San Carlos Flight Center invites A&P Tim Davis to cover what’s involved in getting an A&P license. In this seminar, Tim will cover how the license is structured, what the basic requirements are, and the time and commitment involved. He will dive into what topics are actually covered in the knowledge (written) tests, and what the skill (oral and practical) tests consist of. There will also be a discussion of the expectations associated with the mechanic certificate, as well as other, related certifications that are also available.

The safety of flight relies on the competency and awareness of everyone associated with the flight, beginning with every mechanic who has ever worked on your airplane.  If you are an aspiring mechanic, or a veteran pilot we hope this seminar will give you a depth of understanding of how rigorous the process is for new mechanics.

Tim Davis is an A&P and aircraft mechanic at San Carlos Flight Center. A Bay Area native, he worked as a Quality Analyst for Electronic Arts and Blizzard Entertainment before completing aircraft maintenance training at City College of San Francisco and earning his A&P certificate.

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.

As AirVenture 2022 closes in, San Carlos Flight Center invites Oliver Coolidge, an experienced Oshkosh Pilot and CFI, and pilot Obed Han to talk to our local pilots about how to fly safely and efficiently into the “world’s busiest airport”.  For one week each summer, EAA members and aviation enthusiasts totaling more than 500,000 from more than 60 countries attend EAA AirVenture at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where they rekindle friendships and celebrate the past, present and future in the world of flight. “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration ” has it all when it comes to aircraft, you certainly won’t want to miss out. For many, arriving at Oshkosh is a rite of passage that can only be satisfied by being one of the more than 10,000 aircraft flying in, landing at what becomes the busiest airport in the world. It can be a challenging experience, but after attending this seminar, we are sure that you will feel more confident in your flying abilities.

Whether you’re an aviation enthusiast or an aviation novice, AirVenture has something for you.  Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn more about this event, and more importantly learn how you can safely and efficiently plan flight across the country, and arrive at Oshkosh. Experience AirVenture with us. Your spot along the flightline is waiting for you.

Preparing for a checkride is one instance where the pilot-in-command needs to know every piece of the aircraft’s airworthiness.  When was the last annual inspection?  If 100-hour inspections are required, when was the last 100 hour inspection done?  Has the work been logged appropriately in the maintenance records.  Are all the airworthiness directives complied with?  Being able to read and interpret maintenance logbook entries is the only way to confirm the aircraft is airworthy.

In this seminar, Join Private Pilot Alessandro Franco as he examines aircraft maintenance logbook entries and highlights what you need to pay attention to as a PIC. We encourage any pilot to attend.

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. He has always enjoyed sharing his knowledge with fellow pilots and hopes you can benefit from this seminar.

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.

Dan Dyer and San Carlos Flight Center, the only flight school on the west coast with a crosswind simulator, is committed to training pilots competence in all landings.  In this seminar, Dyer will take you step by step through all phases of landings with and without crosswinds, so that you approach every landing the same way.  With a bit of practice you will land as easy as stopping your car at a stoplight. It’s part of the flight, no big deal, in fact it will become the best and most fun part of the flight.

Imagine approaching a landing with the same confidence you have with every landing. In fact you now even enjoy the challenge of a crosswind. Don’t miss out on this seminar to be a better pilot.

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 2019 as a Distinguished Flight School.

SCFC is committed to promoting safety in general aviation through our regular safety seminars and guest speaker programs. Space is often limited so it is important to sign up early. 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.

Spring weather brings cool temperatures, clear skies and smooth air.  It can also occasionally bring the threat of snow and ice, which are good things to learn to respect during trips to airports at higher elevations. Join CFI Brian Eliot for an overview of elements of mountain flying. We’ll look at how terrain and mountain weather patterns affect one another and what that means to pilots of small aircraft. We will discuss how to calculate density and what it means for landing and departing at high-altitude mountain airports. And no mountain flying discussion is complete without emergency preparedness and survival gear.

This seminar is intended to meet the ground training requirement for an SCFC Mountain Checkout, and is required for all pilots participating in the FlyOutGroup 5-day Mountain Flying trip in early July.

If you are planning a trip to the mountains anytime soon, or just want to learn more about mountain flying; don’t miss out on this seminar.

Brian Eliot is San Carlos Flight Center’s 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.

San Carlos Flight Center invites King Air Captain and check airman Ben Taber to discuss the idiosyncrasies related to the G1000 avionics. In this seminar, Taber will highlight things that pilots should be aware of while operating planes equipped with these avionics. The G1000 often has airspace lines that aren’t depicted on the MFD, flight plan entry restrictions, invalid weather depictions, no radio altimeters, and countless other complications while operating under IFR.

Join us as you learn about these new things that might’ve never appeared to you while flying this aircraft.

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.

San Carlos Flight Center invites instrument rated pilot Travis Bender to delve into Seattle Airspace, the San Juan Islands, and different ways a Bay Area Pilot can reach Seattle.This seminar will break up the complex Seattle Airspace into smaller areas so it can be interpreted and flown easily for any pilot hoping to fly in the region. In addition, we will also discuss proper procedures for many airports, including SeaTac International, Boeing Field, and Renton, as well as how to handle some of the unique challenges of flying in the region, such as terrain and weather. Finally, we will highlight how to fly from the Bay Area to Seattle VFR.

If you are hinting at flying to Seattle in the near future, this seminar will help you get there efficiently and safely.

Travis Bender is an instrument-rated private pilot who learned to fly at the Flight Center.  He is actively working on his commercial and CFI ratings, and leads the Marketing and Events team at SCFC. When he’s not at the airport, Travis currently works in a strategic finance role at a major Silicon Valley company.

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.

Can you answer these questions? What math is done to calculate altitude in a pressure altimeter? What is the formula used by the airspeed indicator? How can understanding the pitot-static instruments from a mathematical perspective help you troubleshoot instrument failures and faulty readings? Why the heck does the magnetic compass read incorrectly in banking turns? Why doesn’t the heading indicator tumble? In this safety seminar, an experienced SCFC CFI will answer all of these questions, along with any others you may have.

It is important for every pilot to have an understanding of their flight instruments, as many pilots rely on them throughout their flights. Join us to learn, review, or polish your knowledge on this important topic.

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.

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.

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.

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 1,500 hours into at least 120 different California airports.  He is the current chairman of the Upwind Foundation, famous for its Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. In 2015, Herb was named a Master Instructor by the National Association of Flight Instructors.

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.