Seaplane Rating – When, Why, Where and What to Expect
2025-12-13 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Getting your first rating as a pilot is a major milestone and with it you enjoy many privileges that land-locked humans don’t have. You can fly to many destinations directly that are arduous to get to when using conventional transportation. That first rating is often for a Airplane Single Engine Land. But what if you are yearning for an adventure to land on a lake or other body of water?
San Carlos Flight Center invites Commercial pilot Sal Valdes that just recently obtained her seaplane rating along with Mary McEnroe, recipient of the Women Making a Splash scholarship to share their experience with flying seaplanes. In this seminar they will share the reasons why they embarked on a seaplane rating. Sal and Mary will provide insight into where they did their training, how to prepare for the seaplane rating it and what the training involved.
If you have ever dreamed about landing on water and experiencing the additional freedom provided by a seaplane rating, please join us for this event. It just may inspire you to take that step to advancing your skills by adding a seaplane rating to your pilot certificate.

FlyOutGroup LA Trip Recap – Flying in, around and through LA airspace
2025-12-17 19:00 - 20:30
Last month, several planes from San Carlos Flight Center ventured down to Southern California to experience flying around and through the various Class Bravo and Charlie airspace in that area. The goal was to experience first hand how to navigate what looks like a maze of airspace.
This seminar will be a recap of the trip and include details of how they successfully navigated through this busy airspace. The panel will also share their experience of flying into several of the bucket list airports in Southern California including Santa Monica, Long Beach, John Wayne and Catalina.
If you are considering venturing into Southern California, you will want to join this seminar to hear first hand what it is like to navigate and communicate in that area.
Travis Bender is a Senior Flight Instructor at San Carlos Flight Center. He currently holds a CFI/CFII certificate and earned the majority of his certificates here at the Flight Center. Prior to instructing, Travis led sustainable procurement efforts for a large Silicon Valley technology company.

Flight Center Holiday Party
2025-12-19 19:00 - 21:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
The SCFC pilot community will gather annually to celebrate our shared experiences and accomplishments. Mark your calendars for Friday, December 19th at 7:00 PM, as we host our annual Holiday Party and Member Appreciation Night. Get excited for a festive celebration featuring music, food, and aviation-themed beverages!
This is an excellent opportunity for you to meet and greet fellow members, staff, and instructors. Whether you’re a seasoned pilot who’s been with the Flight Center for years or a newcomer, this event is for everyone. It’s a fantastic way to kick off the new year and strengthen the bonds within our community. Everyone is welcome, regardless of whether you train at the Flight Center or fly your own plane. We’re thrilled to have you join us and learn more about how the Flight Center can be an integral part of your aviation journey.
Food and drinks will be provided, and you’re more than welcome to bring guests along. Embrace the festive spirit by donning your favorite holiday attire. Let’s raise a toast to the incredible flying we accomplished in 2025 and eagerly anticipate the exciting adventures that await us in 2026!
To ensure there’s enough food and drinks for everyone, RSVP below. Your presence will make this event even more special and memorable.

Aviation Colleges Panel
2025-12-20 12:00 - 13:00 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
There are many great options for students looking for a college aviation program. Many colleges offer programs designed to prepare students to join the aviation industry by providing training to become pilots or air traffic controllers. These colleges operate under FAR Part 141 and provide an FAA-approved curriculum.
To aid local high school students, SCFC will be hosting a panel discussion on collegiate aviation programs. We have invited in pilots from a handful of the most prominent aviation college programs in the country to share their experiences. How do the programs differ? What should a new student know when evaluating these programs? Come and ask our panelists about their reasons for selecting the school they chose and how their experience lived up to the expectations.

Young Aviators Workshop
2026-01-03 09:00 - 13:00
Are you a teenager interested in aviation but not sure where to begin? Are you looking to share your passion with aviation with other like minded young people?
The Flight Center invites all high school students to attend this workshop to learn about aviation. This event provides you the opportunity to discover the steps of becoming a pilot and career options, how to read and interpret aviation charts used by pilots, hands-on experience with aircraft engines and systems, as well as aviation scholarship opportunities.
If you are a budding young aviator we welcome you to participate in this event. Lunch is provided.
This event is a workshop for high school students and not eligible for the Seminar Engagement Program.

Hypoxia Training by the FAA
2026-01-14 08:00 - 08:45, 2026-01-14 08:45 - 09:30, 2026-01-14 09:30 - 10:15, 2026-01-14 10:15 - 11:00, 2026-01-14 11:00 - 11:45, 2026-01-14 12:30 - 13:15, 2026-01-14 13:15 - 14:00, 2026-01-14 14:00 - 14:45 and 3 more dates | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Learn how you react to lack of oxygen by experiencing the FAA Portable Reduced Oxygen Training Enclosure (PROTE).
The PROTE is a traveling altitude chamber capable of producing hypoxic environments at ground level by reducing oxygen in the environment for the purpose of training aviation professionals.
One of the common symptoms experienced in a hypoxic environment is a reduction of cognitive function. Students are given math problems and puzzles to solve while in the chamber and are instructed to take note of their symptoms since low oxygen can affect people differently. These exercises help students identify their individual symptoms. Learning how hypoxia effects them in a PROTE chamber allows pilots and students to identify if they are low on oxygen while flying.
Requirements

Must be 18 years of age
Must possess a valid FAA Medical Certificate or Basic Med
Must have a government issued ID such as a Driver’s License, Military ID, or Passport.
Attendees must arrive 30 minutes prior to their scheduled sessions.

Anyone without the required medical and ID or that shows up late will forfeit their slot.
