User manual

PFPX - Professional Flight Planner X
Aerosoft GmbH 2013
72 73
The role of the flight dispatcher
A flight dispatcher is required to carry out flight planning for an opera-
tor, and may also be required to flight watch. Although ICAO has a re-
commended practice on flight dispatchers, there is no internationally
accepted license for dispatchers.
In the United States of America, the FAA issues an Aircraft Dispatcher
License. The FAA Aircraft Dispatcher License has no ICAO element equi-
valent to the recommended practice. The FAA license is required in the
USA and else-where if dispatching for a FAR 121 operator.
In the European Community, there is no requirement in the EU OPS for
a dispatcher to be licensed. Instead, it is left to the contracting states to
decide the level of training for dispatchers. To date, no member state of
the Euro-pean Community has introduced a dispatcher license.
The flight‘s dispatcher has to determine:
• The route that will be flown
• The fuel required
• The weather forecasts for the departure, destination, take-off
alter-nate, en route alternate and destination alternate airports
• The NOTAMs that are applicable to each of the airports
Beyond these aspects, dispatchers attempt to keep costs low by consi-
dering the optimization of the flown route, the loaded fuel amount, the
weight, al-titude and the planned speed during flight.
Regulations
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialised agen-
cy of the United Nations, codifies the principles and techniques of inter-
national air navi-gation and fosters the planning and development of
international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth.
ICAO members are 189 of the United Nations members and the Cook
Islands. The non-member states are Dominica, Liechtenstein, Niue, Tu-
valu, Vatican City and the states with limited recognition.