Flight Operations Officer (FOO) /
Flight Dispatcher Course

Delivery Mode

Instructor-Led
Aviation Professional Training

Duration

14 Months
Mon–Fri 1700–1900
+3 Month Attachment

Individual Fees

170,000 Ksh
Excl. VAT

Registration

Open Intake
View timetable or contact training team

Course Overview & Strategic Objectives

The Flight Operations Officer (FOO) / Flight Dispatcher Course is an elite, comprehensive professional training program designed to prepare candidates for a distinguished career in airline operations control. Conducted in accordance with KCAA licensing requirements and ICAO Annex 1 / Doc 10106 competency standards, this rigorous program equips trainees to safely co-plan, monitor, and support commercial flight operations.

Flight Dispatchers share joint operational control and responsibility with aircraft commanders. Trainees master flight planning, meteorology, aircraft performance, weight and balance, mass calculation, fuel policy, NOTAM analysis, and operational coordination.

Detailed Course Curriculum

10 Core FOO / Flight Dispatch Subjects

  • Navigating the Kenya Civil Aviation Regulations (KCARs) and the Chicago Convention.
  • Understanding freedoms of the air, Air Operator Certificates (AOC), and dispatch licensing requirements.
  • Defining the legal joint responsibility of the Pilot-in-Command and the Flight Dispatcher.
  • Understanding aircraft powerplants, electrical systems, hydraulics, and avionics.
  • Mastering aircraft instrument systems, flight control mechanics, and high-altitude aerodynamics.
  • Evaluating the impact of weather and weight on aerodynamic efficiency and aircraft stability.
  • Analyzing global weather systems, frontal activity, and upper air charts.
  • Identifying and avoiding aviation hazards: severe turbulence, airframe icing, and thunderstorms (CBs).
  • Interpreting METARs, TAFs, SIGMETs, and constructing tactical weather avoidance strategies.
  • Calculating precise operational aircraft weight and balance limits.
  • Verifying Center of Gravity (CG) envelopes for safe takeoff and landing performance.
  • Managing index units, loading schedules, and structural weight limitations (MZFW, MTOW, MLW).
  • Calculating takeoff, climb, cruise, descent, and landing performance data.
  • Analyzing contaminated runway performance and obstacle clearance limits.
  • Executing drift-down calculations and single-engine cruise performance planning.
  • Computing precise operational and ATS flight plans compliant with performance and routing rules.
  • Calculating trip fuel, contingency fuel, alternate fuel, final reserve fuel, and extra fuel.
  • Applying cost index principles and optimizing flight levels for maximum fuel efficiency.
  • Mastering principles of dead reckoning, great circle routing, and rhumb lines.
  • Understanding Ground-based radio aids (VOR, NDB, ILS) and Area Navigation (RNAV/RNP).
  • Navigating global GNSS/GPS systems and calculating precise oceanic and regional routings.
  • Extracting critical operational data from the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP).
  • Analyzing Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) for en-route and terminal operational restrictions.
  • Utilizing Pre-flight Information Bulletins (PIB) for comprehensive flight briefing.
  • Executing active flight watch procedures and tracking active flights globally.
  • Coordinating emergency operational decisions (OCC) with flight crews and Air Traffic Control.
  • Utilizing standard aviation communications, ACARS, and CPDLC systems.
  • Applying Dispatch Resource Management (DRM) and Threat and Error Management (TEM).
  • Managing workload, cognitive overload, and circadian rhythm fatigue during shift work.
  • Responding to security events, unlawful interference, and emergency operational protocols.

Course Objectives

Instructional Methods

Target Group

Career Opportunities

Tailored Across Aviation Sectors

Course content and competency development are mapped to the operational roles identified in the approved course write-up.

Aspiring Flight Operations Officers

Aspiring Flight Operations Officers

Flight Dispatch trainees

Flight Dispatch trainees

Airline operations personnel

Airline operations personnel

Professionals preparing for KCAA FOO licensing examinations

Professionals preparing for KCAA FOO licensing examinations

Assessment & Official Credential

KCAA Licensing Pathway

Upon successful completion of the training programme and meeting the applicable KCAA licensing requirements, graduates will be eligible to sit the KCAA Flight Operations Officer licensing examinations, paving the way for a rewarding career in airline flight dispatch and operations control.

Regulatory Alignment

KCAA licensing requirements, ICAO Annex 1 and ICAO Doc 10106 competency standards.

Practical Application

The course is delivered through physical, instructor-led part-time classes, combining classroom learning with practical operational exercises to ensure participants develop both theoretical knowledge and workplace-ready skills.

Learning Outcomes

Understand the regulatory framework governing flight dispatch and airline operations.

Training Outcome

Upon successful completion of the training programme and meeting the applicable KCAA licensing requirements, graduates will be eligible to sit the KCAA Flight Operations Officer licensing examinations, paving the way for a rewarding career in airline flight dispatch and operations control.

Practical Learning & Course Resource Vault

Applied learning activities drawn directly from the course teaching methodology.

Applied Learning Activity 1

The course is delivered through physical, instructor-led part-time classes, combining classroom learning with practical operational exercises to ensure participants develop both theoretical knowledge and workplace-ready skills.

Applied Learning Activity 2

Training methods include:

Frequently Asked Questions

Think Aviation’s catalog lists eighteen years as the course-entry minimum. KCAA’s current Flight Operations Officer licensing guidance states that a licence applicant must be at least twenty-one years old. Therefore, a learner may begin training earlier but must satisfy the licensing age and all other eligibility requirements before licence issuance.

No. Course completion is a licensing step, but KCAA separately requires an approved training record, knowledge examination, qualifying experience or training, supervised operational service, application documentation, language competence, fees, and other licensing conditions. Think Aviation prepares candidates for licensing; the licence is issued only by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.

Flight dispatch is a profession that requires application of planning, weather, performance, fuel, NOTAM, communication, and flight-monitoring knowledge in an operations environment. KCAA licensing guidance includes supervised service requirements before application. Practical exposure helps candidates integrate classroom knowledge with live coordination, documentation, decision support, and airline procedures under qualified supervision.

The programme covers air law, aircraft knowledge, principles of flight, meteorology, mass and balance, performance, navigation, flight planning, fuel policy, aeronautical information, NOTAMs, communications, flight monitoring, human performance, and operational procedures. Practical exercises develop dispatch calculations and decision-making skills needed for examinations and supervised airline operations after theoretical training effectively.

Graduation alone does not authorise licensed practice. Candidates must satisfy KCAA’s licensing requirements, including the prescribed examinations, age, approved training evidence, experience or supervised service, application records, and fees. Employers may also require induction, aircraft or route familiarisation, operational competency checks, and internal authorisation before independent dispatch responsibilities are assigned.

Register for the Next Course Intake

Physical aviation training programme — contact Think Aviation Training for the current intake and registration details.

Details to Consider

Course Registration & Corporate Training Enquiries

Contact Training Team

Request the current individual fee, corporate quotation, intake dates and registration requirements.

Quality Management Systems
(QMS) Course

Delivery Mode

In-Person
Interactive Physical Class

Duration

4 Days
32 Contact Hours

Individual Fee

USD 650
Excl. of VAT

Refreshment Break

Tea, Coffee & Snacks
a moment to refresh and connect

Course Overview & Strategic Objectives

The Quality Management Systems (QMS) Course is designed to equip aviation professionals with the knowledge and practical skills required to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve Quality Management Systems within aviation organizations. The course is delivered in accordance with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) regulatory requirements and aligns with ICAO quality management principles and international aviation best practices.

Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of quality management concepts, regulatory compliance, process-based management, documentation control, internal audits, corrective and preventive actions, and continuous improvement. The course emphasizes the practical application of QMS principles to enhance operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and safety performance across aviation organizations.

Detailed Course Curriculum

8 Master Modules – 32 Interactive Hours & Hands-on Labs

  • Introduction to Aviation Quality Management Systems
  • Quality concepts and definitions
  • Evolution of quality management in aviation
  • ICAO requirements for quality systems
  • Relationship between QMS, SMS, and Compliance Monitoring
  • Core Principles of Quality and Customer Satisfaction
  • Eight principles of quality management
  • The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle
  • Senior leadership commitment and responsibilities
  • Building a positive quality and just culture within the workforce
  • The Structure and Control of Aviation Documentation
  • Designing and drafting the Corporate Quality Manual
  • Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and work instructions
  • Document control workflows and amendment processes
  • Mandatory record-keeping and retention under EASA and KCAA regulations
  • Process Mapping and Risk-Based Thinking
  • Identification and mapping of core operational processes
  • Quality risk management and proactive hazard tracking
  • Developing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and quality metrics
  • Monitoring process stability and standard operational tolerances
  • The Audit Lifecycle and Inspector Methodologies
  • Audit programming, scheduling, and planning objectives
  • Creating effective checklists and auditor working documents
  • On-site audit execution, interviewing, and evidence gathering
  • Classification of findings (Observations, Minor and Major Non-Conformances)
  • Structural Problem Solving and Finding Resolution
  • Root cause analysis tools (The 5 Whys, Fishbone diagrams, Pareto charts)
  • Developing comprehensive Corrective and Preventive Action plans
  • Human factors considerations in systemic quality failures
  • Verification techniques for assessing CAPA effectiveness over time
  • Dual Governance and System Convergence
  • Commonalities and operational distinctions between SMS and QMS
  • Data sharing protocols between safety databases and quality registries
  • The role of the Accountable Manager in overseeing dual systems
  • Achieving an Integrated Management System (IMS) for unified compliance
  • Business Assurance and Regulatory Enforcement Oversight
  • Preparing and executing inputs for the Management Review meeting
  • Managing continuous improvement initiatives and strategic change control
  • Understanding KCAA enforcement procedures, sanctions, and regulatory actions
  • Overseeing external subcontractors and evaluating third-party suppliers

Course Objectives

Instructional Methods

Target Group

Prerequisites

Tailored Across Aviation Sectors

Designed specifically for key operational categories under KCAA CARs

AOC Air Operators

Commercial airlines, bush charters, and cargo operators subject to Part 9 & 12 compliance.

AMOs (Maintenance)

Approved Maintenance Organizations integrating human factors and tool control hazard logs.

ATOs (Training)

Flight academies and simulator centers building safety habits into ab-initio pilot instruction.

Aerodromes & Ground

Ground handling agents, apron safety officers, and airport management teams.

UAS / Drone Operators

Commercial drone fleets implementing risk mitigation for BVLOS and urban operations.

Civil Aviation Authorities

Regulatory inspectors seeking advanced insights into SSP/SMS auditing standards.

Assessment & Official Credential

Certificate of Competency in QMS

Delegates undergo evaluations, including hazard matrix exercises and a final exam (70% pass mark). Upon completion, delegates are awarded an official Think Aviation Training Certificate of Completion recognized by KCAA for fulfilling mandatory safety post-holder training requirements.

Executive Alumni Feedback

What post holders say about Think Aviation’s SMS Training
★★★★★

“The practical BowTie risk exercise and SPI dashboard design completely transformed how our airline handles hazard logs. KCAA accepted our updated SMS manual on the first audit review.”

Capt. Christian Strebel
Accountable Manager, Yellow Wings Aviation

★★★★★

“QMS training on Just Culture and post-holder legal liability gave our executive team clear clarity. Highly recommended for any newly appointed Quality or Safety Manager.”

Susan Njeri
Quality Manager, Kasas Aviation Ltd

Training Standards

Recognised training satisfying ICAO, EASA, and KCAA post-holder standards.

Manual Templates & Toolkits

Includes Hazard Logs, Risk Assessment Matrices & SPI models.

Wilson Airport Facility

Modern classrooms at DLCO Hangar, Wilson Airport, Nairobi.

Catering & Networking

Each Training, delegates are served with tea + snacks, and break time for peer network before resuming training.

SMS Practical Toolkit Vault

Complimentary executive downloads provided during the course

Hazard Log & Risk Register

Excel Matrix Template (ICAO Aligned)

Safety Policy Statement

Sample CEO Commitment Letter

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Think Aviation is a certified non-flying Aviation Training Organization (ATO No. 22) approved by KCAA. The Safety Management Systems course aligns with ICAO Annex 19 and Kenya Civil Aviation Regulations.

Yes. Think Aviation provides customized in-house training for airlines, ground handling companies, maintenance repair organizations (AMOs), and airport authorities across Africa. Corporate group rates and tailored dates can be arranged.

Course fees can be paid in Kenyan Shillings (KES 45,000) or USD ($700 Excl. VAT) via direct bank transfer, corporate cheque, or M-PESA. Pro-forma invoices are issued upon enrollment registration.

Register for the Next SMS Cohort

For Corporate Training, ATO, AOC, AMO – Wilson Airport, Nairobi

Details to Consider

Limited Executive Seats Available

USD 650

per delegate
(Excl. VAT)

Reserve your seat or request a corporate invoice.