San Carlos Flight Center

FOG Lunch: Stockton
2022-11-20 12:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
For November, join FOG on a fly-out lunch to Stockton! Top Flight Grill is located in the airport terminal building and a quick walk from Transient Parking or the Atlantic Aviation FBO. The restaurant has typical American fare, as well as Mexican-inspired cuisine.
Stockton Airport is a great cross-country destination for students, with ATC services and a long runway. Grab your CFI and gain experience flying into new airports and utilizing FBO services. Pilots can also test their instrument skills with a variety of instrument approaches into the airport, including an ILS and RNAV approach to Runway 29R.
Interested in going? Sign up below so we can get a headcount for food, and we’ll see you in Stockton at 12:00 PM on November 20!

NO SAFETY SEMINAR on November 23
2022-11-23
There will be no safety seminar on Wednesday, November 23 at 7 PM because of Thanksgiving. Please join us for our next seminar on Saturday, November 26 at 12 PM.
We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
-SCFC Seminar Team

Ground School Refresher: Pressure and Density Altitude
2022-11-26 12:00 - 13:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing. IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.**
Click here to learn more about online viewing

Pressure what? Density what?
As pilots, we love altitude. So much that we’ve created a bunch of different kinds of altitude: true altitude, absolute altitude, indicated altitude, assigned altitude, and two kinds of confusing ones – pressure altitude and density altitude. For many pilots, this can lead to a mental overload. Many pilots don’t have a working understanding of pressure and density altitude. Are they even real altitudes at all?
In this seminar, join SCFC CFI Shelby Rebholtz as he introduces and explains the terms “pressure altitude” and “density altitude” and demystifies their meaning. Although the word “altitude” is used, these are clearly not measures of altitude. In fact, they are measures of atmospheric pressure and density just converted into units that pilots can understand. Confusing at first, yes, but once understood they serve a valuable purpose in determining aircraft performance.
Although few things are as important to a pilot as knowing the performance capability of the aircraft before taking to the skies, measuring the critical factor – atmospheric density – is not something that pilots can do directly. Instead we use rules of thumb, conversion factors, and our best understanding of how elevation, pressure, temperature, and humidity are interrelated. If you’ve ever opened your aircraft POH to the performance section and felt humbled, this seminar is for you.

Shelby Rebholtz is a CFI at San Carlos Flight Center. He was born and raised in the Bay Area and his passion for aviation started young when his father took him flying. While attending California State University, Chico in 2019 he attained a degree in geography and his private pilots license. Soon after he continued his aviation journey down south to San Diego where he navigated the complex airspace of Southern California and attained his Commercial and CFI ratings. When Shelby is not flying or breaking his neck staring at aircraft he can 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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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 nearly 500 recorded Safety Seminars.

Beyond the POH, Cessna 172 Systems Revealed
2022-11-30 19:00 - 20:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing. IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.**
Click here to learn more about online viewing

An aircraft’s Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) contains all the required information for pilots to operate an aircraft safely. Here you will find the operating limitations, aircraft information, and an overview of the systems. Having an understanding of how your aircraft operates is critical. The POH offers a wealth of data that pilots can use to fully understand their aircraft, yet, they often do not take advantage of it.
To develop this understanding we will further investigate the systems in a Cessna 172. San Carlos Flight Center invites Herb Patten, Chief Pilot to go beyond the information in the POH. In this seminar, he will highlight details of the inner workings of the induction, oil, electrical, and fuel system as applied in the real world. For example, have you ever wondered how the alternate air works in the Cessna 172? Or what triggers the “OIL PRESS” annunciator? Through a combination of diagrams, pictures, and videos, Herb will demystify how the various systems are implemented.
If you ever wanted the answer to the question of “How does that work?”, this seminar will provide answers to many of those questions and provide a framework to fully understand any airplane you fly.

Herb Patten is the Chief Pilot at the San Carlos Flight Center, a CFI and an FAA certificated advanced and instrument ground instructor who teaches private pilot ground school at San Carlos Flight Center. He is a commercial pilot with an instrument rating, has flown over 2,500 hours in more than 130 different California airports. He is the current chairman of the Upwind Foundation, famous for its Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. In 2021, 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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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.

Webinar
2022-12-02 08:00 - 17:00

Student Challenges for Instructors
2022-12-03 12:00 - 13:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing. IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.**
Click here to learn more about online viewing

Instructors provide training to pilots to take them from zero time to ready for the practical test. One thing instructors realize after teaching for a few years is that every student is different. As a brand new instructor, how do you recognize student challenges? If you identify them, how should you deal with them? For a new instructor, this isn’t something you learn in CFI school, this is something that comes with experience.
In this safety seminar, Dan Dyer presents a methodology for handling student challenges. This methodology is based on human cognitive behavior to consider how humans learn. Dan will present an eye-opening basis for how CFIs teach knowledge vs risk management vs. flight skills. If you think these are approached in the same manner, you will want to tune into this seminar to learn a more effective method for teaching.
Regardless if you are a brand new CFI just cutting your teeth on a new student pilot, or a CFI with several years of teaching, this seminar will provide you with some key insights that you may not have considered before. Don’t miss learning about strategies for dealing with student challenges. After this seminar, you will no doubt approach a future student challenge in a more effective way.

Dan Dyer is the founder of the San Carlos Flight Center, and has built the motto of Safety, Community, and Adventure for over 8 years. 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. Find out more about Dan at www.sancarlosflight.com or contact him at dan@sancarlosflight.com

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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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 nearly 500 recorded safety seminars.

Skills Involved in Crosswind Landings
2022-12-07 19:00 - 20:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing.
Click here to learn more about online viewing

Crosswind landings represent the height of a pilot’s ability to manage four controls at the same time, often in challenging weather conditions. At San Carlos Airport, the prevailing winds often include a crosswind component, so pilots learning takeoffs and landings here must learn crosswind takeoff and landing technique from the very beginning. If your early training was at an airport with a runway closely aligned with the prevailing wind, you may have approached crosswind landings as if they were strange or unusual.
SCFC often invites Dan Dyer to speak about his experiences teaching crosswind technique in high-wing aircraft, and in the Xwind 200 crosswind landing simulator that the Flight Center owns. His ability to simplify the technique for safe crosswind operations has helped many pilots improve their mastery of light to moderate crosswinds. In this presentation, we’ve asked Dan to approach crosswind landing from a different angle, by breaking down the list of fundamental pilot skills that are needed before the complex simultaneous mastery of the skills are used in crosswind takeoffs and landing.
You may be confident in your crosswind takeoff or landing capability, but this presentation may give you a different perspective on component skills that need a refresher or additional practice. If you’re a new student pilot trying to master crosswinds, or a high-time pilot looking for a different way to think about the skills you’re naturally using in the aircraft, this presentation is for you.

Dan Dyer is the founder of the San Carlos Flight Center, and has built the motto of Safety, Community, and Adventure for over 8 years. 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. Find out more about Dan at www.sancarlosflight.com or contact him at dan@sancarlosflight.com

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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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.

Full Moon Flyers: Willows
2022-12-07 19:00 - 21:00
Want delicious food and some cross-country time? Join FOG on December 7th as we head north to Willows (WLW), where we’ll break for dinner at Nancy’s Airport Cafe.
Willows can be found in the northwest side of the Central Valley, and is located between Nut Tree and Redding. Flying in the winter time will hopefully present a green and colorful landscape, as many of the surrounding hills will be various shades of green from the winter rains. On a clear day, you may even be able to get a glimpse of the towering Mt. Shasta and Mt. Lassen on the descent!
Nancy’s Airport Cafe is a small airport diner, but is known for its all-day breakfast, American fare, and best of all, their pies! Make sure to grab a slice before heading home, as they’re known for keeping pilots coming back for more. To access the restaurant, please park on the ramp alongside the hangers and self-serve fuel depot, and walk through the gate.
As always, if you’re interested in attending, please let us know by signing up below.

Interpreting NOTAMs
2022-12-10 12:00 - 13:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing.
Click here to learn more about online viewing

Notice To Air Missions (NOTAMs) are extremely important to the safety of flight. NOTAMs carry information of an immediate or transitory nature that has not yet made it into an aeronautical chart. The FAA has made multiple substantial overhauls to the US NOTAM system over the past four years, and more are still coming. Have you kept up with these?
San Carlos Flight Center invites Assistant Chief Pilot Brian Eliot to review the current NOTAM system with special emphasis on how to classify, filter, and interpret NOTAMs. NOTAMs include airspace and controlling regulations in which all pilots are bound to comply with. It is imperative that pilots know where to obtain this time-sensitive information and check it before every flight. He’ll discuss various official sources for pilots to find current regulatory and advisory changes to the airspace system and point out major changes in NOTAM content. It’s important for all pilots to understand as failure to know about a NOTAM does not mean that you can’t have your certificate revoked for busting one.
Ignorance is not a protection. All pilots should attend this very special discussion and always operate with NOTAMs in mind. Join us as we look at the current NOTAM format and the upcoming ICAO NOTAM format, which the FAA plans to supplant in the future.

Brian Eliot is San Carlos Flight Center’s Assistant Chief Pilot and resident expert for IFR training and Garmin G1000 avionics. He has been flying since 1995 and received all his training in the Bay Area. Brian previously worked as a broadcast engineer, a software developer, and taught computer science at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He regularly presents at San Carlos Flight Center safety seminars and has a reputation for making complex concepts easy to learn and understand.

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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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.

Electricity for Pilots
2022-12-14 19:00 - 20:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing.
Click here to learn more about online viewing

As pilots, we study electrical systems in depth during primary flight training and each time we transition into flying a new aircraft. How much of that do you remember? Would you know what to do in the event of an unusual situation, malfunction or failure? Do you know the difference between volts and amps? Do you know what a circuit breaker is actually doing? Many pilots do not understand the electrical systems of their aircraft.
San Carlos Flight Center welcomes back experienced check airman and training Captain Ben Taber, who has pulled together some of the most challenging electrical issues. Capt. Taber will introduce us to “Electricity for Pilots” and review electrical use in everyday flight, static electricity buildup and discharge, and discuss possible failure scenarios and resolutions for each. With the introduction of Technically Advanced Aircraft (TAA) outfitted with sleek Garmin’ G1000TM, Avidyne’, and other assorted glass cockpit panels and FAA/Industry Training Standards (FITS) scenario-based training techniques to help pilots fly more safely, the training industry has finally recognized that pilots must be trained to a higher level of understanding of the electrical systems that supports all that equipment. The level of sophistication of the electrical system in singles tells you just how important electricity is for safe flight. Pilots who are willing to fly in the clouds with only one engine demand backups and redundancy for the critical avionics and other systems powered by electricity.
Join us as Ben Taber dives deeper into your pilot knowledge bank of electricity in this informative and challenging seminar.

Captain Bennett Taber is a check airman and training captain with over 20 years and 18,000 hours of air charter experience throughout the western United States. His first 500 hours of flying were conducted in Alaska. Captain Taber manages flight operations and charter sales for Dreamline Aviation in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a Dreamline Training Captain in 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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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.

Candid Radio, San Carlos Edition
2022-12-17 12:00 - 13:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing.
Click here to learn more about online viewing

When you least expect it, you’re elected. You’re the star today. Smile you’re on Candid Radio, San Carlos Flight Center’s celebration of the best and the worst in local radio calls. When you press that button, we’re listening and as a group we want to begin a discussion to improve the level of SF Bay Area radio calls.
SCFC Chief Pilot Herb Patten and CFI Dan Dyer are both very passionate about professional radio communication. The Flight Center offers many classes and safety seminars to help new pilots understand the structure and demands of radio communication, to better share the limited resource that air time represents. In this episode of Candid Radio, the spotlight is on the pilot, control tower, and ground controller communications at San Carlos Airport. This Class D airport is located just 7 miles from the busy Class B San Francisco Airport, and is also the home to many flight schools and student training. This makes for great listening, as we hear pilots ask for pattern work, request departures, and respond to the sometimes unusual directions from the control tower. We’ve pulled together the best and worst of SQL radio communications over the last few weeks, and turned them into an informative presentation for all pilots.
If you’ve flown in the SQL area any time in the last few weeks, tune in to see if you’ve been highlighted, either as a radio star or a radio roadblock. Everyone should be able to improve their skills just a bit after joining us for this presentation.

Herb Patten is the Chief Pilot at the San Carlos Flight Center, a CFI and an FAA certificated advanced and instrument ground instructor who teaches private pilot ground school at San Carlos Flight Center. He is a commercial pilot with an instrument rating, has flown over 2,500 hours in more than 130 different California airports. He is the current chairman of the Upwind Foundation, famous for its Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. In 2021, Herb was named a Distinguished Flight Instructor by AOPA.

Dan Dyer is the founder of the San Carlos Flight Center, and has built the motto of Safety, Community, and Adventure for over 8 years. 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. Find out more about Dan at www.sancarlosflight.com or contact him at dan@sancarlosflight.com

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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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.

FOG Lunch: Concord
2022-12-18 12:00 - 14:00
This month, let’s explore our own backyard and head over to the nearby Concord Buchanan Field (CCR) for lunch. Across the street lies The Habit, a great burger restaurant with some unique spins on classic lunch options.
This is an excellent flight if you are a student pilot doing training and want a simple flight to break for lunch with your instructor. Similarly, if you are planning on taking passengers on this trip, don’t pass up on the opportunity to fly a Bay Tour before or after lunch. The cool December days often have excellent visibility, and many pilots report being able to get a great vista of the entire Bay with the lush green hills in the background.
For parking at Concord, please park in the transient parking ramp located just south of Runway 1R. (Don’t be afraid to ask for “Progressive Taxi” while navigating the taxiways, as Concord Airport is a complex airport). Then, walk through the gate and across the way to the restaurant around 12 PM.
As always, please make sure to RSVP, and we look forward to seeing you at Concord!

The Leidos Flight Service Approach to Aviation Weather
2022-12-21 19:00 - 20:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing.
Click here to learn more about online viewing

“Thanks for calling Leidos Flight Service. Stand by as we connect you to a Weather Briefer”. If this sounds familiar to you, it’s because Leidos Flight Service is the leading source of weather briefing tools helping pilots prepare for flights across the nation. These tools and available technologies have changed significantly over the last few years, but have GA pilots evolved with them?
San Carlos Flight Center invites Jeff Arnold, CFI and Director of Outreach and Innovation at Leidos Flight Service to demonstrate the services, briefing tools and features that www.1800wxbrief.com has to offer; along with helpful tips on the best ways to interact with Flight Service. In this seminar, Jeff will analyze accident trends and describe how these accidents are a result of both bad weather and poor interpretation that has plagued GA pilots for years. We will also discuss what pilots can do collectively to reverse the trend, through low-effort or easy-to-implement strategies within their day to day routines.
Having a thorough understanding of aviation weather is crucial to safe flight operation. Join us as this guest speaker gives us a new way to approach weather briefing through the eyes of experienced professionals at Leidos.

Jeff Arnold is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, has held flight instructor certificates (CFI, CFII, MEI, AGI, IGI) for 15 years, previously served as Program Manager for two large Flight Academies, taught Aviation Meteorology & Ground School(s) at a Community College in Fort Worth, TX, and is a former Flight Service Weather Briefer & Air Operations Manager. Jeff currently serves as the Director of Innovation & Outreach for Leidos Flight Service between chasing 3 kids, a wife & a useless dog.

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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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 nearly 500 recorded safety seminars.

No Safety Seminars on December 24, 28, 31
2022-12-24 - 2022-12-31
The SCFC Safety Seminar program will be taking a break from normal programming on December 24, 28, and 31st for the holiday season. We hope you enjoyed watching our seminars throughout 2022, and we are looking forward to welcoming you back in 2023.
The seminar team is working diligently to bring in new speakers, expand our topic areas, and continue to deliver the highest quality of education to pilots.
Happy Holidays from the SCFC Seminar Team.

RESCHEDULED – Destination Las Vegas
2023-01-04 19:00 - 20:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing.
Click here to learn more about online viewing

**THIS SEMINAR HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO SATURDAY, JANUARY 28 AT 12PM**
Due to the storm affecting the Bay Area this evening, Destination: Las Vegas is being rescheduled to Saturday, January 28th at 12 PM, in the interest of our team members’ safety.
Web Members can choose to watch any of our nearly 500 pre-recorded seminars in the Seminar Video Archive.

Las Vegas is a popular destination among many travelers, so maybe it’s time you considered flying there yourself. Vegas is a perfect example of cross-country challenge for California pilots. With good flight planning, you and your passengers can make this trip safely despite busy airspace and mountains surrounding the valley airports.
San Carlos Flight Center brings together SCFC Chief Pilot Herb Patten and pilot Alessandro Franco to discuss some of their recent flights into Las Vegas, and to share with us what pilots flying can expect when flying into into Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Henderson (HND), and North Las Vegas (VGT). In this seminar, they will summarize the flight planning between the San Francisco Bay Area and Vegas and point out many special considerations along the way. With high elevations, terrain, and extreme temperatures, pilots should operate carefully into this highly dense traffic area. Dozens of helicopters, hundreds of jets, and military traffic dominate the airspace around Las Vegas and as pilots, it’s important to be aware of them. Their presentation will summarize these operations, how to navigate airspace, and tips on what to do after you land.
If you ever considered venturing to Las Vegas, this will be an informative head start to your flight planning. We hope you can join us.

Herb Patten is the Chief Pilot at the San Carlos Flight Center, a CFI and an FAA certificated advanced and instrument ground instructor who teaches private pilot ground school at San Carlos Flight Center. He is a commercial pilot with an instrument rating, has flown over 2,500 hours in more than 130 different California airports. He is the current chairman of the Upwind Foundation, famous for its Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. In 2021, Herb was named a Distinguished Flight Instructor by AOPA.
Alessandro Franco is a pilot and the Owner of the San Carlos Flight Center. Alessandro is the lead of all Flight Center operations, activities, and relations.

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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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.

Full Moon Flyers: Watsonville
2023-01-06 19:00 - 21:00
Come join the FlyOutGroup (FOG) on Friday, January 6th, with a scenic flight to Watsonville (WVI)! An easy location to get to from the Bay Area, enjoy a quick hop over the Santa Cruz Mountains, and then descend over Monterey Bay. Park in Transient Parking, and we’ll all meet at the Beer Mule for dinner.
The Beer Mule is located across the street from the aircraft terminal. This brewery serves forty craft beers for those not acting as PIC, and many food options sourced from the surrounding farms. Bites like Buffalo Style Fries and the Hot or Not Chicken Sando are some of their unique offerings.
After dinner, feel free to play a round of cornhole or ping-pong with your fellow pilots, and don’t miss the chance to pick up a few cans of craft beer to take home. Ask the Beer Mule staff which ones they recommend.
We’re excited for the event, and look forward to seeing you in Watsonville! As it’s a Friday evening, please RSVP below so we can give the restaurant a heads-up of our headcount.
Note: Beer Mule has plenty of patio seating outside, so please remember to bring a jacket to keep warm.

Ground School Refresher: Aeromedical Factors
2023-01-07 12:00 - 13:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing.
Click here to learn more about online viewing

Human body dynamics are complicated on the ground, and really interesting when you take them up thousands of feet in elevation. The reduction in ambient air pressure can cause various impairments that directly affect safety of flight.
San Carlos Flight Center invites Chief Pilot Herb Patten, and CFI Dan Dyer as they review important Aeromedical Factors such as the four types of hypoxia, the impact of medicines and alcohol on the human body, and how the human eye and mind can be fooled by various spatial and visual illusions. They will also go over some common over-the-counter medications that pilots might not consider to impair their ability to fly, but may actually be dangerous.
Come and join this online seminar in the ground school refresher series to review the impact of flight on the human body and become a safer pilot.

Herb Patten is the Chief Pilot at the San Carlos Flight Center, a CFI and an FAA certificated advanced and instrument ground instructor who teaches private pilot ground school at San Carlos Flight Center. He is a commercial pilot with an instrument rating, has flown over 2,500 hours in more than 130 different California airports. He is the current chairman of the Upwind Foundation, famous for its Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. In 2021, Herb was named a Distinguished Flight Instructor by AOPA.
Dan Dyer is the founder of the San Carlos Flight Center, and has built the motto of Safety, Community, and Adventure for over 8 years. 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. Find out more about Dan at www.sancarlosflight.com or contact him at dan@sancarlosflight.com

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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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.

Keeping Instrument Proficient
2023-01-11 19:00 - 20:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing.
Click here to learn more about online viewing

An Instrument Rating opens pilots up to a whole new type of flying, but demands adherence to strict sets of procedures that keep pilots and passengers safe when there’s no view out the window. IFR pilots are responsible for keeping their skills sharp so that accuracy stays high even in high workload situations. Without regular use, instrument flying skills lapse and skills deteriorate. FAA regulations for Instrument pilots are designed for more than just currency; their goal is proficiency and competency.
San Carlos Flight Center invites Commercial Pilot Brandan Dadoun to discuss ways to keep your skills sharp as an instrument pilot. After successfully passing an Instrument Rating checkride, many new IFR pilots may not immediately put their skills to use, leaving many unprepared and unsure of what lay ahead. In this seminar, refresh yourself on what you can and cannot do with an instrument rating, instrument currency, and ways to keep your instrument skills current and proficient. Brandan will emphasize practices that will always keep you ahead of the airplane, develop your confidence, and help prevent the development of unsafe habits.
If you are an instrument-rated pilot, join us to keep your IFR head in the game, and ready for your next flight.

Brandan Dadoun is a commercial, multi-engine pilot and SCFC’s Seminar Coordinator. He has completed the majority of his flight training at SCFC with over 500 flight hours and has extensive flying experience throughout the West Coast in both piston and turbine-powered aircraft. In 2021, Brandan was awarded by the FAA for his achievements in promoting aviation safety. Outside of flying and presenting, he enjoys playing the saxophone and staying active.

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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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.

Going Vertical With the G1000
2023-01-14 12:00 - 13:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing.
Click here to learn more about online viewing

The G1000 was introduced in 2004 and was part of the age of the glass cockpit. It transformed the traditional 6-pack into a multi-screen display that presented a wealth of information to pilots. In addition to the graphical depiction of flight instruments, the G1000 also introduced a set of new functionality.
While the G1000 has been around for nearly two decades, many pilots have only scratched the surface of some of the capabilities that it provides. Do you know how many different ways the G1000 can be used to change altitudes? Are you familiar with how to program the G1000 to not only follow the lateral navigation of a flight plan but also vertical navigation?
In this seminar, CFI Herb Patten, will explore the many capabilities of the G1000 to perform vertical navigation. We will explore all aspects of vertical navigation starting with the basics of the altitude display information and ending with the rich feature set of vertical path tracking. Attend this seminar to take your G1000 IQ to the next level.

Herb Patten is the Chief Pilot at the San Carlos Flight Center, a CFI, and an FAA-certificated advanced and instrument ground instructor who teaches private pilot ground school at San Carlos Flight Center. He is a commercial pilot with an instrument rating, and has flown over 2,500 hours in more than 130 different California airports. He is the current chairman of the Upwind Foundation, famous for its Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. In 2021, 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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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.

FOG Lunch: Lampson
2023-01-15 12:00 - 13:30
Located in the North Bay, Clear Lake is one of the biggest lakes in the area, although it is often hidden by the mountains between Santa Rosa and the Central Valley. The local airport in the area, Lampson Field (1O2), has an airport diner on the field, so what better way to spend a Sunday than by grabbing lunch at the restaurant.
On January 15th at noon, enjoy lunch or dinner with fresh, local ingredients from Red’s at the Skyroom. This restaurant features West Coast-fare with a variety of entrees and drinks for you and your passengers. With patio seating, this is a great place to replenish after a training flight or as a break on a long cross-country trip to the north. After your meal, venture around the ramp area to see a collection of vintage aircraft from a variety of eras.
A few FOG pilots sampled the food before. Here is what FOG Pilots Heidi and Bob had to say:
“Red’s was fabulous food. They open at 10:00 a.m. and have a few breakfast items even though there are none on the menu. I recommend the crab cake eggs benedict (see picture). There is indoor air-conditioned seating and lots of shaded outdoor seating. I highly recommend it as a great nearby-to-the-Bay-Area destination.”
The airport also has an RNAV approach if you want to practice your instrument skills, and features 100LL fuel at a self-serve pump. Like other FOG events, RSVP below, and please indicate if you are able to take passengers, so we can allow student pilots and other aviation community members to participate. We’re looking forward to the event, and hope you are, too!

Hazards of Frost and icing
2023-01-18 19:00 - 20:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing.
Click here to learn more about online viewing

Flying along, you might think it’s a beautiful crisp winter day until suddenly you take a peek at the beautiful scenery below and see frost on your wingtip. What are you going to do next? Do you know all the hazards of frost and icing?
San Carlos Flight Center invites Dave Kramer, an experienced instrument rated pilot, and avid weather specialist to talk about how frost and icing can affect an airplane. With atmospheric moisture, comes the hazards of icing. Other than a thunderstorm, nothing else is so detrimental to flight. California, because of it’s warmer winters, is notorious for icing. How can we predict it and where can we find it? In this seminar, anyone will be able to gain a better understanding of how frost and ice forms, how to avoid it, and what to do if you get it.
Join Dave as he discusses these important topics from a pilot’s viewpoint. If you are an aspiring IFR pilot or a seasoned Instrument rated pro, you won’t want to miss this seminar.

Dave Kramer MD, an ophthalmologist for over 30 years, is an instrument rated, tailwheel, complex and high performance endorsed commercial MEL pilot as well as a basic and instrument ground instructor with an interest in weather. He has been flying since 2012, has over 1100 hours of which over 500 have been in the IFR system. He also enjoys long cross country flying, night flying and flying in the LA area.

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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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.

What Aircraft Owners Need to Know About Maintenance
2023-01-21 12:00 - 13:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing.
Click here to learn more about online viewing

The joy of airplane ownership is flying your beloved airplane, however, that airplane needs to be maintained. You probably are an expert pilot but how much do you know about maintaining your aircraft? Maintenance can be confusing, such as how often should you be getting an oil change? What routine maintenance should you have done? What should you be looking for as your engine approaches TBO?
San Carlos Flight Center invites Director of Maintenance Suzie Garcia-Duer to talk about aircraft maintenance for owners. In this seminar, she will highlight how aircraft owners should approach maintenance on their aircraft, and review common maintenance that should be considered. Suzie will share the approach that all aircraft owners should have towards maintenance as having a properly maintained airplane starts with an informed owner.
If you are an aircraft owner or considering ownership, join us to ask questions, and be prepared with the maintenance journey that lays ahead in aircraft ownership.

Suzie Garcia Duer started her aviation career in College of Alameda’s aviation maintenance technology program in 2017. After graduation and going through a battery of tests to get her A&P, she found her first aviation job: repairing and restoring fabric aircraft. From this first experience, Suzie developed a high standard for herself and the work she does. She continued her education by obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree in Aviation Maintenance Management from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale in 2022. Her strong work ethic, painful attention to detail and obsessive pursuit of knowledge and experience have allowed her to move from A&P to IA and now to the Director of Maintenance at 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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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.

Helicopters – What Are They and How Do They Work
2023-01-25 19:00 - 20:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing.
Click here to learn more about online viewing

Most of us have seen helicopters flying in the sky, but how many of us know how they work? While airplanes and helicopters share the skies, rotary aircraft still remain something of a mystery to fixed-wing pilots. Without a deeper understanding, helicopters seem to defy many common characteristics known to fixed-wing pilots.
San Carlos Flight Center invites commercial and rotorcraft pilot Michael Dutton to share more about helicopters. In this seminar we’ll take a high-level look into how a helicopter flies and the controls involved with their flight. Additionally, he will provide an overview of the rotorcraft certificate, motivation for pursuing the certificate, summary of the requirements, and expected timeline. Lastly, Michael will answer common questions such as, what is autorotation? And how do helicopters handle differently than aircraft? There are many differences between helicopters and airplanes that fixed-wing pilots likely do not understand. These questions and many more will be answered during this seminar.
If you were ever curious in learning more about these unique machines, join us for this seminar.

Michael Dutton is a CFI, and CFII in fixed wing with private pilot privileges in helicopters. He’s been flying while working at the San Carlos airport for over seven years, first working for the Flight Center before moving on to Airport Operations. In his off-days, he’s still at the airport as he continues flying and advancing his flying skills.

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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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.

Destination Las Vegas
2023-01-28 12:00 - 13:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing.
Click here to learn more about online viewing

Las Vegas is a popular destination among many travelers, so maybe it’s time you considered flying there yourself. Vegas is a perfect example of cross-country challenge for California pilots. With good flight planning, you and your passengers can make this trip safely despite busy airspace and mountains surrounding the valley airports.
San Carlos Flight Center brings together SCFC Chief Pilot Herb Patten and pilot Alessandro Franco to discuss some of their recent flights into Las Vegas, and to share with us what pilots flying can expect when flying into into Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Henderson (HND), and North Las Vegas (VGT). In this seminar, they will summarize the flight planning between the San Francisco Bay Area and Vegas and point out many special considerations along the way. With high elevations, terrain, and extreme temperatures, pilots should operate carefully into this highly dense traffic area. Dozens of helicopters, hundreds of jets, and military traffic dominate the airspace around Las Vegas and as pilots, it’s important to be aware of them. Their presentation will summarize these operations, how to navigate airspace, and tips on what to do after you land.
If you ever considered venturing to Las Vegas, this will be an informative head start to your flight planning. We hope you can join us.

Herb Patten is the Chief Pilot at the San Carlos Flight Center, a CFI and an FAA certificated advanced and instrument ground instructor who teaches private pilot ground school at San Carlos Flight Center. He is a commercial pilot with an instrument rating, has flown over 2,500 hours in more than 130 different California airports. He is the current chairman of the Upwind Foundation, famous for its Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. In 2021, Herb was named a Distinguished Flight Instructor by AOPA.
Alessandro Franco is a pilot and the Owner of the San Carlos Flight Center. Alessandro is the lead of all Flight Center operations, activities, and relations.

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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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.

Upwind Scholarship 2023 Informational Meeting
2023-01-28 15:00
San Carlos Flight Center is proud to partner with the Upwind Foundation to deliver flight training to the recipients of the Upwind Summer Scholarship. The Upwind Summer Scholarship Program provides a unique opportunity for high school students to become FAA-certificated pilots over the summer between their junior and senior years. The program is made possible by the generosity of local pilots and aviation stakeholders. Learn more about the Upwind Foundation and Summer Scholarship Program here.
The Upwind Foundation is holding an informational meeting for prospective applicants to meet previous scholarship recipients and their parents, flight instructors, and other Upwind staff. This is a great opportunity to find out more information about the program, get answers to any questions as well as assistance with the application process. We look forward to seeing you there! The open house is on Saturday, January 28th at 3 PM. Click here to RSVP on the Upwind website.
The details of the informational meeting will be sent to all those that are registered.

Electronic Logbooks
2023-02-01 19:00 - 20:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing.
Click here to learn more about online viewing

You may also be interested in a few seminars that are related to this topic such as our wide array of ForeFlight tutorials. These can be accessed by going to the Members Only Seminar Archive and searching “ForeFlight” or by clicking here for an example.

Logging flights can be a burden, even more so when calculating totals while preparing for a checkride, renewing your insurance, or applying for a new job. As technology evolves, so do our logbooks. Pilot logbooks in electronic format are easy to use, have every applicable field, and ensure the highest level of neatness and accuracy all with no page limits.
San Carlos Flight Center invites Private Pilot Ritwik Ummalaneni and Airline Pilot and CFI, Daniel Stellini as they give us a rundown of properly logging pilot time and experience, as well as how to use two of the most popular electronic logbook applications, LogTen and ForeFlight. As ForeFlight is becoming the preferred electronic flight bag (EFB) application for General Aviation pilots, many are tapping into its robust pilot logbook capability to supplement (or altogether replace) their paper logbook. In this seminar, get an overview of logging requirements such as required entires, along with comparing the differences between the paper and electronic logbooks.
If you have ever considered logging your flights electronically, this is the seminar for you.

Daniel Stellini is a CFII and a United Airlines pilot with extensive experience from Cessnas to Boeing 777’s. He is committed to developing safe and competent pilots, and is a Gold Seal Flight Instructor. In his freetime, he likes playing music, and teaching others how to become better pilots.
Ritwik Ummaleaneni is a Private Pilot working on his instrument rating. He completed all of his training at SCFC with Daniel, and is looking forward to presenting with him.

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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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.

Hired By The Airlines, Lessons All Pilots Should Know
2023-02-04 12:00 - 13:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing.
Click here to learn more about online viewing

You may also be interested in a similar seminar “Reaching For The Sky, How I Became an Airline Pilot”, available in our Members Only Seminar Archive which is accessible by clicking the link here.

The first step for a career in the airlines is often obtaining a private pilot certificate, followed by years of additional certificates and ratings. At every step, a pilot’s aviation knowledge, flight skills, and risk management abilities are deepened and strengthened. Pilots who someday want to fly with the airlines would benefit from an awareness of how each safety procedure, each checklist, each emergency maneuver, and every flight gives them the chance to build the foundation for a safe career as an Air Transport Pilot.
Toward that goal, San Carlos Flight Center has invited back Josephine Pham Gia, a former SCFC pilot who now flies as an airline pilot, to share her story and to highlight the key takeaways from her Private Pilot Training that still influence her today. From topics such as skillful airplane handling and systems knowledge, but also an understanding of how single-pilot resource management sets the foundation for commercial crew resource management. There is something here every pilot can relate to.
It’s always information to hear from another pilot – to share in their decision-making and learn from their missteps. Josephine will share how she learned from mistakes in her Private training to position herself as a safer, more competent pilot ultimately landing a job with an airline. For those who want to build good habits either for your day-to-day flying or for a career as an airline pilot, we hope her path can inspire you.

Josephine Pham Gia is a CFI, CFII, and MEI and soon to be Airline Pilot for Mesa Airlines. Josephine has worked in the aviation industry since 2013 first starting as a flight attendant, soon to take her first discovery flight in 2017, and receive her Private Pilot Certificate in 2019. As an active student in the United Aviate Program she quickly progressed to obtain her ratings, build time, and land a job with one of the nations largest regional airline carriers.

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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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.

Full Moon Flyers: Monterey
2023-02-05 19:00 - 21:00
With the full-moon happening on Sunday, February 5th, come with FOG to Monterey (MRY) for a dinner at Woody’s at the Airport! Enjoy dinner in the venue that overlooks the airline ramp, allowing you to view take-offs and landings with your meal.
The flight down is an easy one from the Bay Area, and an excellent choice to take passengers on a short flight if they have never been on a general aviation plane before. With views of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Silicon Valley, and Monterey Bay, the flight down is one they won’t forget. Instrument pilots or students can practice their skills with a variety of approaches into the airport, as well. Afterwards, you can refresh your night currency at Monterey or any of the other local airports on the way back to the Bay Area.
After landing, park at Del Monte Aviation, as Monterey does not have any transient parking near the terminal. From there, it’s a short walk to the terminal. Woody’s is located upstairs from the entrance, before the TSA checkpoints. Please plan to be at the restaurant around 7 PM.
Like other FOG events, RSVP below, and please indicate if you are able to take passengers, so we can allow student pilots and other aviation community members to participate. We’re looking forward to the event, and hope you are, too!

Left Turning Tendencies
2023-02-08 19:00 - 20:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing.
Click here to learn more about online viewing

You may also be interested in our “Ground School Refresher: Aerodynamics” to further your understanding of complex aerodynamic concepts. This seminar is viewable in our Members Only Seminar Archive by clicking the link here.

This phrase left turning tendencies means nothing to most people, but it soon means a lot to new student pilots who find that the plane tries to nudge itself off the left side of the runway on a high-power takeoff roll. Private pilots must know at least four left turning tendencies and be able to talk about them during their checkride. However, few pilots actually know what is happening behind the few memorized rote phrases. Interestingly, most newly certificated flight instructors get at least two of these wrong – the result of pilot urban legend coming down from generations of flight instructors passed.
To clear this up, San Carlos Flight Center welcomes back former Chief Pilot Dan Dyer, who covers this topic in CFI new hire training and as part of SCFC’s CFI Finishing School. Dan will cover all FIVE times the nose of the aircraft may yaw suddenly, requiring pilot action to stabilize. He will also show that most of these aerodynamic forces work IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, and explain their origins and in which flight conditions each is strongest. Finally, he’ll explain the two most commonly missed left-turning tendency questions from CFI hiring interviews.
Every single engine, propeller driven pilot will need to account for these tendencies with rudder control, regardless of how deep their understanding of the aerodynamic principles involved are. If you would like to push your knowledge of the FIVE left turning tendancies, tune in to this presentation.

Dan Dyer is the founder of the San Carlos Flight Center, and has built the motto of Safety, Community, and Adventure for over 8 years. 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. Find out more about Dan at www.sancarlosflight.com or contact him at dan@sancarlosflight.com

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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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.

Blades of Glory: What Every Pilot Should Know About Propellers
2023-02-11 12:00 - 13:30
This seminar will only be available for online viewing.
Click here to learn more about online viewing

You may also be interested in our Maintenance Seminar Series available in the Members Only Seminar Archive, click here.

Is this tiny nick on the propeller an airworthiness item? How perfect does the paint need to be to keep the propeller balanced? If my propeller isn’t completely broken, do I still need to send it to the shop? San Carlos Flight Center has invited Samantha Bloodhart of Sullivan Propellers for an enlightening and educational presentation to promote awareness of safety related propeller and propeller governor issues.
Sam will review basic propeller knowledge for pilots, including design differences between the major manufacturers, fixed pitch vs. constant speed operation, realistic evaluation of propeller condition before flight, and the inherent dangers of deferring propeller (or any other aircraft) maintenance. She will discuss some of the common propeller Airworthiness Directives that are owner-operator responsibility (not just mechanics). Finally, she will explain the differences between overhaul, dynamic balancing, and other major types of propeller/governor service. This is all supported with numerous photos and years of anecdotes (some amusing and some amazing).
Propellers are an essential part of flight, and pilots should gain a better understanding about them. If you want to gain more knowledge about what keeps you flying, we encourage all pilots to attend.

Samantha Bloodhart moved to the Bay Area in 1994 from Ohio to open Sullivan Propeller Specialists with her partner Brian Sullivan. Sullivan Propeller has been in business in Hayward since we opened, now 23 years. She is a licensed FAA Repairman. Currently she is the voice of Sullivan Propeller – handling most of the administrative tasks as well as front-line on customer service. Samantha is also the primary administrator for our Repair Station and handles all the FAA requirements/compliance issues as such. Bloodhart founded Sullivan Propeller in 1994, along with Brian Sullivan.

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 2022 as a Distinguished Flight School.
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.
