Aircraft Dispatcher study plan
Aircraft Dispatcher · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Aircraft Performance, Weight and Balance
Compute aircraft weight and balance (arms, moments, CG limits, forward/aft limit checks) for at least six loading scenarios
Calculate density altitude, pressure altitude, and true airspeed corrections and state their effect on takeoff and landing distances
Interpret takeoff, climb, cruise, and landing performance data to determine maximum allowable weight for given runway, wind, temperature, and slope conditions
Identify aircraft operating limitations (max ramp/takeoff/landing weights, zero-fuel weight, runway slope and contamination limits) and apply them to a proposed flight
Your checkpoint
Closed-book problem set of 25 weight-and-balance and performance calculations, scored at 85% or better, with every missed item reworked and annotated
Flight Planning, Fuel Management and Dispatch Procedures
Build a complete domestic IFR flight plan from airport pairs including route selection, altitudes, true course to magnetic course conversion, wind correction angle, and groundspeed
Calculate fuel requirements leg by leg: taxi, trip, contingency, alternate, final reserve, and extra fuel, then compare against regulatory minimums
Determine alternate airport requirements and verify weather eligibility for the chosen alternate
Compute time en route and fuel burn for each checkpoint and produce a fuel/time log
Draft a dispatch release summarizing fuel, alternate, weather, NOTAMs, and MEL/CDL considerations
Your checkpoint
One full flight plan package (route, winds, fuel log, alternate analysis, dispatch release) for a 600-900 nm trip, self-graded against a checklist with zero arithmetic errors
Aircraft Performance, Weight and Balance & Flight Planning, Fuel Management and Dispatch Procedures
Re-solve performance problems using actual aircraft data rather than simplified formulas to build speed and accuracy
Recalculate fuel and payload trade-offs when payload, temperature, or runway length changes, and state the limiting constraint
Integrate weight-and-balance output into the flight plan to confirm the planned fuel load stays within structural and CG limits
Complete timed mixed drills blending domains 3 and 4 at exam pace
Your checkpoint
Timed 40-question mixed set on domains 3 and 4 completed in 50 minutes with a score of 80% or higher
Air Traffic Control and Navigation
Describe airspace classes, dimensions, entry requirements, and equipment/speed restrictions, and classify at least 20 airspace scenarios
Interpret IFR clearances, standard instrument departures, and standard terminal arrivals and extract required routing and altitude constraints
Explain radar services, separation minima, and ATC priority handling for emergencies and unusual situations
Solve basic navigation problems: VOR radial tracking, RNAV/GPS waypoint leg, holding entry selection, and wind triangle computations
Your checkpoint
Airspace and clearance interpretation worksheet (30 items) plus three hand-drawn holding-entry and radial-tracking solutions, all scored at 85% or better
Air Traffic Control and Navigation & Meteorology
Apply chart symbology to read surface analysis, weather depiction, and significant weather charts and translate them into operational risk statements
Analyze METARs, TAFs, PIREPs, and wind/temperature aloft forecasts to build a go/no-go weather brief for a planned flight
Explain stability, lapse rates, and adiabatic processes and predict resulting cloud, turbulence, and icing conditions
Solve wind triangle and groundspeed/fuel-burn adjustments using forecast winds aloft
Your checkpoint
Written weather brief for one planned flight, including decoded observations, forecast trend, hazards, and a go/no-go recommendation with three supporting reasons
Meteorology
Describe formation and hazards of thunderstorms, microbursts, wind shear, and low-level turbulence, and state avoidance criteria used in dispatch
Interpret icing, freezing level, and frontal system data to identify where structural icing is likely and what restrictions apply
Convert between Celsius and Fahrenheit, station pressure and altimeter settings, and apply altimeter error corrections to minimums
Evaluate a marginal-weather scenario and justify an alternate, delay, or cancellation decision
Your checkpoint
Case-study write-up on one hazardous-weather scenario (convective or icing) with a hazard timeline, dispatch decision, and a 10-item self-quiz scored at 80% or better
Regulations, Emergency/Abnormal Procedures and Human Factors
Map dispatcher certificate and duty-time rules, including flight and duty limitations, rest requirements, and shared responsibility with the pilot in command
State dispatch obligations for flight following, in-flight re-release, amendments, and the conditions under which a flight may not be released
Apply emergency and abnormal procedures: declaration criteria, fuel dumping, diversion, ATC notification, and post-incident reporting
Identify human-factors threats (fatigue, complacency, automation bias, workload) and describe mitigation techniques for each
Your checkpoint
Two-page reference sheet of regulatory limits, emergency checklists, and human-factors mitigations, validated by a 25-question self-test at 85% or better
Regulations, Emergency/Abnormal Procedures and Human Factors & Air Traffic Control and Navigation & Meteorology & Aircraft Performance, Weight and Balance & Flight Planning, Fuel Management and Dispatch Procedures
Take two full-length simulated exams under timed conditions and log every missed item by domain and root cause
Re-study weakest domains identified in the simulations and re-solve the missed items until each is correct without notes
Drill rapid recall of regulations, fuel minimums, and airspace rules to reduce hesitation under time pressure
Finalize a one-page pre-exam review card covering formulas, limits, and decision criteria
Your checkpoint
Two full-length practice exams completed with scores of 80% or higher and an error log showing every missed item resolved
Milestones
Week 3: Score 80% or higher on a timed 40-question mixed set covering aircraft performance and flight planning, and produce a complete flight plan with no arithmetic errors
Week 4: Explain airspace classes, IFR clearance contents, and holding entries aloud without notes, and score 85% or higher on the airspace and clearance worksheet
Week 6: Deliver a complete go/no-go weather brief and case-study hazard analysis in under 45 minutes, scoring 80% or higher on the accompanying self-quiz
Week 8: Two timed full-length simulated exams at 80% or higher with an error log showing each missed item re-solved and the weakest domain raised above 80%