San Carlos Flight Center

Upwind Wine and Cheese Party and Silent Auction
2025-03-14 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
It’s that time of year again!
The Upwind Foundation and SCFC invite you to a fundraising Wine and Cheese Soiree on Friday, March 14th at 6:30 pm. All are welcome!
We will celebrate the summer of fundraising, complete our silent auction, and as a special treat, we will meet the winners of the 2025 Upwind Scholarship. Join us to celebrate with the winners and their families.
Please RSVP below so we can get a headcount for food and drinks.
View the Online Auction Site

Flying to Europe in a Cessna Mustang
2025-03-12 19:00 - 20:00 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
We love hearing about flights to interesting places and hearing the experiences of the pilots along the way. What went well? What did you see? What was different about operating there compared to airport hops around the SF Bay Area?
San Carlos Flight Center invites in Nick Pliam, ATP, to share the story of this flight from the East Bay to Northern Europe and back last year in his Cessna Mustang. The flight was from Hayward to Northern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, France, Italy, Austria, Norway and back in July 2024. Presentation will cover general considerations, flight planning, documentation requirements, insurance, flying the North Atlantic, differences in flying in Europe, and interesting places we visited.
Nick Pliam has been dreaming about flying to Europe for decades but never thought it would happen – until last summer. His wife and daughter took the airlines and met Nick and his copilot, a recently retired airline captain, in Marseille for their Europe adventures. Nick has an ATP, CFII and MEI ratings, and he shares a Hayward based Cessna Citation Mustang. The airplane is owned by Flying Pigs Aviation LLC; the company’s chief diversity officer, a minipig named Pignella, appeared as a flying pig in the January 2023 issue of the AOPA magazine.

Global Flight Operations
2025-03-08 12:00 - 13:00 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
You may be familiar with planning and accomplishing VFR and IFR flights within the contiguous United States, but have you ever wondered how long, overwater international airline flights are planned and executed? How do you aviate, navigate, and communicate over remote areas of the world? What if something goes wrong half way across the ocean? Do the pilots have to stay awake the entire flight? Do you have to know Chinese to be cleared to land in China?

Join United Airlines Captain and SCFC Senior Instructor, Daniel Stellini for the inside scoop and a peek behind the curtain into what goes into planing and executing long haul flights to and from global destinations!

Daniel Stellini is a CFII, MEI, ATP and a United Airlines Captain with extensive experience from Cessnas to Boeing 777’s. A Gold Seal Flight Instructor and former High School Band Director, he has always had a passion for teaching, and is committed to developing safe and competent pilots.

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.

Prospective Pilot Workshop
2025-03-01 09:00 - 12:00 | San Carlos Flight Center
Are you interested in aviation but not sure where to begin? Are you looking to find out more about becoming a pilot with a group of others like yourself?
San Carlos Flight Center invites all prospective pilots to attend this workshop to learn about what it takes to become a part of general aviation. This event will explain the steps needed to become a pilot, show you how to read and interpret aviation charts used by pilots, and will provide a hands-on opportunity to see a training airplane and engine up close.
If you have a pilot passion burning inside of you, we welcome you to join us. Admission is free (with prior registration). Lunch is provided.
(This event is a workshop for adults interested in becoming a pilot.)

IFR Alternates
2025-02-26 19:00 - 20:00 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
It is a typical day in the Bay Area with low ceilings. You are instrument current and ready to depart. Filing your IFR flight plan you hesitate for a moment on the field for alternate airports. You ponder for a moment to remember when are pilots required to file an alternate airport? What constitutes an acceptable alternate airport? What are the weather requirements at the alternate and when?Join SCFC CFI Herb Patten for an insightful review of the aspects of selecting and filing an alternate airport. This will include details buried in various FAA regulation and legal opinions. The information in this seminar will prepare you to confidently determine when and how to select your alternate airport for your next IFR flight.
If you are wondering when, why, and how to select an alternate airport, join us for this seminar.

Herb Patten is a Senior Instructor at the San Carlos Flight Center, a CFI and an FAA certificated advanced and instrument ground instructor who teaches ground school at San Carlos Flight Center. He is a commercial pilot with an instrument rating, with over 3,000 hours of experience. He led the development of the San Carlos Flight Center Instrument Syllabus. He is the current chairman of the Upwind Foundation, famous for its Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. AOPA has recognized Herb as a Distinguished Instructor numerous times including just recently in 2025.

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. SCFC members may choose to watch the seminar live over the web at home, or recorded at a later date. Click here or contact a SCFC member service rep at (650) 946-1700 for more information about online access.

Approach Lighting Systems
2025-02-22 12:00 - 13:00 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
You are on glidepath descending towards the runway and as you break through the clouds, you see the bright approach lighting systems verifying you’re on path to the runway. With so many different types of lighting systems, colors, and positions, do you really know their significance?
San Carlos Flight Center invites CFII Brian Eliot to discuss the different types of approach lighting systems available at airports. Approach lighting systems guide pilots to safe landings in all weather, but particularly in inclement weather and instrument approaches to minimums. Approach lights have multiple design characteristics to aid in the transition from instrument to visual flight. Their successful use depends on the pilot’s knowing their layout and ability to identify them during an approach briefing. In this seminar, learn about the different types of approach lighting systems, how they work, and the importance they serve to pilots.
We encourage all instrument-rated pilots and those who are in training to attend this often under-taught subject matter.

Brian Eliot is a Senior Instructor at San Carlos Flight Center and our 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.

2025-02 IMC Club SQL
2025-02-19 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center
NOTE: Since this event will involve active discussion, it will be held over Zoom and not broadcast via Livestream. Please RSVP by 12pm on the day of the seminar to receive Zoom meeting info via email before the event starts.

Most pilots like analyzing scenarios and trying to answer the age old question of what would I do in that situation? Imagine if you could also hear the opinions of other pilots or get feedback on your approach to a situation. Well, that is exactly what the IMC Club provides.
Join the local EAA Chapter 20 IMC Club meeting to review a scenario and share in the discussions with fellow pilots. You will get an opportunity to hear other pilots’ analysis as well as the group critique of various solutions.
Whether you are a newly minted instrument rated pilot and anxious to learn from others or you are a seasoned pilot with experience to share, the IMC Club is a welcome home for both.
Learn more about IMC Club at http://www.eaa20.org/about.html

Brian Eliot is a Senior Instructor at San Carlos Flight Center and their 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.

About San Carlos Flight Center:

San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation through safety, community, and adventure. AOPA has consistently recognized SCFC in their Best Flight School survey, most recently in 2023 as a Distinguished Flight School for the third year in a row.

SCFC is committed to promoting safety, community, and adventure in general aviation through our regular safety seminars and guest speaker programs. Our seminars are free to watch when attended in person at our facility in San Carlos but live streaming and viewing recorded seminars are exclusively available to members. Click here or contact an SCFC member service rep at (650) 946-1700 for more information about online access to our web library of over 500 recorded safety seminars and live-streamed content.

SCFC Welcome Night
2025-02-13 18:30 - 19:30 | San Carlos Flight Center
If you’re recently joined the Club, you may have only met your instructor and one of our Front Desk agents. It’s time to meet some other students and pilots.
Join us on Thursday, February 13th at 6:30pm for San Carlos Flight Center’s Welcome Night to start the new year off right. We’ll welcome in our newest members and give you a chance to hear about all the other activities and events going on at the Club. It’s a casual event with food and some activities. The vibe is mostly welcome and get to know each other, and less like a formal classroom presentation (even though we have plenty of those on other nights!).
One feature of our Welcome Nights are the activity stations, designed for easy connection, each staff by a different SCFC club member. The activity stations this month will be:

Learning about Instrument Ratings,
Mechanic Show and Tell,
Local Landmarks Challenge, and
FlyOutGroup 2025 Showcase

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

Full Moon Flyers and Top Shelf Bay Tour
2025-02-12 19:00 - 22:00
Join the FlyOutGroup (FOG) on Wednesday, February 12th, with a scenic trip to Watsonville (WVI) for dinner followed by an incredible overflight of the Bay Area at 10,000 feet! We’ll join for dinner, and then plan on flying a “Top Shelf” Bay Tour as we circumnavigate the Bay above the Class Bravo.
At Watsonville, you can 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, pilots will depart WVI and climb above the Class Bravo for a great view of the city lights below. We plan on seeing San Francisco from 10,000 feet before descending back through Class Bravo to land at San Carlos. This is an excellent opportunity to bring a CFI along to review night procedures, as well as passengers in the backseat.
We’re excited about the event, and look forward to seeing you in Watsonville! Please RSVP below so we can give the restaurant a heads-up of our headcount, as well as send you a briefing for the Top Shelf Bay Tour flight. Beer Mule has plenty of patio seating outside, so remember to bring a jacket to keep warm.

Ground School Refresher: VFR Charts
2025-02-12 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
VFR charts pack an extraordinary amount of material and represent a 3-dimensional world of terrain and airspaces in 2 dimensions. With such a wealth of information, do you really know how to read them? For example, do you know how to identify where certain VFR reporting waypoints are on a chart? Or can you determine if the airport you are landing at has an operating beacon, pilot controlled lighting, or lighting at all?
San Carlos Flight Center invites CFI Brad Daughtry to give pilots a refresher on VFR charts. He will entertain you while educating you about common as well as uncommon VFR charts symbology. In this seminar expect a thorough investigation of these charts, the related symbology, and interesting facts that you could use to impress your friends. Throughout the presentation, Brad will provide many real-life examples and allow the audience to follow-along looking at charts on their own.
While you may know the basics, there is always something new or some little nuance that we didn’t realize. All pilots can benefit from a refresher on VFR charts, so join us to refresh your memory and learn more.

Brad Daughtry is a CFI at San Carlos Flight Center. He first became interested in aviation during a trip to Alaska when he saw all the bush planes flying around the state. From that point, he wanted to learn to fly. He graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a degree in Finance, and moved back to the Bay Area to work in San Francisco. After working in SF, he decided to pursue an aviation career and moved to Florida’s Space Coast to complete his flight training. Outside of flying, Brad enjoys mountain biking, skiing, and hiking. He is excited to help aspiring pilots learn to fly.

San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation through safety, community, and adventure. AOPA has consistently recognized SCFC in their Best Flight School survey, most recently in 2024 as a Distinguished Flight School.
SCFC is committed to promoting safety in general aviation through our regular safety seminars and guest speaker programs. Livestream access is free for everyone, but recorded seminars are available solely to members at a later date. 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
2025-02-08 11:30 - 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 FlyOutGroup (FOG) trip to Paso Robles Municipal Airport (KPRB): home of the Estrella Warbirds Museum. This flight will happen on February 8.
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 lunch at Joe’s One-Niner Diner at the airport terminal at 11:30 am. After lunch, 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 be able to freely tour the museum together and you can either leave on your own time or stay until close.

What I Learned about Rudder Coordination in my First 600 Hours as a Flight Instructor
2025-02-05 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center
The process of becoming a better pilot never ends, as SCFC Flight Instructor Henrik Vanitegem found out. Despite accomplishing his private, commercial, and flight instructor certificates, and accumulating hundreds of hours of flight time, there is so much more still to learn. Many instructors find that their own flying reaches a new plateau after the first few years of teaching others. Something about guiding a new person to what are fundamental flight skills forces you to take a newer, deeper look.
Such is the case for Henrik and rudder coordination. From his earliest days as a student, Henrik had been introduced to the concept of rudder coordination, but it took years as an instructor before he could approach the topic from a new direction. SCFC invites Henrik to reflect back on this first 600 hours as a flight instructor and give us his latest thoughts and understandings of rudder coordination, and how to improve the overall safety of your flight. Don’t wait 600 hours to hear this important topic.
Rudder coordination is a common weak spot for many pilots. In my safety seminar we will look at why we need to use rudder and when it should be used in flight to keep the aircraft coordinated.

PIREPs: Love Them or Lose Them
2025-01-29 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Want to know what is actually happening up at altitude? The best way to get that is to hear from pilots who are up there. Pilot reports (PIREPs) are a crucial part of the weather picture. It doesn’t matter if we’re flying VFR or IFR, PIREPs are the nowcast of aviation weather: what’s actually happening out there.
In this presentation, SCFC invites in aviation legend Alan Marcum to share the why, when, and how of making PIREPs and the best ways to read and interpret them.
Alan Marcum, an instrument-rated private pilot, has been flying for over forty years and over 2,500 flight hours, and has delivered numerous FAA Safety Seminars on topics such as flying across the US and in-flight weather-based decision-making. He bases his Mooney at Palo Alto, where he learned to fly.
San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation through safety, community, and adventure. AOPA has consistently recognized SCFC in their Best Flight School survey, most recently in 2024 as a Distinguished Flight School.
SCFC is committed to promoting safety in general aviation through our regular safety seminars and guest speaker programs. Livestream access is free for everyone, but recorded seminars are available solely to members at a later date. Contact a SCFC member service rep at (650) 946-1700 for more information about online access to our web archive.

Under the Cowling Workshop
2025-01-25 10:00 - 11:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
CFI Herb Patten and Aviation Mechanic Charles Rudolf invite pilots and student pilots 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 172 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.

Aviation as Portrayed in TV and Film
2025-01-22 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Watching airplanes and helicopters as shown in TV shows and movies, is a mixed bag for a pilot. Sometimes, the joy of flying and the procedural integrity is high, and we get to share a bit of our flying world with others. However, more often the entertainment industry gets it very wrong, and we cringe through some pretty bad portrayals of both airplanes and helicopters in flight.
Helicopters have been a safe form of flying since the 1940’s, and with the proper training and preparation, they are perfectly suited to some specific flight missions. But they can be unforgiving to pilots who don’t take precautions to treat the aircraft with respect. But that doesn’t stop Hollywood from throwing The Rock or Will Smith behind the stick and launching into impossible aerobatics.
The portrayal of airplane flight is often less wrong, but still occasionally laughable. One recent TV show showed a computer glitch in a control tower computer that supposedly prevented all planes from landing. Because in movie world, that’s how planes land – ATC computers in the control tower do the landing. Big news to pilots who feel they have a larger role in that procedure.
For this presentation, CFIs Michael Dutton and Dan Dyer have pulled together a compilation of some of the stupidest representations of airplanes helicopters in film and television. Amateur pilots flying without any training, unsafe maneuvering, aerodynamic impossibilities, hazardous flight conditions, you name it, we’ll see it. After we view the Hollywood version, Michael and Dan will walk the audience through what is aerodynamically wrong and outright unsafe in what we saw on the screen. The difference between safe aircraft operation and what you see action stars use them will astonish you.
If you want to share our pilot’s eye look at TV and film and enjoy laughing at the mainstream entertainment, we hope you’ll join us.
Michael Dutton is a CFI, and CFII in fixed wing, with private pilot privileges in helicopters. He has been flying and working at San Carlos airport for over ten years, first working for the Flight Center before moving on to Airport Operations and now as Flight Instructor. His past work experience also includes time with NASA and San Carlos Airport administration.
Dan Dyer is a flight instructor and SCFC Director of Operations. He began over 20 years ago, has over 4,000 flight hours, and is the Bay Area’s local expert in crosswind landing instruction. He is known for finding simple and innovative ways to explain complex topics and regularly speaks on advanced ground school topics. He currently oversees hiring and training of SCFCs Flight Instructor team.

Upwind Scholarship 2025 Information Session
2025-01-18 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 18th 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.

EAA Chapter 20 Young Eagles @ SCFC
2025-01-18 09:00 - 12:00 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
SCFC is hosting EAA Chapter 20 for their Young Eagles event on January 18th.
Learn more about Young Eagles from the EAA’s website.

FOG Lunch: Auburn
2025-01-17 12:00 - 14:00
This month, join FOG as we head up to Sierra Nevada foothills for lunch at Auburn (AUN). We will be dining at Wings Grill and Espresso Bar, serving a extensive menu with a variety of sandwiches, melts, burgers, and salads. This is the perfect time of year to head into Auburn as temperatures don’t have a huge impact on density altitude and performance.
Whether you’re a private pilot student or commercial student, at 100NM Auburn is sure to fulfill some cross country requirements. Even if you’re not a student, everyone is invited! Just RSVP so we have your headcount. The event will be on Friday, January 17 and we will be meeting at Wings Grill at 12 noon. See you there!

2025-01 IMC Club SQL
2025-01-15 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
NOTE: Since this event will involve active discussion, it will be held over Zoom and not broadcast via Livestream. Please RSVP by 12pm on Jan 15th to receive Zoom meeting info via email before the event starts.

Most pilots like analyzing scenarios and trying to answer the age old question of what would I do in that situation? Imagine if you could also hear the opinions of other pilots or get feedback on your approach to a situation. Well, that is exactly what the IMC Club provides.
Join the local EAA Chapter 20 IMC Club meeting to review a scenario and share in the discussions with fellow pilots. You will get an opportunity to hear other pilots’ analysis as well as the group critique of various solutions.
Whether you are a newly minted instrument rated pilot and anxious to learn from others or you are a seasoned pilot with experience to share, the IMC Club is a welcome home for both.
Learn more about IMC Club at http://www.eaa20.org/about.html

Brian Eliot is a Senior Instructor at San Carlos Flight Center and their 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.

About San Carlos Flight Center:

San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation through safety, community, and adventure. AOPA has consistently recognized SCFC in their Best Flight School survey, most recently in 2023 as a Distinguished Flight School for the third year in a row.

SCFC is committed to promoting safety, community, and adventure 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.

Full Moon Flyers: Hollister
2025-01-13 19:00 - 21:00
Need to practice night flying, or just want to gain more experience at night? Come join us for dinner at Seabrisa’s Eatery in Hollister (CVH) on January 13 at 7 PM.
On the way down, soak in the gorgeous sunset over the coastal mountains before descending into Hollister Airport. Make sure to remain clear of the San Jose final approach course, and consider talking to NorCal Approach to have an extra set of eyes looking out for you. Park in transient parking, and then walk across the street to the local airport restaurant – Seabrisa’s Eatery! A local favorite for many pilots in the area, they’re known for their unique flavors and vegetables grown from many of the local farms.
After dinner, Hollister is a great place to work on night landings or fly to San Jose (SJC) to complete your night requirements there. With big runways, it’s easy to make the landings to a stop-and-go, and you’ll enjoy the challenge of flying alongside jet traffic.
Everyone is welcome to join us, so please RSVP below and we’ll see you at the event.

Down and Dirty Logging: A Deep Dive into 14 CFR 61.51
2025-01-11 12:00 - 13:30 | San Carlos Flight Center
It seems so simple, right? Make a record of your flights so that you can prove you meet the FAA experience requirements for certificates and ratings and to you have recent flight experience for carrying passengers. Of course, any new pilot quickly learns that there are many confusing details encountered flight logging. Are logbooks different for private pilots vs commercial pilots? Do I log takeoffs as well as landings, or can I just assume the takeoffs? What exactly is night? What is cross-country?
SCFC Senior Instructor Brian Eliot has pulled together a rich presentation that will answer the various pilot logbook issues using FAA regulations and other FAA interpretation sources. He will discuss the variations between logbook types, and how electronic flight logbooks differ from paper logbooks. He’ll look at some of the latest pilot tools for automatic flight logging and share whether that is a good idea for you. He will introduce you to the most common columns to include in your logbook for flight training, and how to log simulator time. Finally, he’ll talk about the requirements pilots must meet with regard to preserving past logbooks and flight records.
Please feel free to bring your logbooks and the questions you’ve encountered in logging your own flights for the Deep Dive into CFR 14 Part 61.51.
Brian Eliot is a Senior Instructor at San Carlos Flight Center and their 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.

IFR TEC Routes
2025-01-08 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
Many local flights begin and end entirely within approach/departure control airspace. These are otherwise known as Tower Enroute Control (TEC) routing. You can fly a local IFR flight without ever getting handed off to the Center. This is because Air Route Traffic Control Centers are often very busy handling enroute traffic and short flights like this are not a good use of their time. TEC routes can be extremely useful tools for the IFR pilot looking to fly a local IFR flight and get their clearance faster.
San Carlos Flight Center Senior Instructor Herb Patten will discuss the benefits of tower enroute control. In this seminar, he will review what TEC routing is, how to find the appropriate route, how to file it, and how to fly it safely and effectively. TEC Routes have been available for a long time, often used in Southern California and have often been underused. By attending this seminar you will realize the benefits of using this type of routing, and impress your friends on your next IFR flight.
If you want to get on the ground at your destination faster, you won’t want to miss out on this seminar. Herb Patten is a Senior Instructor at the San Carlos Flight Center, a CFII, an FAA certificated advanced and instrument ground instructor, and past SCFC Chief Pilot. He is a instrument-rated commercial pilot that has flown over 2,500 hours to more than 130 different California airports. He teaches private pilot ground school at San Carlos Flight Center, and is the current chairman of the Upwind Foundation, famous for its Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. In 2023, Herb was named a Distinguished Flight Instructor by AOPA.

Young Aviators Workshop
2025-01-04 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.

Workshop: Cross-Country Planning
2024-12-29 10:00 - 12:00 | 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.
We encourage any student pilot working on their cross-country flight planning or rusty pilot to attend this workshop.

Getting Your Instrument Rating
2024-12-21 12:00 - 13:00 | San Carlos Flight Center
Instrument rating refers to the qualifications that a pilot must have in order to fly under instrument flight rules (IFR). It requires additional training and instruction beyond what is required for a private pilot certificate or commercial pilot certificate, including rules and procedures specific to instrument flying, additional instruction in meteorology, and more intensive training in flight solely by reference to instruments. For most private pilots, the most significant value of flying under IFR is the ability to fly in instrument meteorological conditions enhancing flexibility. Additionally, all flights operating in Class A airspace, must be conducted under IFR, and an instrument rating is required when operating under special visual flight rules (SVFR) at night. Being able to accomplish all this will make you a safer pilot by thinking in terms of safe altitudes, fine tuning you flying skills, expanding your options, enhancing your flow and checklist skills, and maximizing you cockpit resource skills. Join Flight Center Senior Instructor Derek Vejby in this timely discussion of how and why to get your instrument rating

FOG Lunch: Salinas (Flying Artichoke)
2024-12-20 12:00 - 14:00
Join FOG for this month’s lunch adventure in Salinas!
Located just outside the Monterey Airport Class C, Salinas (SNS) is an easy 45 minute cross country flight. Salinas and nearby airports are equipped with a variety of approaches that can create a great instrument training flight!
We will be dining at the Flying Artichoke Restaurant located right at the airport terminal building. Once you land, taxi over the transient and walk toward the terminal after securing your aircraft. At the restaurant, the menu includes a wide variety of brunch options, sandwiches, and burgers.
Please plan to arrive by 12 noon at the Flying Artichoke on Friday, December 20. If you are interested in attending, don’t forget to RSVP so we have your headcount! See you there!

2024 Holiday Party
2024-12-18 18:30 - 20:00
The SCFC pilot community, a tight-knit group of adventurers and achievers, will gather annually to celebrate our shared experiences and accomplishments. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, December 18th at 6:30 PM, as we host our annual Holiday Party and Member Appreciation Night!

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 flying 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 2024 and eagerly anticipate the exciting adventures that await us in 2025!

To ensure there’s enough food and drinks for everyone, please RSVP below. Your presence will make this event even more special and memorable.

Full Moon Flyers: Lampson
2024-12-15 19:00 - 21:00
This month, join us as we head into Lampson Field (1O2)! Lampson is located just south of Lakeport, right next to Clear Lake. The airport is relatively quiet, and is a great place to practice landings after a cross-country flight.
At the airport, we will enjoy a dinner at 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.
After landing and securing your aircraft in transient parking, Red’s is just a quick walk outside of the gate. If you are interested, make sure to sign up so we save space for you! We’ll see you at 7PM on December 15!

Aviation Colleges Panel
2024-12-14 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.

2024-12 IMC Club SQL
2024-12-11 19:00 - 20:30 | San Carlos Flight Center, Select a Country:
NOTE: Since this event will involve active discussion, it will be held over Zoom and not broadcast via Livestream. Please RSVP by 12pm on Dec 11th to receive Zoom meeting info via email before the event starts.

Most pilots like analyzing scenarios and trying to answer the age old question of what would I do in that situation? Imagine if you could also hear the opinions of other pilots or get feedback on your approach to a situation. Well, that is exactly what the IMC Club provides.
Join the local EAA Chapter 20 IMC Club meeting to review a scenario and share in the discussions with fellow pilots. You will get an opportunity to hear other pilots’ analysis as well as the group critique of various solutions.
Whether you are a newly minted instrument rated pilot and anxious to learn from others or you are a seasoned pilot with experience to share, the IMC Club is a welcome home for both.
Learn more about IMC Club at http://www.eaa20.org/about.html

Brian Eliot is a Senior Instructor at San Carlos Flight Center and their 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.

About San Carlos Flight Center:

San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation through safety, community, and adventure. AOPA has consistently recognized SCFC in their Best Flight School survey, most recently in 2023 as a Distinguished Flight School for the third year in a row.

SCFC is committed to promoting safety, community, and adventure 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.
