Guide
How to choose an aircraft dispatcher school
Every FAA-approved course must meet the same minimum. What differs is how it is taught and what you are told up front. Ask these questions of any school, including us.
Write the answers down and compare schools side by side. Our own answers are under each question.
Is the course FAA-approved under 14 CFR Part 65?
Ask for the approval letter and the date. The FAA publishes a list of approved aircraft dispatcher certification courses; a school that is on it can show you the letter. Approvals expire and are renewed, so ask whether the approval is current.
Our answer: Yes. Our course is on the FAA list of approved aircraft dispatcher certification courses. Ask to see the current approval letter when you visit.
How many hours, and how are they delivered?
The FAA minimum is 200 hours. Ask how many are classroom hours with an instructor present and how many are something else. Ask whether the practical dispatching exercises are done by hand before any software is used.
Our answer: All 200 hours with an instructor present, in person at our Miami facility: 128 knowledge hours and 72 practical hours, with the practical work done by hand first.
Who teaches, and what do they hold?
Ask whether every instructor holds the FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate, how long they have held it, and whether they are on the school's FAA-filed instructor list. Ask whether instructors are full-time or contracted.
Our answer: Every instructor holds the FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate and is on our FAA-filed list.
What does tuition include, and what is extra?
Books, charts, the flight computer, test-prep software and the FAA test fees may or may not be included. Ask for one all-in figure in writing, plus the deposit, payment schedule and refund policy.
Our answer: $7,000. It includes all 200 hours, the courseware library, charts and flight-planning forms, the E6B flight computer and plotter, test-prep software for the FAA knowledge test (ADX), and the FAA knowledge and practical test fees. A $2,500 deposit holds your seat and the balance is due two weeks before class starts. Refund terms are in the enrollment application; ask for a copy before you commit.
How big is the class?
Ask the usual class size and the maximum, and how many instructors are in the room for the practical dispatching week.
Our answer: Classes have up to 25 seats, and never more than 25 students per instructor.
What happens if I fall behind or fail a school test?
Ask about the passing score on school tests, the retest rule, and whether extra tutoring is available and what it costs.
Our answer: 80% is the passing score on school tests.
What happens if the class is canceled?
Ask about the minimum enrollment, how far ahead you would be told, and what happens to your deposit.
Our answer: Classes run with at least six students. If a class does not reach six, you move to the next class or receive a full refund of what you have paid.
Can I visit and sit in on a class?
A school with a classroom will let you see it. Visit, meet an instructor, and look at the materials you will be working from. Confirm that the address is a real classroom.
Our answer: Yes, by appointment. We are at 3814 Curtiss Parkway, Miami, FL 33166.
What does the school promise about jobs?
No school can promise employment, and the FAA, not the school, issues the certificate. Be careful with any school that quotes figures about test results, graduate numbers or jobs that you cannot verify yourself. Ask instead what, specifically, the school does for graduates.
Our answer: We promise nothing about jobs. The FAA issues the certificate; employers decide whom they hire.
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