Coleman and his business partner, Ed Patterson, opened the academy two years ago to train students in the little-known field of aircraft dispatching. Coleman and Patterson have about 72 years of aircraft dispatching experience between them. The two worked together at Viscount Air Service, a local and now-defunct small airline that specialized in transporting celebrities and sports teams. Working with the captain of a plane, a aircraft dispatcher is responsible for the safety of each flight. In a nutshell, aircraft dispatchers work behind the scenes to provide pilots with the support needed to ensure flights happen without a hitch.
Aircraft dispatchers provide pilots with flight release, weather reports, and flight plans.
They're also on the front lines in an emergency. The job pays well. At Flight Control Academy, students receive training that will lead to a aircraft dispatcher certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration. Students come from as far as the Marshall Islands and American Samoa, to attend the academy. Since 1998, Flight Control Academy has graduated 52 students.