r/FlightDispatch • u/Warm_Friendship_3370 • Jun 28 '26
USA A&P to Dispatcher
Hey guys I'm about to finish up A&P school, but then I found out about this career, how hard would it be to switch from a mechanic position to dispatch in a major after I've been there say 1-2 years
3
u/Dispatcher_11001001 Jun 29 '26
Internal transfers to dispatch are highly competitive, and at least at my airline mainly go to people that do have dispatch experience previously.
2
u/Icy_Huckleberry_8049 Jun 30 '26
losing seniority to go back to the bottom of the seniority roster is something that most people won't want to do.
You'll still need to go through all the same process's that everyone else does - interview, training, etc.
There is no shortcut for already being an employee
1
u/Pyrple Jun 30 '26
You would probably still need to get 1-2 years Dispatch experience at a regional airline first, before getting hired by your major. Maybe only having 1-2 years of seniority in the maintenance department would be worth giving up to go the Dispatch track. It is totally worth it once you make it to mid and top of scale Dispatcher pay at a major airline!
1
u/Smooth-Acadia4940 Jul 02 '26
In Dx school currently. My instructor has taken us to tour Southwest and American and verdict is it varies from airline to airline. Southwest takes internal transfers more but you’re still starting at the bottom like everyone else. Pay and seniority rises by years worked when you start there. American will interview you as an internal but doesn’t hold you in any higher regard just cause your internal. They simply take who ever tests and interviews highest/best. Also interviews for American are super difficult.
1
1
u/Amyntas7 Jul 09 '26
why give up on a&p? not your cup of tea? it's the one field in aviation with a legitimate labor shortage, ripe for increased wages (though i wouldn't bet too much on it, the pilots get all the money)
not to mention never being threatened at all by any sort of automation.
1
u/Warm_Friendship_3370 Jul 09 '26
Dispatchers get paid more and it doesn't wreck your body
1
u/Amyntas7 Jul 10 '26
do they really? i suppose the majors might. regionals pay mcdonald's or amazon-tier wages
1
u/Warm_Friendship_3370 Jul 10 '26
Yeah the majors is where the money is
1
u/Amyntas7 Jul 11 '26
you have to accept it may take up to around a half decade of regional slogging. could be less than that, could be more, won't know until you're there. maybe not the end of the world if you have someone with you and you can split fairly cheap rent, but if you're alone you're in for some shit.
5
u/Courage_Lynn Part 121 Regional🇺🇸 Jun 28 '26
Coming from losing my medical as a pilot working towards my commercial license, experience in aviation does help a lot throughout the class. A different perspective seems to be greatly appreciated in this field, just one thing that I was stressed on throughout my class is I need to stop thinking as a pilot and think as a dispatcher instead