Thread: flight crews fly free

Originally Posted by 29palms

Sorry but that 5 hours per year in the cockpit observing WHAT? Sounds very lame but I'm not trying to pick a fight with that group as to dispatchers priverledge. Technicians have taxi, run up, plus fix the planes pilots fly. Nobody is more qualified in the cockpit aside a pilot than a technician. It is what it is. FAA makes the rules for whatever purpose. Maybe some technician ticked off a pilot while jumpseating, who knows.

I don't think this is a who knows more about the airplane issue. Dispatchers are trained in aircraft systems, but obviously know far less about them than MX does. The airplane wouldn't move from A to B without MX. All three groups are vital in keeping an airline running.

The reason dispatchers observe cockpit operations is simply because it improves the dx'ers knowledge/experience on how what you do affects those on the other end of the release, and vice versa.

When I am creating a flight release, selecting altitudes, routes, planning fuel loads, making enroute changes, sending ACARS messages, etc, how does that affect the flight crew? What phases of flight are the most demanding for them? What is the most effective means to communicate something important? Is the current iteration of the release the best possible, or are we burning 10 extra pages of paper that are unnecessary? These are all questions that can be answered by sitting with the crew while they actually do their job. Likewise, when pilots come sit in dispatch with us, they can see that we have more than just their flight on our desks, and that if we don't immediately answer them, it's more likely that we're taking care of another problem, not just reading a newspaper. It's intended to improve the communication from both sides.

I can't speak as to why the FAA removed your ability to ride up front.