Dispatcher Certification & Duties
Dispatcher Certification & Duties is a core knowledge area on the Aircraft Dispatcher FAA written exam. This hub collects our 6 in-depth, ACS-aligned dispatcher certification & duties articles — each written in plain English and grounded in the official FAA handbooks. Work through them below, then drill the topic with practice questions.
Dispatcher Duty Time Limits and Rest Requirements Under 14 CFR 121.465
14 CFR 121.465 limits aircraft dispatchers to 10 consecutive duty hours and requires 8 hours of rest before and after each duty period, with specific relief-dispatcher provisions when a duty period exceeds 10 hours.
The Aircraft Dispatcher ADX Knowledge Test: Subject Areas and Passing Strategy
The ADX knowledge test covers 26 subject areas drawn from 14 CFR Part 65 Subpart C, and a score of 70% or higher is required to pass — here is how to study smart and succeed on exam day.
Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate Eligibility and Aeronautical Experience Requirements
To earn an aircraft dispatcher certificate under 14 CFR Part 65 Subpart C, applicants must meet specific age, language, knowledge, and experience requirements—including at least one year of qualifying aeronautical experience in approved combinations.
Roles of the Dispatcher Versus the Flight Operations Officer in Airline Operations
Aircraft dispatchers and flight operations officers (FOOs) share overlapping responsibilities in airline operations, but their legal authority, certification requirements, and operational roles differ significantly under 14 CFR Part 65 Subpart C and Part 121.
Aircraft Dispatcher Recency and Familiarization Flight Requirements
Aircraft dispatchers must complete specific recency and familiarization flight requirements under 14 CFR Part 65 Subpart C to maintain their certificates, ensuring they stay operationally current with the aircraft and routes they dispatch.
Dispatcher Resource Management (DRM): Decision-Making and Workload Principles
Dispatcher Resource Management (DRM) applies crew resource management principles to the aircraft dispatcher role, emphasizing decision-making, workload prioritization, situational awareness, and communication to safely support flight operations under 14 CFR Part 65 Subpart C.
More Aircraft Dispatcher subjects
Articles are original summaries grounded in the public-domain FAA handbooks and cite their source. ACS-aligned study aids — not a substitute for the official handbooks or regulations.