Yes, you can dip and then plant.
By definition, air layering requires that the branch being used for propagation purposes remain as part of the main/mother plant. The mother plant will provide nourishment. Once the branch has been cut, it does not receive nourishment from anyone and has to develop roots to survive. At that point, I would dip it into a medium strength root hormone and plant it instead of trying to do air layering. This dip/plant method is called propagation by cuttings and works best if you cut around the fifth node and then leave around 3 leaves. Below is a link courtesy of the American Camellia Society. Have fun, lunanegra.
Luis
Here is a link that might be useful: Propagation by Cuttings by the ACS
Q