However, there are thousands of people working behind the scenes to make the air travel industry run. If you want to apply for a job at an airline, there are many exciting possibilities that you may want to consider.

During these deep dive videos, Airways will showcase different interviews and information from industry insiders to learn more about their specific jobs and the ins and outs of commercial aviation. To begin the series, we will start with a little known but crucial job in the airline industry: flight dispatcher.

Airways had the chance to interview the president of the Airline Dispatchers Federation, Catherine Jackson.

She has worked as a flight dispatcher at Southwest Airlines for 15 years.

Most of the following information presented is based on a series of questions given to Catherine Jackson during our interview.

The answers make up the majority of our dive into the world of flight dispatch.

Let's get started. What is the role of a flight dispatcher?

The short answer is that an aircraft dispatcher is an FAA certified airman jointly responsible with the PIC for the pre-flight planning, delay, and dispatch release of a flight in compliance with FAA regulations.

While technology certainly helps to build the foundation of a flight plan, there are many factors and inputs that a dispatcher will consider and apply to any given release.

Things like weather, turbulence, aircraft performance, mechanical limitations, air traffic control initiatives, airport capacity, takeoff, en route, and destination alternates. Contingency planning, passenger accommodation, and airline economics are all considered in crafting each and every flight plan.

Much of our work revolves around the weather.

Strong meteorological skills are important to be able to understand and analyze a wide variety of weather products and tools.

Winds have the greatest impact when selecting the most economical route, but safety choices considering other elements such as weather hazards, turbulence, and air traffic control factors will take precedence over economic route selection. On the best of days, on the simplest of flights, much of the dispatcher-slash-pilot briefing can be accomplished through remarks included in the dispatch release.

As the complexity of the flight and the number of contributing considerations increase, so will the level of dispatcher-to-pilot interaction.

Many types of operations require a briefing by telephone.

At larger airlines, face-to-face briefings are seldom, if ever, conducted.

This coordination is not restricted to the planning phase of the flight.

Pilots and dispatchers must be able to communicate any changing conditions throughout all phases of flight. There is a tremendous amount of trust between pilots and dispatchers, and that relationship is critical to allowing for good crew resource management and ensuring the safety of the flight.

The pilot-in-command, PIC, does have to sign off on the dispatch release and coordinate any desired changes with the dispatcher.

Both parties must be in concurrence that the plan is the safest, most efficient way to operate that flight that day before the flight departs. There are many opportunities within dispatch offices.

In addition to line dispatchers, those actively responsible for flights, most offices will have dispatchers performing specialized duties, including coordination with air traffic control, equipment routing, network integrity, charter operations, and other technical support capacities.

Some will move into management or pursue other opportunities, but the vast majority of dispatchers will enjoy a fulfilling, rewarding career and retire from the dispatch position. Most careers in aviation will include flight benefits.

Typically, employees can fly for free on a standby, space-available basis on their own carrier.

Some employers will offer discounted, confirmed tickets.

Most airlines have agreements offering deeply discounted, space-available tickets to employees of other airlines. While there is no specific formula, the number of dispatchers required to operate each airline is dependent upon the number and complexity of flights operated.

As a point of reference, the largest U.S. carriers each have four to five hundred dispatchers.

Aircraft dispatchers make a significant contribution to aviation safety and the success of our airlines. Technology increases the ability to make those meaningful contributions.

Certainly, the job will evolve and change as technology advances, as it has since the beginning. What qualities are needed to be a flight dispatcher?

Aircraft dispatchers are problem solvers.

They must take into account a wide variety of contributing factors to both plan and execute a number of flights each shift.

Being able to anticipate and prioritize are critical skills for success.

They must be able to manage our workload to accommodate the unexpected, be it unforecasted weather, aircraft or passenger emergencies, or to provide backup and support for a colleague. Dispatchers must also have good situational awareness, be able to juggle many issues at once, and be flexible enough to pivot with continuously changing priorities. How to become a flight dispatcher?

In order to qualify to take the exams to obtain a certificate, you must attend a certified dispatcher school and meet the educational requirements.

Those requirements can vary depending upon prior experience.

There will be a written, multiple-choice exam that is essentially the same as the ATP written exam.

Then you will sit with an examiner for oral and practical exams.

Once you have a certificate, you are eligible for hire. Your employer will have an established course of training that will include classroom and on-the-job training before you are checked out and able to exercise your certificate.

Many countries are not required by regulation to have aircraft dispatchers.

They will often have people performing similar functions without the same regulatory responsibility.

However, several countries have recognized the added level of safety and benefit of an additional oversight a dispatcher provides and have elected to have the people performing those functions receive the same training and certification even if they are not exercising the same authority required by the FAA. A flight dispatcher is one of the several jobs required within aviation to keep airlines running smoothly and safely.

It is a critical component of an airline and can be one of the most satisfying jobs.

Stay on the lookout for more deep dives into different careers in aviation.

Let us know in the comments if you think a dispatch job may interest you or what other jobs you might want to see featured in the series.