San Carlos Flight Center invites CFI Derek Vejby to talk about aircraft engines and some of the other systems used on most small general aviation aircraft. The material will be presented at the level of student pilots training for a private certificate.  If you’re not a natural mechanic, these aircraft systems can seem daunting, but Derek will give you a good foundation on which to learn.

We encourage all of you to invest in your knowledge and abilities, and refocus your attention to become the best pilot you can be. Join us for this seminar, and we bet you won’t be disappointed.

Derek Vejby is a full time CFI at San Carlos Flight Center, lifelong San Francisco bay area native and aviation enthusiast. He continues to strive to be a rich source of knowledge and mentorship for his students, contributing his expertise and experience in addition to his passion for the learning and teaching process.

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.

Join Herb Patten, Chief Pilot at San Carlos Flight Center for this “Devils in the Details” seminar on IFR currency. In this seminar we will take an in-depth look at the regulations instrument rated pilots must follow to maintain their IFR currency. Pilots sometimes remember this as six approaches within the last six calendar months. What counts as an approach? Oh, and there is something about tracking and holding. What is meant by holding? Can I do these in a simulator instead?

Don’t let the fog of the regulations put you in a hold. This seminar will clear you for the approach as we descend via the FAA regulations and legal interpretation to clarify some of the ambiguity in the regulations.

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.

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.

Thankfully, you attended a ground school refresher seminar on NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) accident and incident reporting requirements and are able to determine if this occurrence requires immediate notification to the NTSB. Join CFI Kyle Smathers to discuss NTSB reporting requirements so that you are the pilot that complies with applicable reporting requirements and not the one who draws the ire of the NTSB. You walk away from the plane knowing that you’ll walk away with only a bruised ego and no issues from the NTSB due to regulatory noncompliance.

Navigating NTSB part 830 can sometimes be daunting, but join us to be sure you are confident in your ability to handle the unexpected.

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 United Airlines 777 Pilot and CFI, Daniel Stellini for a discussion on the importance of consistent checklist usage. This airline-born concept can relate to operating general aviation aircraft, by knowing specific “triggers” and implementing certain “flows” for a smoother operation. In this seminar, Daniel will provide different scenarios of when these techniques apply by using real, in-cockpit recordings, drawings, and voiceovers to better communicate the importance of checklist discipline. Regardless of aircraft size, or operation, it’s critical that checklists are followed to ensure the safety of the flight.

Whether you are a pilot of a Piper Cub or a 777, checklists follow us everywhere. Join us to get an initial dose or a booster shot of checklist discipline (back) into your habit patterns!

Daniel Stellini is a CFII and a United Airlines pilot with extensive experience from Cessnas to Boeing 777’s. He is committed to developing safe and competent pilots, and is a Gold Seal Flight Instructor. In his freetime, he likes playing music, and teaching others how to become better pilots.

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.

San Carlos Flight Center invites Werner von Stein, owner of the San Francisco Drone school to discuss drone operations. Many aren’t familiar with the differences between consumer and commercial operations, and how drone regulations have changed over the years. In this seminar, Werner will discuss these topics along with the different types of drones available to fly, what you need to know before you fly one, and how to operate them safely.  In the fast changing world of FAA oversight, it is important that all drone pilots be educated to cut down on reckless and dangerous operations.

Whether you are an aspiring drone pilot, already one, or a pilot curious of how drones are supposed to mesh within the national airspace system, this seminar is for you.

Werner von Stein is a professional drone pilot and owner of the SF Drone School. He initially worked as a professional in the film industry for more than 30 years before realizing the fascinating world of drones. Ever since then, Werner has made it his mission to actively educate and inspire people of all ages to fly their drones safely. As the lead FAA DronePro within the SF Bay Area he helps ensure, through education, that all drones are operating safely and appropriately within the airspace.

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.

Sam will review basic propeller knowledge for pilots, including design differences between the major manufacturers, fixed pitch vs. constant speed operation, realistic evaluation of propeller condition before flight, and the inherent dangers of deferring propeller (or any other aircraft) maintenance. She will discuss some of the common propeller Airworthiness Directives that are owner-operator responsibility (not just mechanics). Finally, she will explain the differences between overhaul, dynamic balancing, and other major types of propeller/governor service.  This is all supported with numerous photos and years of anecdotes (some amusing and some amazing).

Propellers are an essential part of flight, and pilots should gain a better understanding about them. If you want to gain more knowledge about what keeps you flying, we encourage all pilots to attend.

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

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

San Carlos Flight Center invites A&P Mechanic Tim Davis to provide tips on how to properly conduct a pre-flight inspection. In this seminar, Tim will highlight what to look for and a mechanics perspective on how to look at a Cessna 172 when conducting a pre-flight inspection. Tim will describe common aircraft structure and systems as they relate to pre-flight inspections.

Through the eyes of an experienced mechanic, join us to get a different perspective on your pre-flight routine.

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 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.

San Carlos Flight Center invites Private Pilot Brandan Dadoun 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, Brandan will summarize flight planning into the Palm Springs Area at both PSP and UDD airports. Whether it is landing at airfields below sea level, navigating around towering peaks, flying over vast deserts, or flying in unique airspace (TRSA anyone?) There are unique flight planning considerations to consider. Brandan will also place an emphasis on certain weather patterns prevalent within this region, and how they affected his planned route of flight. He 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.

Brandan Dadoun is an instrument-rated private pilot and SCFC’s Seminar Coordinator. He has completed the majority of his flight training at SCFC and has extensive flying experience throughout California in both piston and turbine-powered aircraft. Currently, he is working on pursuing his commercial and multi-engine ratings and enjoys being a regular speaker in the seminar program. In 2021, Brandan was recognized by the FAA for his achievements in promoting aviation safety. Outside of flying, he enjoys playing the saxophone, and staying active.

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

SCFC Chief Pilot Herb Patten will present a safety seminar that will help demystify the numbers and markings on the FAA’s IFR Low Enroute Charts and allow pilots to develop a better understanding of the details on these charts. He will explain waypoint and navigational aid symbology, and describe the various altitudes shown on the charts. This is a valuable safety seminar for new IFR students and a great refresher for pilots that are already instrument rated.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity for an in depth review of the common and not so common content on IFR charts.

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 3.00 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 2021, Herb was named a Distinguished Flight Instructor by AOPA.

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

So what exactly is a “Bay Tour”? Have recent airspace changes affected the Bay Tour, and what new implementations will require pilots to take into account? Join CFI Lukasz Zoromski to examine the airspace, explain the “Bay Tour” and how a pilot can accomplish one in the safest, simplest, most enjoyable manner.

We’ll review the various overlapping airspaces in the area, the territories for each local ATC facility, and the routings most commonly used by Flight Center pilots and suggested by ATC.  You’ll learn what options are available to you even if SQL ATIS has the phrase “San Francisco is not taking surface area transitions.”

This is a thorough discussion of the regulations and procedures used in flying a San Francisco Bay Tour through Class B and C airspace. If you are new to the Bay area, want to imagine the different sights you’ll see, or just want to improve your understanding of local airspace customs and procedures, please join us for this popular seminar.

Lukasz Zoromski has always been interested in aviation. Ever since going to Oshkosh Airventure as a kid, he got hooked on airplanes. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, he decided to make a career change away from a desk job and began flying with a goal to become a flight instructor. Now that he has achieved that goal, he strives to help new pilots achieve the same goals in a safe and fun way.

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.