PLT398: Dispatching Authority
What code PLT398 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Dispatching Authority before your checkride.
Recall regulations - dispatch
What this means for your checkride
In domestic operations, no person may start a flight unless an aircraft dispatcher specifically authorizes that flight. The one exception is when an airplane lands at an intermediate airport specified in the original dispatch release and remains there for not more than one hour. This dispatching authority is a core control function that ties each departure to a dispatcher's specific approval.
Pilots must know that a specific dispatch authorization is required to begin a flight in domestic air carrier operations.
Where to study it
A code on your test report is an area of deficiency. An authorized instructor must review it with you and endorse that review before you take the practical test, and the examiner may revisit it during the oral. Study it until you can explain it out loud, not just recognize the answer.