San Carlos Flight Center

Full Moon Flyers: Livermore
2026-03-03 18:30 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
It’s a new year, so let’s celebrate with a quick flight over to Livermore for dinner!
Beebs is located on the west side of the airport across from transient parking. After parking in transient, walk the short distance to the Golf Course clubhouse, where the restaurant will be. Please plan to be seated by 7:00 PM as the restaurnat closes at 8:00 PM. With a variety of food and options, there are plenty of choices for everyone.
Feel free to arrive earlier to visit the driving range or play a few holes of golf before dinner, too! The golf course has gear to rent, or you can bring your own.
Since it’s a short flight, consider taking your passengers on a sunset Bay Tour before dinner. The views during the cooler summer evenings will be spectacular, and nothing beats the gorgeous sunsets. After dinner, you can refresh your night landings at many of the nearby airports, such as Livermore, Hayward, or Oakland on your way home.
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. Hope to see you there!

Women in Aviation @ SCFC February Meeting
2026-02-28 11:00 - 12:00 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Join Women in Aviation for our monthly meeting at 11am on February 28th! This month we invite guest speaker Joanne Higginbotham to share insight on the history of Pan American Airlines, and her personal experience as the daughter of a pilot. Any and all are welcome! Snacks will be provided.

Destination Palm Springs
2026-02-25 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Palm Springs, known for its days of sunshine, has been a unique Californian getaway for years. As a city nestled within the famous Coachella Valley and on the outskirts of the Mojave Desert there is something for everyone. From national parks to hiking and golf, your visit will be worthwhile.
San Carlos Flight Center invites Private Pilot Fei Fang to discuss what pilots flying to Palm Springs need to know. New destinations, especially long cross-country flights, challenge pilots to expand their skills and adapt to different scenarios. In this seminar, Fei will summarize flight planning into the Palm Springs Area at both PSP and UDD airports. Whether it is navigating around towering peaks and LA airspace, flying over vast deserts, or flying in unique airspace (TRSA anyone?) There are unique flight planning considerations to consider. She will conclude by highlighting the different amenities within the area and things to do.
If you ever considered venturing to Southern California, the Coachella Valley and Palm Springs await you for a challenging but yet rewarding long cross-country from the Bay 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 2019 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.

FOG - Paso Robles Air Museum and Lunch
2026-02-21 10:30 - 17:00 | KPRB, Paso Robles Airport, Paso Robles, CA, United States
Want a chance to see some of the greatest aircraft to defend our country? Come join us on our Fly Out Group (FOG) trip to Paso Robles Municipal Airport (KPRB): home of the Estrella Warbirds Museum. This flight will happen on February 21.
At Estrella, you will find numerous historical aircraft and military equipment spanning from World War II through the end of the Cold War. Are you more of a fan of cars and automotive history? Next door you will find the Woodland Auto Display. The car museum is included in the same ticket as the aviation museum so you will have two museums for the price of one!
This is a great opportunity to see some historic vehicles and build cross country time. We will first meet for brunch at Joe’s One-Niner Diner at the airport terminal at 10:30 am. After brunch, we will taxi our planes to the other side of the airport where the museum is. The museum has space for us to park our airplanes. There will be no tie downs so make sure you bring chocks. We will have a group tour planned to begin at 12 pm for the museum.
Airplane parking is limited and the museum requires groups to be a minimum of 10 attendees so be sure to invite back seaters for this trip!
Contact event organizer, Noa at noa@sancarlosflight.com for more information.

EAA Chapter 20 Young Eagles @ SCFC
2026-02-21 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-01-17 09:00 - 12:00 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
SCFC is hosting EAA Chapter 20 for their Young Eagles event, with volunteer pilots offering flights for young people aged 8-17.
Learn more about Young Eagles from the EAA’s website.

Real Mechanics Debunk Pilot Maintenance Myths
2026-02-14 12:00 - 13:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Is it a myth, an urban legend, fact or fiction? Face it, as pilots we have heard our fair share of what not to do when it comes to airplane and engine operations. Among these are when rotating the propeller by hand, always rotate it clockwise or never rotate the propeller clockwise. Which is it and why?
San Carlos Flight Center Charles Rudolf, Maintenance Manager and IA will help clear the air when it comes to some of these common myths. He will share the real truth behind subjects such as why you shouldn’t run the starter beyond the time limit specified, how to determine if a nick in the propeller is going to be an issue, is there such a thing as having too much oil, and many more.
Charles earned his A&P in 2021 after attending AIM in Fremont and started working at the San Carlos Flight Center. He obtained his Inspection Authority, IA, in 2024. He enjoys the challenge of working on a variety of airplanes. More importantly, he enjoys sharing his knowledge about airplane systems and engines with pilots.

Pilot Confessional: Learning from Our Mistakes
2026-02-11 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Pilots are human, and humans make mistakes. It’s a part of life. But pilots sharing stories of the things they messed up in the past can be powerful way to help others think about the error chain and maybe prevent themselves from making that same mistake. In this way, hangar talk can save lives.
San Carlos Flight Center invites all human pilots to join us at this Pilot Confessional. Bring stores of mistakes you made, what you did to understand it afterward, and how you can help others learn to avoid doing the same thing. The group discussion will be facilitated by SCFC Chief Pilot Dan Dyer, with about 4,000 thousands of hours of flight experience. It’s fair to say that over a career that long, he’s made a few mistakes. Like everyone, we all learn from our mistakes; and in this seminar, Dan will start of the sharing session by recounting some of his worst flying mistakes and walk participants through the lessons he learned from them. Learn about how to prevent them from happening to you, but also how to grow and become a better pilot as a result.
A good pilot is always learning, and it’s best if you can learn from the mistakes of others. Join us for this frank open dialog about mistakes that pilots can make and what we can all do to learn from them and prevent them.

Dan Dyer is the founder of the San Carlos Flight Center and currently the Chief Pilot. He founded the Flight Center on the motto of Safety, Community, and Adventure. 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 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.

SQL Tower Tour (3 of 3)
2026-02-07 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 (2 of 3)
2026-02-07 10:00 - 10:30

SQL Tower Tour (1 of 3)
2026-02-07 09:30 - 10:00

FOG Lunch: Half Moon Bay
2026-02-06 12:00 - 14:00 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
On Friday, February 6th, make the quick hop over the Santa Cruz Mountains to Half Moon Bay for lunch, where FOG enjoy the much-acclaimed restaurant, Pilot Light right on the field.
The flight is quick from points around the Bay Area but is much faster and less stressful than navigating the traffic on Highway 92. This is a perfect flight to take friends and family on, as it affords stunning views of the local coastline, beaches, and mountains in such a short flight.
After landing, taxi to the ramp on the northeast side of the airport. Secure your aircraft and we’ll walk through the gate to meet at Pilot Light at 12 PM. The restaurant is run by the same team behind the famed All Spice restaurant in San Mateo, and revel in serving up unique brunch offerings. The restaurant has received a lot of positive praise in the few weeks after opening, with diners noting the fun twists and fresh ingredients on classic dishes. (Learn more about the restaurant in this article).
It’s always hit or miss on picking a good time to visit Half Moon Bay. Low fog and clouds may prevent VFR traffic from participating. If this is the case, the FOG coordinator will advise those who registered if a change is needed.
Please RSVP below so we can inform the restaurant of our headcount. We hope to see you in Half Moon Bay on Friday, Feb 6th!

Threat and Error Management
2026-02-04 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Every flight presents its own unique challenges and risks. As pilots, our responsibility is to identify these threats and find ways to mitigate them. Threat and Error Management (TEM) is an overarching safety management approach that assumes pilots will naturally make mistakes and encounter risky situations during flight operations. This model, along with many others, has been in use by professional aviators for decades. All pilots could benefit from learning this model and Safety Management Systems to significantly reduce the risk of an accident or incident.
San Carlos Flight Center has invited corporate pilot Brandan Dadoun, to share tips for a general aviation audience. In his presentation, Brandan will describe ways that this model and mindset can be used for every flight. He will incorporate this model through a variety of real-world case studies designed to emphasize the importance of TEM.
Don’t miss out on this presentation if you want to become a safer and more attentive pilot.
Brandan Dadoun is a corporate pilot flying the Embraer Praetor 600. He has two type ratings and extensive flying experience throughout the country. Brandan completed all of his flight training at SCFC and has been involved in the community since 2015. He was formerly the Safety Seminar Program Director, where he served in his role for many years. The Federal Aviation Administration recognized his efforts for improving aviation safety with awards in 2022 and 2023.

Full Moon Flyers: Monterey
2026-01-31 19:00 - 21:00
This month, join us on Saturday, January 31st, for dinner at Tarpy’s Roadhouse in Monterey!
Whether you take the coastal route or over Highway 17, the flight down is an easy one from the Bay Area. Monterey Airport doesn’t have a transient parking ramp, but we will park at the Del Monte Aviation FBO. After parking, we’ll grab a quick ride-share to the restaurant. This upscale restaurant is a great destination to treat a new passenger to the joys of flying or to treat yourself to a great flight.
Are you a student pilot looking for more flight time? Monterey lies just outside the 50 NM requirement and counts towards your cross-country time! Looking for some practice flying IFR? Monterey and nearby airports offer various types of approaches. Reward your approaches with some great food!
We will be meeting at the FBO, so please make sure to arrive and secure your aircraft no later than 7:00 PM. Make sure to RSVP so we have an accurate headcount!

Women in Aviation @ SCFC January Meeting
2026-01-31 11:00 - 12:00 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Join SCFC Women in Aviation for our monthly meeting on January 31st from 11:00-12:00! We will be doing vision boards for the new year, discussing volunteer opportunities, and enjoying bagels and fresh fruit. Come join us to kick off the new year with community and connection! Anyone and everyone is welcome.

Under the Cowling Workshop
2026-01-31 09:00 - 10:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
CFI Herb Patten ground school student into the SCFC maintenance hangar for a closer look at airplane engines and systems, including details of the fuel, ignition, induction and more in this in-person workshop. This is your chance to look “under the cowling” in a way that goes deeper than your common preflight inspection.
As a pilot, you learn about airplane engines and systems from the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. That information is supplemented by details from your specific Airplane Flight Manual. So what more do you need to know? You crank the starter and everything works. But how does it work and how do the various systems such as the fuel, induction, and ignition work together to keep the engine flying? Ever wonder how the fuel flows from the tank to the cylinders? Or what happens when the air intake filter becomes blocked? Or what are the purposes of those tubes coming out of the bottom of the engine?
This in-person seminar will be conducted using a Cessna training plane with the engine cowling removed so you can get an up-close appreciation of the components of a typical, small single-engine airplane. Space is limited so don’t delay in signing up for this unique experience. You will walk away with a new depth of knowledge that most pilots don’t have.

Cape Cod to San Carlos: Westbound Across America
2026-01-28 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
SCFC member Jerry Birn was living vicariously through the cross-country adventures of his friend, SCFC member Bob Turcott, as Bob winged his way across America in BYF41 (N1483L). Then out of nowhere, lightning struck (figuratively), Bob tore his achilles and the plane was stuck on Cape Cod. Recognizing a unique opportunity, Jerry flew the plane back to San Carlos in three and one-half days, logging true “cross-country” time.
Jerry is an instrument-rated commercial pilot. He will focus on the aeronautical decision making that went into planning for and making a fast trip across the country, including the unique challenges of weather, unfamiliar terrain, new airports, and setting and continually reevaluating reasonable personal safety limits. Whether you are a new pilot interested in venturing farther afield from the Bay Area, or a seasoned pilot ready to embark on longer, multi-day flights, each of the five legs of Jerry’s flight offers interesting lessons. Join us to hear about Jerry’s unexpected adventure from Cape Cod back to the Bay Area.
You surely won’t want to miss this seminar if you are planning to go on a long cross-country trip, improve your flight planning, or you just want to learn more about the adventures of a fellow pilot.
Jerry Birn, a retired lawyer, earned his private pilot and commercial certificates in the late 1970s. After a brief hiatus of four decades, he returned to flying three years ago under Herb Patten’s guidance and has participated in the flight center’s summer trips to Colorado and the Pacific Northwest the past two summers. He still believes in paper approach charts and thinks that GPS is cheating.

Flying Across the US, Part 1: A low-hour VFR pilot’s perspective
2026-01-24 12:00 - 13:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Four months after receiving his pilot’s license, SCFC member Bob Turcott embarked on a multi-week, around-the-country solo flight. In this presentation, Bob will cover topics such as reasons to consider making such a trip; suggestions for low-hour pilots to develop the necessary proficiency; useful gear; cool airports; his worst decisions; helpful attitudes; and a few life lessons that were encountered along the way.
Anyone who pushes heavy objects – such as planes – risks Achilles tendon rupture, especially if done in a thoughtless way. Unfortunately, this is what Bob experienced, 2,800 miles from home. Since the consequences of this injury are severe, even potentially career-limiting for pilots, Bob will review this clinical entity in detail. In the process, he’ll touch on useful general information, such as an approach to evaluating competing treatment options, as well as information that’s of particular interest to pilots: how to reduce the risk of tendon rupture while moving a plane.
About the speaker: Bob first soloed as a high school student in a used, 1970’s era hang glider he acquired through a classified ad. After a handful of flights, it became apparent even to him that self-teaching was probably not the wisest approach, so he set aside his glider and instead focused on ground school, eventually earning a PhD in Electrical Engineering/Signal Processing from Columbia and subsequently an MD from Stanford. He went on to become Board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiology. In the process, he resumed hang gliding, but with modern equipment and formal instruction. His personal best was a four-hour flight with 3000’ altitude gain above launch in the foothills of the Sierras. Though no longer professionally engaged, Bob’s fond memories of his career include working with veterans as a general cardiologist, conceptualizing and implementing novel approaches to chronic implantable hemodynamic sensing, and contributing to the development of a diffuse optical tomographic system for the real-time detection and decoding of brain activity using a noninvasive, wearable device. Physical ability permitting, Bob hopes to obtain instrument, glider, and seaplane ratings, explore light aerobatics and backcountry flying, and complete the around-the-country trip he began in 2025.

Preparing for your FAA Practical Test – Straight Talk from DPE Jim Higgins
2026-01-21 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
It’s the day that every pilot awaits; the transition from student pilot to certificated private pilot. For most, the FAA Practical Test or “checkride” is viewed as a terrifying but necessary right of passage. A Designated Pilot Examiners (DPE) must test each student thoroughly on their aviation knowledge, control and mastery of the aircraft, and risk awareness and judgment. Even if the student has been perfectly prepared by their instructor, the checkride is still the unknown and a point of concern. Let’s change that. With a guided look in the FAA’s Airman Certification Standards document, any student pilot can better understand what standards they will be held to and how to ace their checkride.
San Carlos Flight Center invites local DPE Jim Higgins to help applicants understand what can be expected during a practical test and learn what they can do to be prepared and confident on their big day. In this seminar, Jim will relay what pilots need to know before the checkride, and share tips from his previous experiences from other checkrides to make sure the same issues don’t arise on your checkride. We have also asked him to review the different maneuvers and procedures that a DPE can request from a student pilot during the checkride so they can be ready to tackle anything.
If you are a pilot that wants to be prepared, confident, and know what to expect on your checkride; you don’t want to miss this unique seminar.
Jim Higgins is a DPE in the San Jose FSDO with 35 years and 10,000 hours of CFI, Charter and Airline experience. He currently splits his time between giving checkrides and flight instructing as a CFI from his home airports of San Carlos and Palo Alto. When he’s not flying, Jim likes to escape up to Tahoe skiing in the winter and camping in the summer.

Upwind Scholarship 2026 Information Session
2026-01-17 15:00 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Every summer, San Carlos Flight Center holds a 9-week flight training intensive program for high schools students. SCFC is proud to partner with the Upwind Foundation, a local pilot-run non-profit that raises money to provide scholarships for students to complete the summer program. 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 at no cost to their families. 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 17th 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.

Hypoxia Training by the FAA - Postponed
2026-01-17 08:00 - 16:15, 2026-01-16 08:00 - 16:15, 2026-01-15 08:00 - 16:15, 2026-01-14 08:00 - 16:15 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
*** Due to a transportation issue, the FAA has postponed this event ***
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.
Sign up online here.

Workshop: Cross-Country Planning
2026-01-10 12:00 - 13:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
As pilots, we must know how to accurately plan for a cross-country flight. Join us for this in-person workshop at San Carlos Flight Center for a hands-on and scenario based learning experience. Senior CFI Herb Patten will show attendees the important elements of successful cross-country flight planning and walk you through your planning of a flight. Throughout the workshop Herb will incorporate various situations and challenges, and provide direct support.
The Cross-Country Flight Planning workshop will be based on a trip between two Bay Area airports. This is an interactive workshop with participants working in small teams to successfully plan a flight and create a navigation log that could be used to make the flight. It’s as real as we can make it, while students work through preflight planning decisions and factor in weather and fuel requirements.

Join us in-person if you would like some practice with the flight planning process including using faa.gov to look up NOTAMS and TFRs, reviewing airport information available in the AFD and other sources, creating nav logs, determining fuel requirements, performing weight and balance calculations.
Due to the nature of the workshop, this is an in-person event. No live stream will be available.

Investigating Aircraft Ownership at San Carlos Flight Center
2026-01-07 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Like many flying clubs, some members of San Carlos Flight Center have purchased a plane and added it to the Club’s fleet. The decision may be tied to a number of factors: pride of ownership, a desire to get more involved in aviation, to learn even more about aircraft maintenance and upkeep, and for some people – income tax advantages.
Have you ever considered owning a plane? Because of the size of the investment and the risks associated, it helps to learn as much as you can about the process before diving in.
San Carlos Flight Center invites Chief Pilot and airplane owner Dan Dyer to share his experiences as an airplane owner, and working with club member who owner their own planes. Sixteen years ago, Dan bought his first airplane and began the process of learning how to own and manage airplanes. Since then, he’s purchased a total of 7 planes, some for personal use, but many became part of the Flight Center fleet. In this seminar, Dan will discuss how to choose the right airplane for your mission profile, how to navigate the purchase process, and what to consider when inspecting a potential airplane.
Private ownership of an airplane is exciting but comes with many costs and challenges for a new owner. Join us to hear how having your plane in a club fleet can offset your costs and tap into the Flight Center’s professional management.
If you ever considered purchasing your own airplane and want to hear firsthand about airplane ownership and learn from the experiences of others, join us for this unique opportunity to become enlightened about airplane ownership.

Dan Dyer is the founder of the San Carlos Flight Center and currently the Chief Pilot. He founded the Flight Center on the motto of Safety, Community, and Adventure. 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
