1.5 Regulations, Manuals, Crew Qualifications, and Source Control

Use the Right Authority for the Decision

The practical test expects a dispatcher to locate and apply the relevant regulation, manual, and authorization. Knowing a rule number without its scope is insufficient. A flight can satisfy a general rule and still violate an AFM limitation or the carrier's issued OpSpecs. Conversely, an advisory circular describing an acceptable method is not itself identical to a mandatory regulation. Identify which document supplies the requirement and which supplies explanatory guidance.

Regulatory map

Appendix A retains some historical headings and references. Use the current applicable regulation: hazardous-material carriage is addressed by 49 CFR Part 175, and current domestic/flag/supplemental definitions are in 14 CFR § 110.2. Do not treat an old citation in a course outline as proof that the same current section number contains the rule.

AFM, operating manual, and OpSpecs

The Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) supplies approved limitations and relevant performance information for the airplane. The General Operating Manual (GOM) and associated company manuals define the carrier's approved/accepted policies, responsibilities, communication procedures, dispatch methods, and abnormal workflows. Operations Specifications state the carrier's authorizations, limitations, and procedures for its particular operation.

For a hypothetical low-visibility destination, three independent checks are necessary: the procedure and airport support the approach; the aircraft configuration and AFM/equipment status permit it; and the carrier/crew have the required authorization and qualifications. A published CAT III procedure at an airport does not authorize every carrier or every airplane to use CAT III minima. An MEL defect can remove a capability even while the airplane remains dispatchable for another flight.

When documents appear to conflict, compare applicability, effective dates, aircraft variants, and issued approvals. Escalate an unresolved conflict through the approved carrier process. Do not select whichever wording allows the most convenient departure. Approved performance data, an issued operational authorization, and an explanatory handbook serve different functions and must be read together.

Crew certification and operating qualification

Part 61 pilot certification is a starting point. Part 121 also requires the appropriate training, checks, airplane and route qualifications, recent experience, and operating assignments. A type rating by itself does not prove a crew is current for the carrier's particular operation. Similarly, a dispatcher certificate does not establish carrier differences training or jurisdiction qualification.

Before release, verify the assigned captain and first officer through the carrier's current crew-qualification system. Evaluate any restrictions relevant to the destination, approach type, special airport, navigation authorization, or operation. The dispatcher's role is to ensure the available crew information supports the plan and to coordinate a discrepancy with crew scheduling and operational management; do not infer eligibility from a name appearing on a schedule.

Flightcrew duty and fitness

Part 117 applies to the flightcrew operations within its stated passenger-operation scope; all-cargo operations have separate Part 121 provisions and may use an authorized Part 117 election. Dispatcher duty is instead addressed by § 121.465. Flight-attendant rules are in § 121.467. Keep these groups and applicability rules separate before looking up a numerical limit.

A proposed ATC delay can change a flightcrew duty calculation, projected arrival, weather window, fuel needs, and aircraft rotation. If the plan no longer fits an applicable crew limit, involve crew scheduling and evaluate a replacement crew, delay strategy, or cancellation under approved procedures. An emergency-extension provision is not routine permission to design an otherwise illegal schedule. Legal clock compliance also does not establish that an individual reporting unfit is safe to assign.

Airport and service qualification

Check whether the airport is authorized and operationally suitable for the airplane and flight. Consider runway data and pavement strength, lighting, approaches, NOTAMs, weather reporting, emergency services, and any special airport or terminal procedures. Part 139 ARFF indexing uses aircraft length and departure-frequency considerations; do not assume an aircraft's passenger count alone identifies the required index.

Foreign airport conditions must be evaluated under their applicable published information and the carrier's authorizations. An airport without a U.S. Part 139 certificate is not automatically unusable worldwide, and an airport certificate does not prove that a particular runway, navaid, or service is currently available. Use the time of proposed operation, including a possible diversion window, rather than only nominal daytime hours.

Source-control exercise

A hypothetical release uses a chart from a prior cycle, a current airport closure NOTAM, and a performance result for a different engine rating. Start by identifying each defect. The current NOTAM controls the affected operational status; the correct chart and approved procedure must be available; and the performance calculation must be rerun for the actual aircraft configuration. A correct signature cannot repair these wrong inputs.

Finish the exercise by naming the source for each decision and documenting unresolved constraints before departure authorization. This is the practical-test skill of effective information retrieval: locate the relevant paragraph, identify its scope and conditions, apply it to the flight, and communicate the operational consequence to the PIC. Memorized headings are useful only when they lead to a correct, current decision.

Official References

Source check: 2026-10-12. Dispatcher eligibility and knowledge requirements; FAA testing matrix; FAA dispatcher PTS; Part 121 operating rules. For operational use, apply current issued authorizations and the assigned aircraft’s approved data.