Feb. 24, 2014
NBAA encourages Members to provide annual recurrent training for their dispatchers, and the Association recently partnered with Jeppesen to host two dispatcher recurrent training opportunities.
The first event was a webinar held late last year, providing a brief overview of annual recurrent training considerations for dispatchers, including a short update on several critical topics. The second training event was a two-day licensed dispatcher recurrent training program held in conjunction with the Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference earlier this year.
For Members who were unable to attend the dispatcher training webinar, the Association has announced that the session has been archived online and is available free of charge to NBAA Members.
“In aviation, we need to practice every day, not once every few years,” said the webinar and course presenter, Jeremy Vincent, Jeppesen’s training center manager. “Training is just as important for dispatchers and schedulers as it is for airmen and maintenance technicians. In fact, it can be very beneficial for dispatchers and pilots to train together. It is critical that individuals with dispatch duties in business aviation operations maintain currency on a wide range of topics.”
The two-day recurrent training course included the latest information on meteorology, aeronautical charting and flight planning, among other topics important to managing a safe flight. One module focused on FAR Part 91 regulations and included a discussion on best practices Part 91 flight departments can adopt from Part 91(K) and 135 operators. Vincent used real-life scenarios to help attendees understand the applicability of the training to their operations.
“Flight departments need to realize that their dispatchers can be a huge asset in managing risk and ensuring safe flight operations,” said Vincent. “Dispatchers are often the first individuals to become intimately familiar with the details of a flight. If properly trained, dispatchers can identify concerns or risks with a flight long before pilots are even aware of the trip. This can enable the flight department to proactively mitigate the risk or work to manage passenger expectations.”
The two-day recurrent training course helped more than 30 licensed dispatchers update their knowledge, skills and abilities with the latest information on the duties and responsibility of an aircraft dispatcher.
“NBAA is pleased to have presented this course to Member Companies in partnership with Jeppesen,” said Jo Damato, NBAA’s director, educational development and strategy and staff liaison to the Schedulers & Dispatchers Committee. “We believe annual recurrent training is important for all individuals who serve in a scheduling or dispatching role, and we look forward to providing more training opportunities to our Members.”
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.