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Published on: 7/22/2001
Last Visited: 7/22/2001
The airline flight dispatcher profession has exploded in the last two years , says Richard Wateska , owner of Airline Flight Dispatcher Training Center.FAA changed the regulations and now commuters use airline flight dispatchers just like the majors [ airlines ] do..
With the FAA changes , Wateska observed that the dispatcher's responsibilities and authority increased greatly.The dispatcher and airline captain share dual authority in decision-making in all aspects of the flight.It's the old idea that two heads are better than one..Wateska's school trains a number of international students , including training Chinese students for the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
Dispatchers usually complete preflight planning several hours before scheduled takeoff.This involves assessing en route and destination weather conditions , preparing the dispatch release , specifying minimum safe fuel level for the flight , preparing for the briefing with the captain , filing the ATC route flight plan and then finalizing the weather prognosis.