San Carlos Flight Center

IFR Checkride: How I Prepared & Lessons Learned
2025-04-02 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Pursuing the instrument rating can be extremely challenging. It takes lots of training, studying, and commitment from the student and their instructor to master all the necessary skills and build the confidence to fly under IFR. What are some successful approaches to tackling this rating? What are some of the resources to use to study? What should you expect during the training and practical test?
San Carlos Flight Center invites newly instrument-rated pilot to Kuni Migimatsu along with his instructor, Michael Dutton, to highlight their experiences pursuing the instrument rating. They will provide an overview of their training including the various tools, and resources they used along the way, as well as an insight into the instrument checkride. See how the Airman Certification Standards translate into what the ground questions and flight may look like. Finally, as with all things in the world of aviation, see how to handle unexpected situations when they arise, even on a checkride.
If you are an aspiring instrument pilot or a veteran aviator, join us to hear about what to expect and how to pass this checkride.

From Steam to Screen: Transition to a G1000 Aircraft
2025-04-05 12:00 - 13:00 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
As more aircraft are equipped with the computer display instrumentation ( aka “glass cockpit”), pilots trained on traditional analog instruments must adapt their flying skills and knowledge to fly these new aircraft. For a first timer, it can seem daunting, but with the right training most pilots adjust to the new instrumentation very quickly. They typically find tremendous value both from the increased situational awarenesss that a large multi-function display provides, as well as better access to engine monitoring, weather reports, and forecasts, and help for finding the right local ATC facility or Flight Service Station.
San Carlos Flight Center has invited CFI Nico Figueroa to present “From Steam to Screen: Transition to a G1000 Aircraft,” a safety seminar designed to ease the transition from traditional six-pack instrumentation to the G1000. In this seminar, Nico will introduce pilots to the primary differences between analog and digital cockpits, explain the functions and benefits of systems such as AHRS and ADC, and provide practical tips for safely transitioning from being a VFR private pilot in a six-pack aircraft to an instrument-rated pilot flying a G1000.
If you’ve never flown in a newer glass panel aircraft, we hope you’ll join us for this introductory presentation.
Nico Figueroa is a Certified Flight Instructor at San Carlos Flight Center with experience transitioning between traditional six-pack instruments and the Garmin G1000. He earned his Private Pilot certificate in high school, obtained an engineering degree from Santa Clara University, and is currently diving deep into G1000 functionality as he finishes his CFII training. Nico enjoys working with students at all levels of flight training and is particularly looking forward to helping pilots transition to instrument flying using advanced cockpit systems like the G1000.

Understanding Cessna 182 Systems
2025-04-09 19:00 - 20:00 | San Carlos Flight Center
For a private pilot who learned to fly in a C172 Skyhawk, stepping up to the Cessna 182 Skyland is a good challenge to broaden your skills. The larger engine allows you to take more passengers and luggage, and cover longer distances faster. As a natural extension to the Cessna 172, the Cessna 182 shares many operating similarities and most find the transition smooth. However, Skylanes have some differences in engine and powerplant that require more attention. Pilots checking out in the C182 must learn to manage the constant-speed propellor, and factor in the greater torque and increased need for engine temperature management of the later six-cylinder engine, and learn to use and additional engine cooling tool – cowl flaps.
SCFC invites in Travis Bender, CFI, to introduce the Cessna 182 systems to pilots, particularly those looking to transition from the Skyhawk. You’ll walk away with a good foundation to start earning your high-performance endorsement, while also learning what it takes to get checked out in the Flight Center’s 182 fleet. Attending this free seminar is a great way to reduce the ground training time with an instructor that you’d need as part of an aircraft checkout.
Join us if you’re interested in the next level of Cessna aircraft, and looking to get to your next aviation destination a little faster and with fewer stops.
Travis Bender is a CFI and CFII at San Carlos Flight Center. He earned his primary certificates right here at SCFC and now conducts training for student pilots through Flight Instructors, as well as high-performance checkouts and mountain training. Prior to instructing, Travis worked in sustainable procurement for a large Silicon Valley company.

Radio Communications 1: Radio Basics
2025-04-12 12:00 - 13:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Flying through SF Bay Area airspace requires a high degree of situational awareness and sophisticated radio skills. And yet, radio communication is rarely taught as a specific subject during private pilot training. Usually, new pilots just absorb what they hear on the frequency around them, both good and bad. Although some radio techniques are covered in ground school, rarely do student pilots get the time devoted to demystifying this often-confusing subject.
San Carlos Flight Center invites senior instructors Herb Patten and Dan Dyer to bridge the communication gap, help newer pilots understand the structure of radio and how to improve their own. The presentation will begin with a review of radio communication phraseology and use. What part is structured? What part is unstructured? What words are good official phraseology, and what words are considered jargon, slang, or poor grammar?
If you are new to radio communication or just want a great review to fill gaps in your pilot education, please join us for this unique opportunity.
Herb Patten is a Senior Instructor at the San Carlos Flight Center, a CFII, an FAA certificated advanced and instrument ground instructor, and past SCFC Chief Pilot. He is a instrument-rated commercial pilot that has flown over 2,500 hours to more than 130 different California airports. He teaches private pilot ground school at San Carlos Flight Center, and is the current chairman of the Upwind Foundation, famous for its Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. In 2023, Herb was named a Distinguished Flight Instructor by AOPA.
Dan Dyer is the founder of the San Carlos Flight Center, and continues to be involved in the Club as Director of Operations. Dan was an instructor for 15 years, accumulated over 4,000 flight hours, and is the Bay Area’s local expert in crosswind landing instruction. He is known for finding simple and innovative ways to explain complex topics and regularly speaks on advanced ground school topics. He currently oversees hiring and training of SCFC’s Flight Instructor team.
San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation through safety, community, and adventure. AOPA has consistently recognized SCFC in their Best Flight School survey, most recently in 2024 as a Distinguished Flight School for the fourth year in a row.
SCFC is committed to promoting safety in general aviation through our regular safety seminars and guest speaker programs. Livestream access is free for everyone, but recorded seminars are available solely to members at a later date. Click here or contact a SCFC member service rep at (650) 946-1700 for more information about online access to our web archive of over 400 recorded safety seminars.

Women in Aviation @ SCFC, April Meeting
2025-04-16 19:00 - 20:00 | San Carlos Flight Center
The women student pilots, pilots, and flight instructors of San Carlos Flight Center are coming together to begin forming a Women in Aviation chapter for San Carlos. You are invited to meet the group and share your love of aviation at a meeting on Wednesday, April 16th at 7 PM. The activities for this first meeting will include small group discussion and introductions, donuts, and will feature our April guest speaker, Alyssa Cova, a commercial pilot and flight instructor who found aviation after completing her education in business and now works as a pilot intern for United. Alyssa will speak about her success and challenges throughout her career. Join us to meet mentors, enjoy a sweet treat, talk airplanes, and spend quality time with the female aviation community at SCFC.
We hope to see you there!

EAA Chapter 20 Young Eagles @ SCFC
2025-04-19 09:00 - 12:00, 2025-05-17 09:00 - 12:00, 2025-06-21 09:00 - 12:00 | San Carlos Flight Center
SCFC is hosting EAA Chapter 20 for their Young Eagles event, with volunteer pilots sharing flights for young people.
Learn more about Young Eagles from the EAA’s website.

Thunderstorms: Formation and Avoidance
2025-04-23 19:00 - 20:00 | San Carlos Flight Center
Thunderstorms are powerful natural phenomena that can reek havoc to people and structure on the ground, and certainly present extreme airborn hazards to pilots of all types. Weather safety planning for both local and long-distance flights requires knowledge of how to avoid active thunderstorms and how to be aware of the conditions that could cause new thunderstorms to arise along your route of flight.
In this safety seminar, San Carlos Flight Center invites CFI Amelia Vaith to share her knowledge and experience of thunderstorms, to explore the formation of thunderstorms, the hazards they pose to pilots, and best practices for avoiding them. She will break down real-world scenarios, including some from her personal experiences, to highlight the risks of extreme convective weather and how to make informed decisions in-flight.
Whether you’re a student pilot or an experienced aviator, this discussion will provide practical strategies to enhance your weather awareness and keep you safe in thunderstorm-prone areas. We hope you can join us.
Amelia Vaith is a Flight Instructor at San Carlos Flight Center with experience flying in diverse regions, including Florida, which has the highest thunderstorm frequency in the U.S. She trained at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and has flown in a variety of challenging weather conditions, building a strong foundation in weather awareness and decision-making. Amelia is passionate about aviation safety, and enjoys sharing her knowledge to help pilots recognize, avoid, and safely navigate thunderstorms with confidence.

Back to Back ForeFlight - Two Seminars / One Day
2025-04-26 10:30 - 14:00 | San Carlos Flight Center
San Carlos Flight Center is putting together a day of ForeFlight training for pilots who are new to using this popular flight tool. ForeFlight continues to expand functionality and evolve its interface in a way that gives pilots many more options, but can be overwhelming to new pilots. We pulled together two of our ForeFlight presentations, separated by a half-hour lunch break. We hope you can join us.
Seminar 1
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
I Just Got ForeFlight, Now What?
Presenter: Herb Patten, Sr CFI
Herb Patten will highlight some of the important first steps to take after downloading ForeFlight, and how to get started. In this seminar, he will cover a basic introduction to the application including the most efficient ways to use the software. With so many different customizations, subscription plans, and ways to do the same thing, it can be overwhelming for many. Some of these include how to set up performance profiles, weight and balance, how to use geo referenced charts, and set up your electronic logbook. After this seminar you will feel confident in your basic abilities to navigate the application and have the resources to continue to learn from.
Herb Patten is a Senior Instructor at the San Carlos Flight Center, a CFII, an FAA certificated advanced and instrument ground instructor, and past SCFC Chief Pilot. He is a instrument-rated commercial pilot that has flown over 5,500 hours to more than 130 different California airports. He teaches the private and instrument ground school at San Carlos Flight Center, and is the current chairman of the Upwind Foundation, famous for its Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. In 2025, Herb was named a Distinguished Flight Instructor by AOPA.
Seminar 2
12:30 am – 2:00 pm
Cross-Country Flight Planning with ForeFlight
Presenter: JR Refuerzo, CFI
While in flight, ForeFlight has many useful features. But it’s also great on the ground before the flight, when you are preparing to go on a long cross-country trip and still making choices about how to do it safely and effectively. Join CFI JR Refuerzo to learn more about using this software to effectively plan a VFR cross country flight and become familiar with all available information regarding your trip. Learn about tools for route planning, researching airports along the way, and accessing preflight weather briefings.
JR grew up in South San Francisco and graduated from UCLA in 2019, beginning his flight training soon after. He earned his Private, Instrument, and Commercial Pilot ratings through the Flight Center and is excited to be teaching today as an instructor with the club. JR is passionate about producing safe, smart, and effective pilots and contributing to the community that helped get him achieve his aviation goals.
Please note:

You may choose to attend one seminar, or both.
There will be a 30-minute lunch break at noon. Sandwiches will be provided for members and guests who have registered for the event.
Please bring your tablet or phone with ForeFlight so that you can follow along during the presentations.
Due to time constraints we are unable to provide technical support to individual audience members.

Destination: Catalina
2025-04-30 19:00 - 20:00 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Catalina Island, off the coast of Southern California, offers stunning Pacific island vistas, miles of hiking trails, and a tiny runway perched precariously on the top of a dynamited mountaintop. With the beautiful surroundings and scenery, pilots can easily get distracted from what’s below.
To better understand the flight challenges associated with this airport, San Carlos Flight Center asked Senior Instructor Herb Patten to discuss what pilots need to know when flying into Catalina. In this seminar, he will cover what unique flight planning considerations are needed when venturing to Catalina, including local arrival and departure procedures, open water flying considerations, route selection for IFR and VFR pilots, and transiting the LA Special Flight Rules area. He will review weight and balance, fuel planning, and discuss the facilities, services, and associated fees at the Airport in the Sky (KAVX) atop the island. There are lots of things to do once you are there, and he will share some of those highlights.
Catalina can serve as a perfect day trip for most pilots, but for those willing to do the advance planning and safety management. Join us for this unique opportunity to understand Catalina Airport operations, and how you can fly there safely.
This is a great seminar for FlyOutGroup pilots planning to do the Catalina FlyOut coming up May 30-31.
Herb Patten is a Senior Instructor at the San Carlos Flight Center, a CFII, an FAA certificated advanced and instrument ground instructor, and past SCFC Chief Pilot. He is a instrument-rated commercial pilot that has flown over 2,500 hours to more than 130 different California airports. He teaches private pilot ground school at San Carlos Flight Center, and is the current chairman of the Upwind Foundation, famous for its Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. In 2023, Herb was named a Distinguished Flight Instructor by AOPA.
San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation through safety, community, and adventure. AOPA has consistently recognized SCFC in their Best Flight School survey, most recently in 2024 as a Distinguished Flight School for the fourth year in a row.
SCFC is committed to promoting safety in general aviation through our regular safety seminars and guest speaker programs. Our seminars are free to watch when attended in person at our facility in San Carlos but live streaming and viewing recorded seminars are exclusively available to members. Click here or contact an SCFC member service rep at (650) 946-1700 for more information about online access to our web library of over 500 recorded safety seminars and live-streamed content.

Meet the Piper Dakota
2025-05-03 12:00 - 13:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
The Piper Dakota is the latest addition to the Flight Center fleet. It is a four-seat, fixed gear low wing plane powered by a Lycoming O-540 engine. How does this airplane compare to other airplanes in the Flight Center fleet? What missions would be ideal for the Dakota?. What is involved in upgrading your ride from the Piper Archer to the Dakota?
San Carlos Flight Center is pleased to introduce the Piper Dakota in this seminar. Join Herb Patten as he provides an overview of the key differences present in this aircraft compared to others of its class. He’ll explain the various mission profiles the aircraft is capable of, and the associated training and requirements for SCFC pilots.
Join us to learn more about the Piper Dakota. Whether you are interested in getting a checkout in this airplane or just want to learn about the details of the Dakota, you should attend this presentation.
Herb Patten is a Senior Instructor at the San Carlos Flight Center, a CFI and an FAA certificated advanced and instrument ground instructor who teaches the instrument and private pilot ground school at San Carlos Flight Center. He is a commercial pilot with an instrument rating, has flown over 4,000 hours and landed at more than 130 different California airports. He is the current chairman of the Upwind Foundation, famous for its Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. In 2025, Herb was named a Distinguished Flight Instructor by AOPA.
About San Carlos Flight Center:
San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation through safety, community, and adventure. AOPA has consistently recognized SCFC in their Best Flight School survey, most recently in 2023 as a Distinguished Flight School for the third year in a row.
SCFC is committed to promoting safety in general aviation through our regular safety seminars and guest speaker programs. Our seminars are free to watch when attended in person at our facility in San Carlos but live streaming and viewing recorded seminars are exclusively available to members. Click here or contact an SCFC member service rep at (650) 946-1700 for more information about online access to our web library of over 500 recorded safety seminars and live-streamed content.
This seminar will be held in person at SCFC, attendance is free and open to all. Web Members will still be able to access our seminars online, both live and recorded. Click here to learn more about the transition.
Interested in watching more of our presentations? View our growing library of over 500 recorded safety seminars available to view in our Members Only Seminar Library, available by clicking here.

SCFC Welcome Night
2025-05-07 18:30 - 20:00 | San Carlos Flight Center
If you’re recently joined the Club, you may have only met your instructor and one of our Front Desk agents. It’s time to meet some other students and pilots.
Join us on Wednesday, May 7th at 6:30pm for San Carlos Flight Center’s Welcome Night to welcome in our newest members and hear about all the other activities and events going on at the Club. It’s a casual event with food and some activities. The vibe is mostly welcome and get to know each other, and less like a formal classroom presentation (even though we have plenty of those on other nights!).
One feature of our Welcome Nights are the activity stations, designed for easy connection, each staffed by a different SCFC club member. The activity stations this month will be:

Flying in the Mountains – Mountain Operations and the SCFC Mountain Checkout
Go Farther Faster – SCFC’s High Performance Aircraft
Local Control Issues – SQL Tower Controller
Women in Aviation

To join us, just register for the event so we can have enough food and drink. Feel free to also bring friends or family who are interested in meeting Club members and finding out why SCFC is such a great place for flying.

Seabird Protection Network - How Pilots Can Help
2025-05-10 12:00 - 13:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
As part of our commitment to sharing the air safely with our neighbors, SCFC has invited in Laura Velasco Mayock, a speaker from the Seabird Protection Network, which partners with pilots to protect seabird colonies along our coast. We’ve asked her to help our pilots understand the wildlife in the SF Bay Area, particularly along the water’s edges. She will share incredible stories about the local wildlife, and info about NOAA overflight areas and the special species they are designed to protect.
There will be chances to win fun, unique prizes – so don’t miss it!

Laura Velasco Mayock is the Seabird Protection Network Outreach Coordinator, building partnerships with pilots to help wildlife thrive on our coasts. Laura was born and raised in the Bay Area and after spending years living abroad and on the East Coast, she is thrilled to be back home and making a meaningful impact on coastal resilience.

San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation through safety, community, and adventure. AOPA has consistently recognized SCFC in their Best Flight School survey, most recently in 2024 as a Distinguished Flight School for the fourth year in a row.

Mountain Flying
2025-05-14 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Flying in the mountains can be some of the most amazingly beautiful and satisfying flying you may ever accomplish. But it comes with increased risk, and thereby increased responsibility. Every day, GA pilots who fly in the mountains safely calculate and plan for such risks, and you can too.
Spring weather brings cool temperatures, clear skies and smooth air. It can also occasionally bring the threat of snow and ice, which are good things to learn to respect during trips to airports at higher elevations. Join CFI Shelby Rebholtz for an overview of elements of mountain flying. We’ll look at how terrain and mountain weather patterns affect one another and what that means to pilots of small aircraft. We will discuss how to calculate density and what it means for landing and departing at high-altitude mountain airports. And no mountain flying discussion is complete without emergency preparedness and survival gear.
This seminar is intended to meet the ground training requirement for an SCFC Mountain Checkout, and is required for all pilots participating in the FlyOutGroup 2-day California Mountain Flying trip in early June.
If you are planning a trip to the mountains anytime soon, or just want to learn more about mountain flying, don’t miss out on this seminar.

Shelby Rebholtz is a Commercial Pilot and Flight Instructor at San Carlos Flight Center with over 1,000 hours of flight time. He comes from a flying family and has many trips to the California Sierras under his belt. He attended California State University, Chico in 2019, earning a degree in geography about the same time he earned his private pilot certificate. He continued his aviation journey in San Diego where he navigated the complex airspace of Southern California and attained his Commercial and CFI ratings. Shelby can often be found mountain biking around the Bay Area or snowboarding, fishing, and hiking in the Sierras.

San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation through safety, community, and adventure. AOPA has consistently recognized SCFC in their Best Flight School survey, most recently in 2024 as a Distinguished Flight School.
SCFC is committed to promoting safety in general aviation through our regular safety seminars and guest speaker programs. Our seminars are free to watch when attended in person at our facility in San Carlos but live streaming and viewing recorded seminars are exclusively available to members. Click here or contact an SCFC member service rep at (650) 946-1700 for more information about online access to our web library of over 500 recorded safety seminars and live-streamed content.

Cessna 206 Systems
2025-05-21 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
The Cessna 206 is a six seat, high-performance airplane. It is known as the Stationair and has a variety of mission profiles. With more payload, seating capacity and speed than a Cessna 182, the Stationair provides the capabilities for pilots that have outgrown the 182. In addition to the constant speed propeller the 206 also comes equipped with a turbocharged engine which is an additional complexity for the pilot stepping up from a Cessna 182.
San Carlos Flight Center is pleased to feature a Cessna 206 in the fleet. This seminar provides the foundational knowledge necessary to understand the engine components, oxygen system, instrumentation, and operating procedures. San Carlos Flight Center invites Senior CFI Sid Basu as he reviews the systems of this aircraft and why it has earned its reputation as the airborne family hauler. This seminar is a fundamental part of the ground training required of pilots planning to get checked out and fly this aircraft at the San Carlos Flight Center.
Pilots transitioning to new aircraft must be familiar with its operating characteristics and limitations. Join us to develop a routine of how to analyze new aircraft and fly with confidence.

Sid Basu is a Senior Instructor at SCFC with Airplane Single Engine, Multiengine and Instrument ratings, over 3300 hours total time, and 2600 hours dual given. He has been flying since 2008 and has been instructing at San Carlos Flight Center since 2017.

San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation through safety, community, and adventure. AOPA has consistently recognized SCFC in their Best Flight School survey, most recently in 2024 as a Distinguished Flight School for the third year in a row.
SCFC is committed to promoting safety in general aviation through our regular safety seminars and guest speaker programs. Our seminars are free to watch when attended in person at our facility in San Carlos but live streaming and viewing recorded seminars are exclusively available to members. Click here or contact an SCFC member service rep at (650) 946-1700 for more information about online access to our web library of over 500 recorded safety seminars and live-streamed content.

SQL Tower Tour (1 of 3)
2025-05-24 10:00 - 10:30
Are you curious about what happens in the tower at an airport? Would you like to increase your knowledge of how air traffic is managed at the San Carlos airport?
The KSQL Air Traffic Manager has offered to host small groups of pilots to meet the tower controllers and take a tour of the San Carlos tower. During the tour you will get to see firsthand how the tower controllers update the ATIS, keep track of planes arriving and departing, as well as use radar to help manage the flow of traffic around San Carlos class Delta airspace.
The tours are approximately 20-25 minutes in length. Registration is required. US Citizenship is required due to FAA restriction.

Women in Aviation @ SCFC, May Meeting
2025-05-24 10:00 - 11:30 | San Carlos Flight Center
The women student pilots, pilots, and flight instructors of San Carlos Flight Center are coming together to begin forming a Women in Aviation chapter for San Carlos. You are invited to meet the group and share your love of aviation at a meeting on Saturday, May 24th at 10 AM. The activities for this first meeting will include small group discussion and introductions, donuts, and a featured guest speaker. Join us to meet mentors, enjoy a sweet treat, talk airplanes, and spend quality time with the female aviation community at SCFC.
We hope to see you there!

SQL Tower Tour (2 of 3)
2025-05-24 10:30 - 11:00
Are you curious about what happens in the tower at an airport? Would you like to increase your knowledge of how air traffic is managed at the San Carlos airport?
The KSQL Air Traffic Manager has offered to host small groups of pilots to meet the tower controllers and take a tour of the San Carlos tower. During the tour you will get to see firsthand how the tower controllers update the ATIS, keep track of planes arriving and departing, as well as use radar to help manage the flow of traffic around San Carlos class Delta airspace.
The tours are approximately 20-25 minutes in length. Registration is required.

SQL Tower Tour (3 of 3)
2025-05-24 11:00 - 11:30

Radio Communication 2: Enroute Radio Communications
2025-05-28 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Flying through in the many airspaces of California requires a high degree of situational awareness and sophisticated radio skills. And yet, radio communication is rarely taught as a specific subject during private pilot training. Usually, new pilots just absorb what they hear on the frequency around them, both good and bad. Although some radio techniques are covered in ground school, rarely do student pilots get the time devoted to demystifying this often-confusing subject.
San Carlos Flight Center invites senior instructors Herb Patten and Dan Dyer to show how to perfect your communication and phraseology. They will cover radio phraseology from the basics through advanced ATC services with emphasis on flight following and flight service stations. This seminar will include many examples on how to recognize bad radio calls, and how to fix them. Learn how to make radio communication easier and safer for all pilots.
If you are interested in becoming better at your radio, you don’t want to miss this seminar.
Herb Patten is a Senior Instructor at the San Carlos Flight Center, a CFII, an FAA certificated advanced and instrument ground instructor, and past SCFC Chief Pilot. He is a instrument-rated commercial pilot that has flown over 2,500 hours to more than 130 different California airports. He teaches private pilot ground school at San Carlos Flight Center, and is the current chairman of the Upwind Foundation, famous for its Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. In 2023, Herb was named a Distinguished Flight Instructor by AOPA.
Dan Dyer is the founder of the San Carlos Flight Center, and continues to be involved in the Club as Director of Operations. Dan was an instructor for 15 years, accumulated over 4,000 flight hours, and is the Bay Area’s local expert in crosswind landing instruction. He is known for finding simple and innovative ways to explain complex topics and regularly speaks on advanced ground school topics. He currently oversees hiring and training of SCFC’s Flight Instructor team.
San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation through safety, community, and adventure. AOPA has consistently recognized SCFC in their Best Flight School survey, most recently in 2024 as a Distinguished Flight School for the fourth year in a row.
SCFC is committed to promoting safety in general aviation through our regular safety seminars and guest speaker programs. Our seminars are free to watch when attended in person at our facility in San Carlos but live streaming and viewing recorded seminars are exclusively available to members. Click here or contact an SCFC member service rep at (650) 946-1700 for more information about online access to our web library of over 500 recorded safety seminars and live-streamed content.

Truckee Airport Operations
2025-05-31 12:00 - 13:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
**For information, flyers, and handouts referenced during this presentation please click here.**

Truckee Airport is the gateway to Lake Tahoe. The spectacular views of Lake Tahoe are a short flight away, but pilots need to be aware of the challenges associated with these flights. Truckee is settled well above sea level, located between mountainous terrain and gorgeous vistas. This location brings variable weather conditions which can pose tricky to manage for new pilots. While it can be an excellent place to visit, pilots need to be thoroughly familiar with airport procedures and to know what to expect upon their arrival in Truckee.
San Carlos Flight Center invites David Van Quest, the Pilot Outreach Coordinator at the Truckee Airport to talk with pilots about terrain, best routes of travel, tower operations, and recently installed ADSB ground stations and their impact on flight operations. Truckee is a dynamic airport with noise abatement procedures, curfews, seasonal flight considerations such as density altitude, mountain wave, icing, wildlife and much more. David will also briefly touch on some of the things one might want to do in Truckee, along with the services the airport provides to visiting pilots.
If you are looking to plan a trip to Truckee sometime this summer, join us to feel more safe, confident, and knowledgeable on your upcoming trip to Truckee.

David Van Quest was originally from Southern California, David moved to the Truckee/ Tahoe area in 2013 to enjoy a life in the mountains. David began his career in aviation in 2018 when he was hired by the Truckee Tahoe Airport as their Noise Associate. In 2021 he earned his private pilot’s certificate and shortly after was promoted to KTRK’s Aviation & Community Coordinator where he interacts with community members and teaches pilots the best ways to come and go from Truckee.

San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation through safety, community, and adventure. AOPA has consistently recognized SCFC in their Best Flight School survey, most recently in 2024 as a Distinguished Flight School for the fourth year in a row.
SCFC is committed to promoting safety in general aviation through our regular safety seminars and guest speaker programs. Our seminars are free to watch when attended in person at our facility in San Carlos but live streaming and viewing recorded seminars are exclusively available to members. Click here or contact an SCFC member service rep at (650) 946-1700 for more information about online access to our web library of over 500 recorded safety seminars and live-streamed content.

SCFC Early Summer Kickoff BBQ
2025-05-31 13:00 - 15:00 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
With the summer fast approaching, we are going to start the celebration early with an Early Summer Kickoff BBQ. on Saturday, May 31st. The fun starts at 1pm, immediately following our Trucker Airport Operations safety seminar. Come to the seminar, then stay after for an afternoon full of food, drink, snacks, sweets, and activities for everyone.
Enjoy a fun time under the sun with your friends, family, and fellow aviators in the ramp area just outside our main office at 795 Skyway Road, Suite A, San Carlos CA, 94070.
Please RSVP by registering below so we can get an accurate headcount. We look forward to seeing you there!

Flying in the Pacific Northwest
2025-06-04 19:00 - 21:00 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
The Pacific Northwest is a hub of aviation industry and innovation, and what better way to experience this cosmopolitan region than in the air? However, with a major international airport, multiple military bases, an international border, and rapidly shifting weather patterns, flying in this airspace isn’t easy to navigate.
San Carlos Flight Center invites CFIs Travis Bender and Herb Patten to delve into Seattle Airspace, flying across the US/Canada border, and different ways a Bay Area Pilot can reach the region. This seminar will break up the complex area into smaller areas so it can be interpreted and flown easily for any pilot hoping to fly in the region. In addition, we will also discuss proper procedures for cross-border flying, as well as how to handle some of the unique challenges of flying in the region, such as terrain and weather. Finally, they will highlight how to fly from the Bay Area to the Pacific Northwest VFR.
If you are hinting at flying to Seattle or Vancouver in the near future, this seminar will help you get there efficiently and safely. It is also a great primer for those attending our FlyOutGroup trip to Seattle and Canada in July.
Herb Patten is a Senior Instructor at the San Carlos Flight Center, a CFII, an FAA-certificated advanced and instrument ground instructor, and past SCFC Chief Pilot. He is an instrument-rated commercial pilot who has flown over 2,500 hours to more than 130 different California airports. He teaches private pilot ground school at San Carlos Flight Center and is the current chairman of the Upwind Foundation, famous for its Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. In 2025, Herb was named a Distinguished Flight Instructor by AOPA.
Travis Bender is a CFI and CFII at San Carlos Flight Center. He earned his primary certificates right here at SCFC and now conducts training for student pilots through Flight Instructors, as well as high-performance checkouts and mountain training. Prior to instructing, Travis worked in sustainable procurement for a large Silicon Valley company. He also spent four years flying in the Pacific Northwest while attending college at the University of Puget Sound.
San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation through safety, community, and adventure. AOPA has consistently recognized SCFC in their Best Flight School survey, most recently in 2024 as a Distinguished Flight School.
SCFC is committed to promoting safety in general aviation through our regular safety seminars and guest speaker programs. Our seminars are free to watch when attended in person at our facility in San Carlos but live streaming and viewing recorded seminars are exclusively available to members. Click here or contact an SCFC member service rep at (650) 946-1700 for more information about online access to our web library of over 500 recorded safety seminars and live-streamed content.

Airplane Care Tips for Pilots and Owners
2025-06-07 12:00 - 13:00 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
A safe flying adventure, requires a safe pilot and a safe airplane. As pilots, we do what we can to inspect the plane before flight and to return it to the flight line in the same condition in which we found it. Mechanics who service and maintain aircraft we fly often have a deeper perspective. What can an experienced mechanic tell pilots and airplane owners that can improve our care and handling of the aircraft?
Tim Davis, a mechanic member of the SCFC Maintenance Team certified with Inspection Authority has offered to share with us some insights from the past few months of servicing SCFC fleet and outside aircraft. Some of the airplane care tips are for pilots, and some are for airplane owners who do preventative maintenance on their own planes. Do you know what adjustable item in the cockpit is the one mostly easily damaged inadvertently by pilots? Is there really a right way to clean the windshield? Is there a pilot role in propeller care?
Pilots of all levels can learn from hearing stories from mechanics, especially those who are able to communicate important topics to pilots who want a deeper understanding of how to protect and care for our aircraft. We hope you’ll join us.
Tim Davis has been an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic at San Carlos Flight Center since 2020. A Bay Area native, he worked as a Quality Analyst for Electronic Arts and Blizzard Entertainment before completing aircraft maintenance training at City College of San Francisco and earning his A&P certificate. In 2024, Tim earned his IA and is now a senior member of the SCFC Maintenance Team.
San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation through safety, community, and adventure. AOPA has consistently recognized SCFC in their Best Flight School survey, most recently in 2024 as a Distinguished Flight School for the fourth year in a row.
SCFC is committed to promoting safety in general aviation through our regular safety seminars and guest speaker programs. Our seminars are free to watch when attended in person at our facility in San Carlos but live streaming and viewing recorded seminars are exclusively available to members. Click here or contact an SCFC member service rep at (650) 946-1700 for more information about online access to our web library of over 500 recorded safety seminars and live-streamed content.

SQL Pilot/Controller Meeting
2025-06-11 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
San Carlos Flight Center is excited to welcome in the new Tower Manager from KSQL Control Tower. The new team has been fantastic through the recent company transition and we’ve been grateful to have positive control on the field again. We hope you can join us to meet part of the team in person.
Class D airports sometimes get underestimated as the smallest of the tower-controller airports. But pilots and controller here know that we are a very busy training airport with thousands of operations. Please join us for the open conversation about the safety of flight operations at KSQL. What can pilots better understand about controller workload and traffic flow. What can controllers understand about how procedures affect flight operations. Please bring questions that relate to operations at San Carlos Airport to pass to our panel host, or email us your questions in advance at seminars@sancarlosflight.com.
Please note: because of the expected size of the audience, we will be using our full classroom configuration. This will necessarily limit attendance only to those who have pre-registered here on our website.

San Carlos Flight Center is on the southwest side of the airport and there are no transient aircraft parking spots on this side of the field. All Transient Parking is on the other side, adjacent to the SQL Terminal Building. If you plan to fly in for the event, please be aware that we have no parking spots and that you’ll need to walk 0.7 miles around the airport from airport Transient Parking to our offices.

What's Next? Training for Commercial Pilot or Flight Instructor
2025-06-14 12:00 - 13:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
For many pilots, the adventure stops at Private Pilot, which allows them the freedom of taking family and friends on flights to any airport of their choice. Some may add on an instrument rating, to protect the ability to depart and arrive on days with clouds that would stop a VFR-only pilot.
Some pilots want more. For pilots who want to make a career change into aviation, the next steps are often through the Commercial Pilot and Flight Instructor certificates. Before taking the leap to start advanced training, you may want to find out more about what the timeframe and workload is required to complete those certificates.
San Carlos Flight Center has asked Senior Instructor Derek Vejby to discuss the process of training for his commercial and flight instructor certificates. In this seminar, Derek will highlight the steps he took to train and prepare for those two checkrides, and will review the prerequisites for the ratings, the maneuvers you must master, and the relevant knowledge that must be acquired. A Commercial Pilot certificate calls for extensive familiarity with all things related to flying, and a Flight Instructor certificate requires pilot mastery of flight skills and all knowledge areas. Many pilots will be surprised to find that thorough, complete Private Pilot training like what is done at the Flight Center sets about 70% of foundation required on which Commercial and CFI are built.
For anyone looking to train towards a career in aviation, join us for this seminar to hear what is in store for you.
Derek Vejby is an SF Bay Area local and Senior CFI with the San Carlos Flight Center. In almost 2,000 hours of instruction given in both the VFR and IFR worlds, he continues to be an ambassador for aviation safety and airmanship excellence. He considers it a privilege to be able to cultivate and share his experiences through which others may learn and connect.
San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation through safety, community, and adventure. AOPA has consistently recognized SCFC in their Best Flight School survey, most recently in 2024 as a Distinguished Flight School for the fourth year in a row.
SCFC is committed to promoting safety in general aviation through our regular safety seminars and guest speaker programs. Our seminars are free to watch when attended in person at our facility in San Carlos but live streaming and viewing recorded seminars are exclusively available to members. Click here or contact an SCFC member service rep at (650) 946-1700 for more information about online access to our web library of over 500 recorded safety seminars and live-streamed content.

Autopilot Basics
2025-06-18 19:00 - 20:30
The auto pilot can be a great aid to pilots during flights. When configured properly it can handle many of routine Aviate and Navigate tasks: climb, hold altitude, intercept and track a course. As with any advanced tool, knowing how to use it is critical in using it safely and effectively.
How well do you understand the capabilities of the autopilot? What are the various modes? What exactly is the proper preflight test procedure? How does the autopilot work? What happens when certain instrument fail – does the autopilot work?
Join us as Sid Basu, CFI, explains the functions of various autopilots as well as the mechanisms that make them work. If you have always wondered about the details of the autopilot, you will want to attend this seminar.
Sid Basu is a Senior Instructor at SCFC with Airplane Single Engine, Multiengine and Instrument ratings, over 3300 hours total time, and 2600 hours dual given. He has been flying since 2008 and has been instructing at San Carlos Flight Center since 2017.

Planning and Dispatching a Part 135 Charter Flight
2025-06-25 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
GA pilots know something about flight planning, but Part 135 charter pilots have to do much more to plan and dispatch a flight.
San Carlos Flight Center invites long-time charter captain Bennett Taber to introduce us to the ways that professional charter companies reduce risks to the flying public and comply with a number of FAA regulations. In this seminar, Ben will explain how the rules imposed on charter operations were created to reduce risk to life and property, along with explaining why you are forbidden to offer your flying services to the general public.
Capt. Bennett Taber was a check airman and training captain with over 35 years, 30,000 landings, and well over 19,000 hours of air charter experience throughout the western United States. His first 500 hours of flying were conducted in Alaska. Captain Taber managed flight operations and charter sales for Dreamline Aviation in the San Francisco Bay Area and was a company Training Captain in all models of Beech King Air aircraft.
San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation through safety, community, and adventure. AOPA has consistently recognized SCFC in their Best Flight School survey, most recently in 2024 as a Distinguished Flight School for the fourth year in a row.
SCFC is committed to promoting safety in general aviation through our regular safety seminars and guest speaker programs. Our seminars are free to watch when attended in person at our facility in San Carlos but live streaming and viewing recorded seminars are exclusively available to members. Click here or contact an SCFC member service rep at (650) 946-1700 for more information about online access to our web library of over 500 recorded safety seminars and live-streamed content.

Women in Aviation @ SCFC, June Meeting
2025-06-28 11:00 - 12:30 | San Carlos Flight Center
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the SCFC Women in Aviation meeting last month! We had a wonderful turnout despite the holiday weekend and enjoyed coffee and homemade pastries while diving into thoughtful community-building activities. We discussed chapter formation, celebrated recent wins, and shared scholarship resources.
Our June meeting will be on Saturday, June 28th at 11:00 AM at San Carlos Flight Center—join us for bagels & berries, vision boards, and intentional discussion. Save the date and help us continue growing our SCFC WAI community!
