your tickets, hand your luggage in, and then proceed to security. But, have you ever thought about the people you never get to see? The ones maintaining and making sure everything flows smoothly. Well, these folks are the ground handlers.

A ground handler provides services such as:

• Check-in
• Boarding
• Ramp handling
• Maintenance
• Cleaning
• Catering
• Fueling

Ground handlers are vital to maintaining the proper system of an airport, and have a high level of security.

Proper training and experience is needed to get an aircraft dispatching job, as well as a job as a ground handler. You can always learn more information about a career in aircraft dispatching by contacting Sheffield School of Aeronautics today.

When you board your plane, it’s human nature to look over into the cockpit and take a quick glance at your airline pilot and co-pilot conversing with the aircraft dispatcher. But, have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a captain of an airline, such as what they feel and go through on a daily basis?

Airline captains are just like us, except they have an important task to do, which is to be the face of the airline and deliver passengers safely to their destination. When you’re an airline pilot, there is no such thing as just graduating – constant training and learning from an aeronautics school is needed for this profession. In fact, being a captain of an airline means always keeping up-to-date with new technology and new aircrafts that are being built.

Being an airline pilot does come with some amazing perks. Each day when you fly the aircraft, you get to witness some breathtaking sunsets and sunrises that you would never be able to witness on the ground. You also get to completely disconnect when you get home, so there’s no bringing work home with you. Politics are never involved when you fly your plane, because destination route is from A to B – so you don’t hear the constant gossip floating around.

Each day is different when you’re the captain of an airline. Chances are, you will never have two days that are the same, because passengers, routes, and weather are constantly changing. Perhaps one of the best parts of being an airline captain is traveling to new and exciting places, for free (all while getting paid at the same time)!

While there are still some negatives of being an airline pilot, like dealing with annoying passengers or co-workers in a bad mood, the positives of being a captain of an airline outweigh the negative.

Airline captain graduates from our aeronautics school have gone out to become airline pilots and still remember the excellent training and moments they had at learning. You can see so for yourself in our testimonials.

Sheffield School of Aeronautics can provide you with the training you need for a career in aircraft dispatching, and other subsidies of working with airlines.

In recent news, Boeing Global Services unveiled $2.3 billion worth of agreements with airlines and governments. The deal showed to have agreements to add more servicing business in modifications and maintenance, digital aviation and analytics, and training and professional services.

With the Boeing agreement, we will be able to see an increase in employment in the field of aeronautics, and an increase in people applying to aeronautical school. This new chance to partner up with airlines will provide people greater opportunities to become hired, keeping the great customer care Boeing Global is proud to provide. Some other agreements Boeing has made are:

• S. Air Force signed a 6.5-year contract, worth up to $986 million, for crew instruction, as well as upgraded aircrew and maintenance training systems for the Boeing-made C-17 military cargo transport aircraft.
• Malaysia’s Malindo Air signed a long-term partnership with Boeing Global Services unit Jeppesen to offer airplane dispatcher training services at its Kuala Lumpur operations center.

Sheffield School of Aeronautics has provided training for some of the biggest, and even smallest, airlines in America. Our quality airline dispatcher training courses and our highly trained instructors have decades of hands-on experience they’ve implemented in courses throughout the years. Upon completion of courses, we here at Sheffield will actively help future aircraft dispatchers seek job opportunities.

Since this new deal will provide more jobs, looking into an aeronautical school, such as Sheffield School of Aeronautics, can provide you with a chance to complete your dreams of flying or being an aircraft dispatcher.

Have you ever wondered why you feel so tired after a flight? Not the jet-lagged feel, but simply flight-related fatigue. The professionals at Sheffield’s aeronautics school are familiar with that feeling, and we’re here to help you better understand why you feel that way.

Elevation

If you live on a coast and your body is used to being at or below sea level, you could be feeling altitude sickness. Headaches, fatigue, and nausea can come from being so high in the atmosphere. These feelings could be coming from the lack of oxygen.

Oxygen

Lower oxygen levels contribute to the fatigue you’re feeling. Because plane cabins are pressurized to simulate a 6,000-8,000 feet elevation, your blood absorbs less oxygen at those altitudes. This can cause dizziness, sleepiness, and a lack of mental sharpness. Not to mention that your blood isn’t moving around much while you’re seated in your airplane chair for a few hours.

Dehydration

The air in higher altitudes is much dryer than the air on the ground. With that being said, you’re inhaling dry air and exhaling all your moisture-rich air. If you’re not replacing the water you’re losing you can become dehydrated.

Amongst other reasons as to why you may feel tired after a flight, the reasons listed above are ones in which you can take action to avoid.

Our bodies react to the changes in chemistry in different ways, and you may not be able to completely avoid the physical stress of air travel. However, the students in our aeronautics school dispatcher program agree that moving about the cabin can help to get your blood flowing, which will send oxygen to your brain to help you start feeling better. You should also drink plenty of water, before and after your flight. If you’re feeling the pre-flight nervousness and you usually opt for an alcoholic beverage at the airport before your flight, take the high road and stick with the water. Alcohol can not only lead to dehydration, but can also hinder your cells from taking in oxygen as efficiently.

Sheffield School or Aeronautics has provided unparalleled education, countless career opportunities, and airline technical support for over 6 decades. Contact us today to get started in one of our dispatcher programs.