Communication is Key

We all know the frustrations involved in planning a long automobile trip. Choosing your route and deciding where to eat and sleep can sometimes take more time than the drive itself. Then the car has to be inspected -- oil, radiator fluid, tires. The most difficult task is cramming everything into the available space and starting out on time. You're finally under way, only a few hours late, and just in time for lousy weather and traffic jams. You finally arrive at your destination, late and frazzled. If you didn't need a vacation when you started, you do now. Imagine the monumental task of planning a jetliner's trip.

Ensuring the flight's safety and efficiency is the responsibility of many individuals. FAA-certified aircraft dispatchers are employed by all major airlines to ensure that the right airplane is at the gate, ready to go, at the scheduled departure time.

The first flight-planning step is to check the weather forecast, because the route must avoid areas with forecasts of inclement weather. The altitude that will provide the smoothest ride is determined and the winds being forecast for that altitude are evaluated. Fuel requirements are calculated once the route, wind speed, and altitude are known. Available fuel must allow the aircraft to reach its destination with adequate reserves and, if the weather at the destination is worse than forecast, to be able to continue on to an alternate airport. The aircraft dispatcher completes the weight and balance calculations after learning the amount of fuel needed and the number of passengers on board. As cargo is loaded, weight must be kept within the limits imposed by the aircraft's structure.

Each aircraft has a required minimum equipment list (MEL). The aircraft dispatcher refers to the MEL to verify that all necessary systems are available. After all the variables have been evaluated, the flight plan is filed with the FAA air traffic controllers (ATC). The locations of all aircraft are coordinated throughout their flights by ATC computers to maximize the efficiency of the National Airspace System.

When the flight crew arrives, the aircraft dispatcher briefs members and provides them with a dispatch release. The dispatcher and the captain must agree that the flight can be accomplished safely. If either has any doubts about the safety of the flight, the aircraft does not leave the gate. This mutual veto authority ensures the highest degree of safety.

At this point the first officer (co-pilot) performs the exterior walk-around, visually verifying the aircraft's airworthiness. The captain checks the systems on the flight deck, confirms that the proper fuel has been loaded, and receives departure clearance from the ATCs. Passengers are then briefed about safety equipment, cargo compartments are secured, the aircraft is pushed back from the gate, and the engines come alive. The flight departs on time as taxi clearance is received. Given all that must be accomplished, it's amazing that so many flights leave on time.

The dispatcher's job is not over even after the flight has begun. Due to ever-changing weather and air traffic conditions, the aircraft dispatcher is constantly in communication with the crew. Federal Aviation Regulations require the availability of this communication link even if the aircraft is on the ground in a foreign country. The next time you're saying farewell to your flight crew after an on-time arrival, be sure to have them pass along an "attaboy" to the hard-working folks back at the Operations Center.

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