Due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, this seminar will only be available for online viewing. IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.**

Click here to learn more about online viewing.

 

Flying through SF Bay Area airspace requires a high degree of situational awareness and sophisticated radio skills. And yet, radio communication is rarely taught as a specific subject during private pilot training. Usually, new pilots just absorb what they hear on the frequency around them, both good and bad. Although some radio techniques are covered in ground school, rarely do student pilots get the time devoted to demystifying this often-confusing subject.

San Carlos Flight Center invites Chief Pilot Herb Patten and pilot Dan Dyer to bridge the communication gap, help newer pilots understand the structure of radio and how to improve their own.  The presentation will begin with a review of radio communication phraseology and use.  What part is structured?  What part is unstructured?  What words are good official phraseology, and what words are considered jargon, slang, or poor grammar?

If you are new to radio communication, or just want a great review to fill gaps in your pilot education, please join us for this unique opportunity.

 

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.

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 [email protected]

 

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.

 

So You Want to Buy a Turbine?

Due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, this seminar will only be available for online viewing. IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.**

Click here to learn more about online viewing.

 

So you think you want to own a turbine aircraft? With owning a turbine comes many advantages including speed, endurance, safety, and reliability.

San Carlos Flight Center invites TBM pilot and owner Tom McGrath to highlight his experience as an owner of one of the most popular single-engine turbines on the market. In this discussion, he’ll cover the performance and costs of ownership, focusing mainly on Turboprop aircraft, but also light jets. Tom will emphasize the increased performance he experienced in turbines as he was flying across the world, along with some of the expected maintenance associated with the airplane. He’ll also provide a high-level overview of what to expect while operating a turbine aircraft including performance characteristics in all critical phases of flight, and additional training all pilots should consider.

Come hear and discuss the pros and cons of stepping into the “I love the smell of Jet fuel in the morning” crowd.

 

 

Tom McGrath is a 7000 hour pilot with 2700 in TBM aircraft over the last 9 years.  Tom stepped from Beech Bonanza’s to the TBM in 2012.  Tom will use the experience of owning the TBM’s and buying knowledge of competitors to bring the discussion to the prospective owner or dreamer.
 

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.

 

Supplemental Oxygen Systems

Due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, this seminar will only be available for online viewing. IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.**

Click here to learn more about online viewing.

 

Supplemental oxygen is required in unpressurized aircraft by regulation above 12,500 MSL and often by good operating practice at lower altitudes. Pilots-in-command must consider the oxygen needs of both crew and passengers when planning flights during which oxygen will be used.

Join us as our Assistant Chief Pilot Brian Eliot discusses the use of supplemental oxygen systems and their usage in flight. In this seminar we will consider the provisioning of oxygen for flight, including both built-in and portable systems, preflight testing of oxygen, briefing and supervision of passengers, and proper dispensing of oxygen in flight. Brian will also examine the major classification of oxygen systems with a focus on the continuous-flow systems common to general aviation. Concluding with recommendations on assembling a personal oxygen kit that satisfies the aircraft and circumstances of the pilot and prospective passengers for flight in unpressurized aircraft.

If you have ever considered using or have used supplemental oxygen methods – don’t miss out on this seminar.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, this seminar will only be available for online viewing. IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.**

Click here to learn more about online viewing.

 

Are you an airplane owner? Have you ever thought that it may be time for an avionics upgrade? Maybe you have even considered overhauling your entire instrument panel.

Maybe you’re thinking of buying your first plane, and you’re looking at options to modernize it’s old instrument panel to a modern instrument panel without the cost of a factory, new airplane.

SCFC has invited local Bay Area pilot and flight instructor, James Sloan, to describe the path he took a few years ago to transform his Cessna 182 from a “six pack” to a glass panel. The process took a significant amount of research and coordination between the offerings of various avionics manufacturers. The result is a beautiful, clean, modern interior and fantastic system management features.

The presentation is an inner look at a complicated process and is of interest even if you don’t own a plane.

 

James Sloan earned his PPL in 2002 and flew around the East Coast for a few years.  After several years off he joined SCFC in 2017 and has since obtained his instrument, commercial, advanced and instrument ground instructor, and flight instructor ratings. I currently have about 550 hours in single engine airplanes and own 1.6 Cessnas.

 

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.

 

Due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, this seminar will only be available for online viewing. IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.**

Click here to learn more about online viewing.

In November of last year, SCFC presented a seminar in which we reviewed the types of things a pilot can do that qualify as preventive maintenance.  Now, we will revisit the topic in the context of a real-world 50-hour service done on a regularly flying aircraft.

San Carlos Flight Center invites A&P Tim Davis to talk in-depth about tasks pilots can perform during a 50-hour service. There are many tasks that qualify as preventive maintenance. In this seminar, Tim will identify those tasks  that pilots could perform such as oil changes, cleaning and gapping spark plugs, light bulb replacements and lubrication of flight controls. He will describe the steps to perform these tasks and the required steps to document the maintenance.

If you wanted to gain a real world understanding of how to apply your knowledge of preventive maintenance, join us for this unique opportunity.

 

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. 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.

 

Due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, this seminar will only be available for online viewing. IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.**

Click here to learn more about online viewing.

Most pilots take a straightforward path through training. One flight at a time, slogging through training exercises, completing FAA knowledge requirements and obtaining the necessary aviation experience. But Nico Ghilardi isn’t like most pilots, join us to hear his story of one pilot’s novel journey to his private pilot checkride.

San Carlos Flight Center invites Private Pilot Nico Ghilardi to share his path to becoming a private pilot, highlighting the unique side opportunities he took to get real mountain flying experience, learn about challenging weather conditions, apply short-field takeoff and landing techniques in the beauty of the Colorado mountains.

There are a lot of ways you can customize your training adventure to the way you want. If you are looking for ways to spice up your training for your private pilot certificate, join us to hear Nico as he shares his innovative training flights.

 

Nico Ghilardi is a private pilot with over 150 flight hours. Recently he obtained his high performance endorsement, and is currently receiving aerobatic training. He has a surplus of flying experience after adventuring on a multi-day flying trip throughout Colorado, and various other iconic destinations across the country. During the day he works as a biologist, competes in professional swimming competitions, and enjoys spending time with his family.

 

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.

 

Hazards of Frost and Icing

Due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, this seminar will only be available for online viewing. IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.**

Click here to learn more about online viewing.

Flying along, you might think it’s a beautiful crisp winter day until suddenly you take a peek at the beautiful scenery below and see frost on your wingtip.  What are you going to do next?  Do you know all the hazards of frost and icing?

San Carlos Flight Center invites Dave Kramer, an experienced instrument rated pilot, and avid weather specialist to talk about how frost and icing can affect an airplane. With atmospheric moisture, comes the hazards of icing.  Other than a thunderstorm, nothing else is so detrimental to flight.  California, because of it’s warmer winters, is notorious for icing. How can we predict it and where can we find it? In this seminar, anyone will be able to gain a better understanding of how frost and ice forms, how to avoid it, and what to do if you get it.

Join Dave as he discusses these important topics from a pilot’s viewpoint.  If you are an aspiring IFR pilot or a seasoned Instrument rated pro, you won’t want to miss this seminar.

 

Dave Kramer MD, an ophthalmologist for over 30 years, is an instrument rated, tailwheel, complex and high performance endorsed commercial MEL pilot as well as a basic and instrument ground instructor with an interest in weather. He has been flying since 2012, has over 1100 hours of which over 500 have been in the IFR system.  He also enjoys long cross country flying, night flying and flying in the LA area.

 

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.

 

Destination Coachella Valley

Due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, this seminar will only be available for online viewing. IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.**

Click here to learn more about online viewing.

Many pilots learn to fly so that they may take cross-country trips to compelling destinations, whether a short hop away or across a whole state. New destinations challenge pilots to expand their skills and knowledge. For SCFC pilot, Nick Williams, the Coachella Valley is a great destination and offers a lot of adventure; whether it is landing at airfields below sea level, navigating around towering peaks, flying over vast deserts, or flying in unique airspace (TRSA anyone?).

As part of the regular Destination Seminar Series, San Carlos Flight Center invites Nick Williams, airplane owner and instrument rated commercial pilot, to discuss his experiences flying in the Coachella Valley. Nick will highlight the key learning moments from his hours of flying around Palm Springs, Coachella Valley, and other Southern California airports. He will also discuss the different routes to take from the Bay Area, along with other considerations such as airspace, airport operations, and activities to do in the area.

If you ever considered venturing to Southern California, the Coachella Valley awaits you for a challenging but yet rewarding long cross-country from the Bay Area.

 

Nick Williams is an instrument rated commercial pilot with about 300 hours, half of which are in his Cessna 152, which he has flown from Redding CA to the Mexico border and dozens of airports in between. He’s been a member of SCFC since summer 2018 and is currently studying for the CFI exams. Outside of aviation, he’s a project management professional in the software industry, and lives in Noe Valley with his wife and dogs.

 

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.

Overview of Instrument Training

Due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, this seminar will only be available for online viewing. IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.**

Click here to learn more about online viewing.

 

With the ability to fly through the clouds, and fly in various weather conditions; the opportunities for an instrument-rated pilot are endless. Pilots with this qualification can fly to more places at ease, but not without training and preparation.

San Carlos Flight Center invites instrument-rated, private pilot Travis Bender to provide an overview of his instrument training experience, and what to expect for any pilot interested in obtaining the rating. In this seminar, Travis will highlight the different ways he studied for the written exam and prepared for the FAA checkride. Travis will also show how he used various resources such as flight simulators, chair flying, and listening on the radio to help him excel throughout his training.

If you are interested in obtaining your instrument rating, join us for this unique opportunity to learn more about what the training entails, and how one pilot succeeded.

 

Travis Bender is a private pilot with an instrument rating in airplanes, and an Upwind Scholarship alumni, who learned to fly at SCFC.  An avid adventurer, he loves flying to new areas and discovering fun places to fly.  Travis currently attends the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, when he is not in the air.

 

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.

Due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, this seminar will only be available for online viewing. IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.**

Click here to learn more about online viewing.

 

The path for all certificated pilots begins at the same place, as a student pilot. But after getting their private pilot certificate, a wide number of paths open. What is one way to take your flying career to the next level? Go for a Commercial Pilot certificate!

San Carlos Flight Center invites newly certified instrument-rated commercial pilot David Agranovich to discuss his experience training for his commercial certificate. In this seminar, David will highlight the steps he took to train and prepare for the Commercial checkride. He will review the prerequisite for the rating, the commercial maneuvers you must master, and the relevant knowledge that must be acquired. The commercial pilots license calls for extensive familiarity with all things related to flying, and it’s the applicants responsibility to ensure understanding in all areas.

For anyone looking to train towards their commercial pilot certificate, join us for this seminar to learn from a newly rated pilot and his first-hand experiences.

 

David Agranovich is an instrument-rated commercial pilot working on his instructor certificates. He’s normally found taking his 182 out for flights in the Sierras or running shelter dogs up the coast for Pilots and Paws. In his spare time, he works at Facebook leading their efforts to counter foreign interference in elections.

 

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.