French translation:

TWA Operations Center in Paris. Flight Dispatch and Planning.

By Bob Mouilleseaux Director International Flight Operations.

After the Second World War (1939-1945), the USA gave two American airlines permission to operate overseas : PAA and TWA.

  • On February 5, 1946, the TWA Constellation "Star of Paris" took off from La Guardia bound for Gander, Shannon, and Orly. The trip took 16 hours and 21 minutes.
  • To allow commercial aircraft to fly, and in accordance with FAA regulations, management had established "Flight Dispatch " centers in Shannon, Paris, Rome, Cairo, and Bombay. The flight dispatchers were all Americans with the appropriate licenses. The company paid all moving expenses, children's school fees, and so on.
  • Considering the enormous expense involved, Management developed a system allowing local nationals to obtain an FAA license, with what we called a "Home study course" in 4 parts. After passing the exams, we went to Kansas City for 3 weeks of classes with a final exam. Upon returning, the company introduced us to an FAA representative to obtain the License. (This was true for the 1950s, 1960s, etc.) In the 1950s and 1960s, the Flight Dispatch center at Paris/Orly operated with Americans, gradually replaced by local nationals.
  • Management also quickly realized that there was a need for an operational center for " Overseas " Europe, Africa, Asia, similar to what existed in the USA with the center in Kansas City. (This center is composed of flight dispatchers to ensure consistency across all flight dispatch centers ). PAA chose London and TWA chose Paris. (This was our great luck).
  • The Flight Dispatch Paris center became Operational Planning, with the responsibility of managing all irregularities due to weather problems, mechanical problems, various strikes, etc. Before the departure of an aircraft from its home station, it is the "Schedule - Timetables" department that publishes the schedules/cities served. But as soon as the aircraft leaves its home station, Operational Planning is responsible for making all necessary decisions to allow the best return to normality, to satisfy passengers, taking into account all the parameters concerned; obviously this is also done with the relevant dispatch centers , Station Managers, etc. It must be remembered that the communications of the time were not at all those of today.
  • Paris Operational Planning was also responsible for scheduling commercial crews ( Pursers /Hostesses) outside the USA.
  • Paris Operational Planning was also responsible for using the C47 (based in Paris), replaced by the C82 to transport an engine/jet engine to a station with a broken aircraft and needing to replace the engine/jet engine.
  • The planning manager would call the crew (often in the middle of the night) and prepare a flight plan. (Larry Trimble – Claude Girard – Pete Boe – Lucien Picolier and/or another mechanic were involved with the C82)
  • It is important to note that aviation in the 1950s is not comparable to that of today. Planes carried fewer than 50 passengers, for long journeys, such as Paris-New York, there was a "multiple crew " with 3 pilots, 2 mechanics, 1 navigator, 1 radio operator (Morse code being used to communicate). Now large planes carry 500 passengers and there is no longer a radio operator, navigator and mechanic, we cross the Atlantic with 2 pilots!!!
  • Similarly, at Paris/Orly, a dispatcher arriving for his 15-hour shift would go to metrology to pick up two wind forecast sheets at 500mbs and 700mbs for the Atlantic, and return to the office to work on a flight plan for the 22-hour flight from Paris to Shannon/Gander/New York. This took us about 2 hours!!! Nothing to do with the current computer that prepares the flight plan in a few minutes!!!

 

 

Another important moment was jet aircraft replacing engine-powered aircraft.
It was in the 1960s that these aircraft drastically reduced flight hours and flew above 6,000 meters, thus reducing the adverse weather conditions found below 6,000 meters. (Caravelle – Boeing 707 - etc.

  • In the 1970s, due to technological developments and, above all, cost reductions, a vast movement to dismantle flight dispatch centers was undertaken,
    and only Shannon and Rome Dispatch remained outside the United States. The Paris dispatchers were asked to requalify their licenses in August 1979, and on October 28, 1979, the Paris flight dispatch center was reactivated.

 

 

 

  • By the 1980s, only the Paris Flight Dispatch and Planning center remained to manage the operational side of TWA outside the USA.
  • Dispatch centers outside the USA in the 1970s, TWA management decided to close the Flight Dispatch /Planning center in Paris on October 17, 1983.
  • To manage the operational part of TWA outside the USA, he remained after October 17, 1983, Claude Girard Staff Vice President Flight Operations Overseas assisted by Lucien Bigeault Director International Flight Operations, and Guy Gossez .

 

TW Ops agents CDGKO Yvan Fulchiron, Marc Brécy,. Marcus Farrell, and  Yann Corfmat (new employé hired) went to the USA to obtain the FAA Dispatcher license and training in Kansas City).

Hired by TWA in 1974, after various positions such as (teletype operator, load control agent, operations agent). In 1987 I obtained my Flight Dispatch Officer license. TWA Paris Dispatch was in charge of all international flights, as well as the Mac Charters flight during the Gulf War (Desert Storm)

 marc brécy.  

 

For info:: Yann Corfmat on the right photo taken in 1990 by TWA Captain John Gratz.

June 1987 TO 2001

 

Paris Flight Dispatch center reactivated with former CDGKM Claude Girard Vice President Flt Ops and

Lucien Bigeault, Guy Gossez, Jean Claude Bonneau, Mike Jones and Jean Ferran, Guido Reither.

Shannon: Noël Deasy, Deas Keany, Denis Egan.

SV Airlines: Bob Everest Paul Palmer - Keith Crawford Doha ATC.

 

AHHHHHHHHH........ Memories !

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