Full Moon Flyers – Nut Tree (VCB)
| A unique destination, Nut Tree Airport (VCB) in Vacaville is located right next to a major shopping and dining center. A former amusement park, the Nut Tree area is now home to numerous dining options, making it a great place to travel to and satisfy all kinds of appetites.
On Friday, September 29 at 7 PM, let’s meet up at the Nut Tree airport and walk to the dining area. The flight is easy, but picking a restaurant is the hard part, with options ranging from BBQ to pizza, ramen to vitamin bowls, and sushi to Mexican food. Once you’ve secured the airplane at transient parking, walk to the south side of the hangars to the west, through the gate, and then follow the pathway to the shopping and dining center. |
After your meal, treat yourself to Fenton’s Ice Cream, which is known for its one-of-a-kind creations and flavors, and is a popular place for residents of Solano County. Grab ice cream for the walk back, or enjoy dining on their patio. The airport is lit at night, and it’s easy to pick up flight following with Travis Approach. Need to work on your night landings? Concord, Napa, and Oakland are within a fifteen-minute flight away. Like other FOG events, RSVP on our website, and please indicate if you can take passengers to allow student pilots and other aviation community members to participate. Hope to see you there! |
Private Pilot Checkride Stories
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.
| For most pilots, the first checkride is the most intimidating one. It can be a nerve-wracking experience decoding the ACS and sitting through the glare of the designated pilot examiner. Have you prepared, studied, and reviewed what’s required of you on checkride? Are you ready to fly on your own? And can you be the safe, competent pilot that we all aim to be?
San Carlos Flight Center invites a round-table of three newly-minted Private Pilots to share their journey in becoming a pilot. In this seminar they will each provide their own overview of their training experiences, how they prepared, some pitfalls to avoid, and how they worked with their instructors to ensure they were ready for the practical test. This is a great opportunity to hear from multiple perspectives, giving you the insight you need as you approach your big day. Join us to hear more about the checkride experience, how to prepare, and have an insight into the first step of becoming a certificated pilot. |
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| Imran Idzqandar (panelist) has 87 flight hours and passed his private pilot checkride in July of 2023. When he is not flying, Imran enjoys photography, tennis, rock climbing
Jerry Natoli (panelist) has 190 flight hours, received his private pilot certificate in June of 2023 and is beginning training for his instrument rating. Jerry enjoys spending time on his bike, traveling, visiting family and volunteering when not flying. Jim Ren (panelist) has 132 flight hours and obtained his private pilot certificate in June. When he is not flying, Jim works as a software engineer and enjoys rock climbing, backpacking, and karaoke. Herb Patten (moderator) is the Chief Pilot at San Carlos Flight Center.
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| 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. |
How Flight Sim Training Improved My Radio as a Pilot
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.
| Speaking on the radio with ATC embodies a lot of a pilots workload. Sometimes pilots like to speak too much while transmitting on frequency, leading to frequency congestion, confusion, and can overall be an annoyance. As pilots we should be direct, clear, and professional with our transmissions. SCFC pilot Rowan Young has an interesting story about how his time training to be a controller on VATSIM, the virtual air traffic simulation network, actually improved his understanding and ability as a pilot.
As you may imagine, real life air traffic controllers go through extensive radio and procedures training. It turns out the same is true for people training to be virtual air traffic controllers on VATSIM. Over three years, Rowan studied the basics of airspace, airport and enroute procedures, LOAs, and detailed procedural training for all of Northern California and Oakland Center. Under supervised training, he was able to work up to controlling Oakland Center. Now, he trains others in ATC procedures in the SF Bay Area. SCFC has invited Rowan to share what he has learned from virtual air traffic management, and how it informs his ability to use the radio effectively as a pilot. He has tips/references to the AIM on how to become a better pilot on the radio. He will also interactively show crucial examples of how being “lazy” or careless about radio phraseology can lead to confusion. Learn how to spot the confusion within multiple examples of bad phraseology, and ultimately become safer in the skies.
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. |
SCFC Operations at Hayward
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.
| San Carlos airport will be closed for 30 days beginning Monday, September 11th. During that time, the San Carlos Flight Center fleet will be relocated to Hayward airport. While many members have some familiarity with Hayward having flown into and out of the airport, there are many new procedures that members will need to know to operate safely while we are temporarily based at Hayward.
Where will the planes be parked? How do I get fuel and oil for the airplane? Will I still be able to do training flights with my CFI during this time period? Where would I go to meet my CFI? What’s the best place to park? What unique ground operations should I be aware of at Hayward? These and many more questions will be addressed during this seminar by Herb, Chief Pilot at SCFC. This seminar will be appropriate for all members of San Carlos Flight Center, whether you are a student pilot or a member that wants to book a flight. Remember, 91.103, requires the PIC to become familiar with all available information.
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| Herb Patten is the Chief Pilot at San Carlos Flight Center and the main instructor for the Private Pilot Ground School. In addition to those roles, Herb is a featured safety seminar presenter and develops the training curriculum used at the Flight Center. Herb has been recognized by AOPA as a Distinguished Flight Instructor and by the National Association of Flight Instructors.
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GSR: Airport Signs and Markings
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.
Pop quiz: What is the new ICAO standard marking for a taxiway approaching a runway? What is the difference between a relocated threshold and a displaced threshold and what does that indicate to pilots? What is a runway approach holding sign and what are pilots expected to do?
Most pilots have an operational knowledge of the most common runway signs and markings, but if you travel to a larger airport, are you knowledgeable about some of the less common signs and markings? If it has been awhile since you sat through ground school, you may want to join us for a refresher on airport signs and markings. In this safety seminar, we will review the common markings and signs as well as delve into other less common but still important signs and markings.
This safety seminar is open to current and aspiring Private Pilots, and will be of particular interest to student pilots and those who are preparing for a flight review.
| Khizar Shabbir is a CFI at San Carlos Flight Center. Khizar was born in Pakistan and grew up in Hong Kong. He completed his primary flight training at Hillsboro Aero Academy in Portland, Oregon, and received his flight instructor training in Palo Alto. Khizar’s passion for aviation has taken him on an explorative journey across continents and people of various backgrounds. He is eager to continue learning and sharing the ideas of safety, community, and adventure with the next generation of pilots.
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| 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. |
IFR Lost Communication Procedures
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.
| Instrument Flight Rules are highly regimented. They are designed to keep pilots and passengers safe while flying completely blind through clouds and weather. Altitudes must be maintained, courses have to be tracked tightly, and radio communication must allow air traffic controllers to maneuver planes around traffic and conflicts. But what happens when radios fail?
Although it doesn’t happen often, radio communication equipment can be faulty or inoperative mid-flight, even while a pilot is flying IFR in instrument conditions. For safety, there are very specific rules an instrument pilot must comply with in the event of radio failure, and the rules are far more structured that those for a VFR pilot. The basic rule is to continue with the flight as previously instructed by air traffic control, but the regulations don’t cover every situation and there can be some gray areas. One local DPE recently commented that 95% of instrument applicants fail to answer questions about lost comm procedures, so many of you are likely confused about it too. Join SCFC Assistant Chief Pilot and IFR expert Brian Eliot as he presents “Lost Comms in IMC”. He’ll clarify the IFR lost communication procedures, and specifically discuss the areas most pilots find confusing. After this seminar, you will find a new comfort in how to handle a lost communication situation even in IMC.
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| Brian Eliot is San Carlos Flight Center’s Assistant Chief Pilot and 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.
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| 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. |
What’s Going on at San Carlos Airport? An Update from Airport Management
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.
| Running an airport takes a lot of hard work. The airplane owners and pilots of San Carlos Airport are fortunate to have a great team from San Mateo County maintaining and protecting the airport. Issues are addressed quickly, from runway surface issues to refurbishing the hangars, and limiting neighboring construction against flight operations. With an upcoming airport closure between September 11 to October 11 it is important that all pilots be aware of these upcoming updates.
San Carlos Flight Center invites airport managers Gretchen Kelly and Michael Byrne to talk. In this seminar, they will share what pilots need to know about the upcoming runway rehabilitation project and what improvements it will bring. In addition, they will provide an overall operational update and status of the airport. They will end with a summary of San Carlos Airport procedures, such as noise abatement and airspace considerations. If you fly at San Carlos Airport, this seminar is for you. Tune in to stay informed about this closure and updates that will affect your flying.
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| San Carlos Airport is owned and operated by San Mateo County. Airport management oversees and supports both county airports, Half Moon Bay and San Carlos, with primary offices at San Carlos. The airport gets better every year, and the management team oversees a great number of development projects to improve service to pilots and for the county.
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| 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. |
GSR: Weather Services
| 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.
Pilots live or die by the weather we fly in. We fly in a fish tank of air. Understanding whether that air is going to be like the calm, crystal blue waters of the lagoons of Cook’s island or turbulent like an impending Tsunami is part of being a competent pilot. Although weather hasn’t changed since the FAA declared that all weather is a result of heat exchange, weather prediction, forecasting and weather services are constantly evolving. San Carlos Flight Center invites Chief Pilot Herb Patten to investigate the different types of weather products available to pilots. In this seminar, we will take a look at what’s new on Aviation Weather Center, aka aviationweather.gov. We will explore some recent changes to the prognostic charts, turbulence forecasts as well as some other useful products. We will also explore the replacement for the Area Forecast, the “Graphical Forecast for Aviation,” which offers a wealth of features available for pilots. Be more weather aware on your next flight, and join us for this safety seminar.
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Coast Guard Insights into CRM and Risk Management
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.
| Every flight involves risk, and we can minimize risk with proper risk management. Coast Guard pilots are experts at understanding all factors of risk. Their daily operations involve strenuous water rescues, disaster response actions, and search and rescue initiatives. These missions require the application of crew resource management, adherence to standardized procedures, and more. So, what can we general aviation pilots learn from them?
Join Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco at San Carlos Flight Center as we delve into the realm of threat and error management through the lens of Coast Guard pilots. In this seminar evaluate all risk variables prior to each flight, while utilizing all available resources. Take this knowledge and apply it in a case study which all pilots can learn from. These insights easily translate into practical takeaways for making improved decisions while in flight and working together as a team. Tune in to acquire practical insights that directly apply to your daily operations, ultimately contributing to safer skies for every pilot. |
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LCDR Patrick Buckley is a highly skilled Coast Guard Search and Rescue Aviator, graduating from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 2012 with a Bachelor’s in Business Management. With notable roles aboard the USCGC Cambell, as an Intelligence Officer, and distinguished service at CGAS Savannah, he now serves as Flight Safety Officer at CGAS San Francisco, holding FAA qualifications in Commercial Instrument Fixed/Rotorcraft and Part 107 UAS Operation. Lieutenant Lance Freeberg commissioned into the United States Army through the ROTC program at the University of Florida in 2013 with a degree in Criminology. He flew the UH-60 Black Hawk in Afghanistan and conducted numerous aeromedical evacuations in support of Operations Freedoms Sentinel and Resolute Support. In 2022, he transferred to the United States Coast Guard and became a MH-65E aviator. He is also an avid GA pilot and owner of a Mooney M20C.
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. |
Local Airport Operations in the Bay Area
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.
| The Bay Area has many airports for pilots to choose from. Flying to a new airport can bring a new set of challenges and risks, along with new procedures. For student pilots trying to branch out of their home airport, it can be overwhelming to become familiar with local procedures. So, what airport information is crucial to know when operating at a new airport? What specific things do you need to watch out for? What hot spots or other things may be confusing to a student or new pilot?
Join us to discuss local procedures including noise abatement, pattern operations, and where to find information for several local Bay Area Airports. Some examples will include PAO, HWD, and LVK. He will review common ATC instructions so you can be familiar with what to expect when operating at these airports. After attending this seminar, students and new pilots will have more confidence in operating safely at local Bay Area airports and understand what to consider when flying to a new airport. We encourage any student pilot to attend, and pilots of higher rating to attend too. Do not miss out on this seminar, learn how to gain confidence, operate safer, and be on your A game flying to new airports.
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| 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 2,500 hours in more than 130 different California airports. He 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.
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| 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. |