It seems like there are two groups of people who become flight instructors: pilots who love to share the art and skill of flying with new students, and pilots who love to share the art and skill of flying with new students while building hours toward a career in the airlines.

If you’re a new instructor, you may be facing the challenge of finding a school to align yourself with.  The industry fluctuates wildly, with sometimes too many instructors and sometimes not enough.  In the past year, flight schools have been flooded with new instructors as airlines temporarily shut down hiring, leaving many instructors teaching years past the time they originally thought.  So what’s a new CFI to do?  How do you get your foot in the door?

We asked SCFC Chief Pilot Dan Dyer to share some of his experiences on the hiring side, to give insights that may help new CFIs better position themselves in the tight job market.  He’s been a flight instructor himself for over twenty years and has been hiring instructors at San Carlos Flight Center for thirteen years of that.  He’ll review how the Flight Center looks for new instructors, some common deficiencies he’s seen in CFI applications, and help CFI applicants put their best foot forward.  How to handle in-person and Zoom interviews?  How to come prepared for a flight test?  What research to do before you apply, and what to ask for during negotiations.

This is an interesting look behind the scenes of one General Aviation business.  It is designed mostly for new instructors, but anyone may find these tips useful in future job searches.  Join us for a better understanding of what makes a quality flight instructor.

Dan Dyer is the founder of the San Carlos Flight Center and has built the motto of Safety, Community, and Adventure for over 12 years.  Dan was an instructor for over 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 [email protected]

This seminar will be open to all, both in-person and virtually. While we encourage in-person attendance, those watching virtually can join the livestream page at 7 PM PST. You may utilize the “Ask a Question” button and submit questions to the presenter. 

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

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

This seminar will be held in person at SCFC, attendance is free and open to all. Web Members will still be able to access our seminars online, both live and recorded. Click here to learn more about the transition.

Want to learn more about operations at local Bay Area Airports? Click here to watch a similar seminar available for Members on the Members Only Seminar Library.

In some ways, learning to fly is largely about learning to land. Pilots of small planes need to perform at least one safe landing on nearly every flight. It’s the type of skill that is learned once and then perfected for the rest of a pilot’s life. How are your landings? Would you like to hear a few secrets to landing that can help you improve your landing ability?

Join SCFC Chief Pilot Dan Dyer for a discussion about landing philosophy and some insider tips on landing stemming from his thousands of hours of instruction in nosewheel aircraft. Learn about the two halves of the flare, the actual role of the pilot (you may be surprised!), how important it is to look good, and the critical importance of time spent at altitude playing with the horizon. This presentation may be of value to student pilots working on learning to land for the first time, but it also may offer insights to experienced pilots and CFIs looking to take their landing ability to the next level.

Dan Dyer is the founder and Chief Pilot of San Carlos Flight Center, and has built the motto of Safety, Community, and Adventure for over 12 years. Dan was an instructor for 19 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 [email protected]

IFR pilots must have a thorough understanding of the charts they use. Pilots who have been flying IFR for years may be familiar with Jeppesen IFR Charts. Instrument students and newer IFR pilots may be more familiar with Aeronav, published by the FAA. Both of these providers of charts offer their own ways of relaying information.

San Carlos Flight Center invites Senior Flight Instructor, Travis Bender, to lead a discussion between FAA and Jeppesen charts and their application and use in IFR conditions. While the charts may look very similar at first glance, Travis will dive into the differences between the two and how you can effectively use each.  Jeppesen charts’ advantages include ease of access to information and more details, but at a premium cost, while the FAA charts offer a free resource available to everyone. 

Join us to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of both of these chart providers, and make a more informed decision on which to use whilst flying IFR.

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.

Great aviators are shaped by the lessons they learn from others. Every flight brings new challenges, and the most experienced pilots have faced them time and again. By listening to their stories and insights, we can all grow into better, safer pilots.

San Carlos Flight Center is proud to welcome retired Captain Bennett Taber, who brings knowledge from more than 35 years of experience in the skies. In this seminar, Captain Taber will reflect on key learning moments from his professional career, share best practices, and discuss how every pilot can strive for excellence. He will highlight the importance of attention to detail, its impact on flight operations, and the value of mastering the basics.

There is only so much one can learn from the classroom and our routine flying. Join us to learn how to fly your best from a seasoned aviator.

Capt. Bennett Taber was a check airman and training captain with over 35 years, 30,000 landings, and well over 19,000 hours of air charter experience throughout the western United States. His first 500 hours of flying were conducted in Alaska. Captain Taber managed flight operations and charter sales for Dreamline Aviation in the San Francisco Bay Area and was a company Training Captain in all models of Beech King Air aircraft.

This seminar will be held in person at SCFC, attendance is free and open to all. Web Members will still be able to access our seminars online, both live and recorded. Click here to learn more about the transition.

Interested in watching more of our presentations? View our growing library of over 500 recorded safety seminars available to view in our Members Only Seminar Library, available by clicking here.

As a pilot, you probably learned at an airport centered around General Aviation, filled with small trainers and an occasional jet. Maybe you encountered a larger Class Charlie during your training, where you shared the taxiways with various business jets and airliners. However, many GA pilots shy away from Bravo and large international airports. At first glance, these airports may seem restricted to large multi-engine aircraft; however, you’re still able to land a Cessna at these airports!

SCFC invites Senior Flight Instructor, Travis Bender, to share what he has learned flying Cessna 172 and 182s into Bravo airports like San Francisco and Honolulu, as well as international hubs like Vancouver and Victoria. Travis will cover what it is like to plan a general aviation flight to a major hub, revealing the hurdles and operational hoops you might encounter. He’ll then walk through various arrival and departure procedures to expect, while also highlighting the unique features at large airports you might have only heard about in ground school.

You’ll walk away with the knowledge needed to feel confident operating at busy Bravo and Charlie fields. For those aspiring to fly jets for a career, this seminar is also a great primer for learning about airport operations.

Travis Bender is a Senior Flight Instructor at San Carlos Flight Center. He earned his primary certificates right here at SCFC and now conducts training for student pilots through Flight Instructors, as well as high-performance checkouts, instrument training, and mountain training. Prior to instructing, Travis worked in sustainable procurement for a large Silicon Valley company.

For many pilots, the adventure stops at Private Pilot, which allows them the freedom of taking family and friends on flights to any airport of their choice. Some may add on an instrument rating, to protect the ability to depart and arrive on days with clouds that would stop a VFR-only pilot.

Some pilots want more. For pilots who want to make a career change into aviation, the next steps are often through the Commercial Pilot and Flight Instructor certificates. Before taking the leap to start advanced training, you may want to find out more about what the timeframe and workload is required to complete those certificates.

San Carlos Flight Center has asked Senior Instructor Derek Vejby to discuss the process of training for his commercial and flight instructor certificates. In this seminar, Derek will highlight the steps he took to train and prepare for those two checkrides, and will review the prerequisites for the ratings, the maneuvers you must master, and the relevant knowledge that must be acquired. A Commercial Pilot certificate calls for extensive familiarity with all things related to flying, and a Flight Instructor certificate requires pilot mastery of flight skills and all knowledge areas. Many pilots will be surprised to find that thorough, complete Private Pilot training like what is done at the Flight Center sets about 70% of foundation required on which Commercial and CFI are built.

For anyone looking to train towards a career in aviation, join us for this seminar to hear what is in store for you.

Derek Vejby is an SF Bay Area local and Senior CFI with the San Carlos Flight Center. In almost 2,000 hours of instruction given in both the VFR and IFR worlds, he continues to be an ambassador for aviation safety and airmanship excellence. He considers it a privilege to be able to cultivate and share his experiences through which others may learn and connect.

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

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