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, San Carlos Flight Center AGI James Sloan will examine the aircraft maintenance logbook entries and highlight what you need to pay attention to as a PIC.  James is an owner of two aircraft, a pilot with over 500 hours, and just received his certificate as a flight instructor. We encourage any pilot to attend.

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

San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation thought 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.

Bob Leuten is an Airline Transport Pilot (6,000+ hours) and has been a Certified Flight Instructor (2,000+ hours) for over 50 years. He is a recipient of the FAA Wright Brothers “Master Pilot” Award and is a former member of the staff here at SCFC. Bob flies a Super Decathlon and has over 40 years experience at the San Carlos Airport.

San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation thought 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.

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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.  SCFC pilot Brandan Dadoun 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, Brandan 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 Brandan 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 disaster.  Learn how to spot the confusion within multiple examples of bad phraseology, and ultimately become safer in the skies.

If you are a student pilot, private, or instrument pilot looking for ways to brush up their radio, and airspace during these uneasy times, don’t miss out on this seminar.

Brandan Dadoun is a Student Pilot solo and SCFC’s Seminar Coordinator, Brandan has completed the majority of his flight training at SCFC; with over 75 flight hours. He is an advocate for getting youth involved in aviation and is actively involved in many aviation programs. He is an active volunteer at the Hiller Aviation Museum, and previously an active volunteer in the local EAA chapter. Lastly, he has been apart of the organization VATSIM for over 4 years virtually controlling airplanes across the Bay Area and training other ATC candidates.

San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation thought 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.  For more information, go to https://sancarlosflight.com/events/fog

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 thought 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.

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, Dan Dyer, said by some to be the west coast crosswind expert, 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 as just a landing even to the point you do not have to think too much about the crosswinds.  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 a flight instructor and Chief Pilot of San Carlos Flight Center.  He has been instructing for 15 years, has 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 thought 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.

Long cross-country flights require plenty of planning all of which can be broken down to a few basics.  How do you start? Join commercial pilot, ground instructor, and FlyOutGroup coordinator Dave Kramer as he discusses this long cross-country flight planning adventure.  He will discuss his basic approach to preparation which includes route selection, alternate considerations in case of weather, and hints on how to have a memorable flying adventure.  Long cross-country flights allow the pilot to see as many sights as they can. Dave will discuss sightseeing over many of the Southwest’s most pristine landmarks. The options are limitless and are ultimately up to you.

If you are interested in joining the FlyOutGroup trip in April to the “Boneyard” in Tucson Arizona and want to learn more about improving your cross-country flight planning skills, set your calendar to attend this seminar.

Dave Kramer MD, an ophthalmologist for over 30 years, is an instrument rated, tailwheel, complex and high performance endorsed commercial SEL 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 thought 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.

This presentation is meant to bridge the gap, to help newer pilots understand the structure of radio calls and how to improve their own radio skills, with plenty of chance to practice their skills.  Dan Dyer a CFI will walk participants through a foundation of radio communication phraseology and use, from the basics through advanced ATC services. Learn how to make radio communication easier and safer for all pilots.

Don’t miss out on this seminar if you are struggling with your radio communications, or want to improve your radio.

Dan Dyer is a flight instructor and Chief Pilot of San Carlos Flight Center.  He has been instructing for 15 years, has 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

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 what exactly is a “Bay Tour”?  And, how was it affected by last years Bravo airspace changes? How did it affect the Bay Tour, and what new implementations will require pilots need to take to account? Chief Pilot Dan Dyer will 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.”

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.

Dan Dyer is a flight instructor and Chief Pilot of San Carlos Flight Center.  He has been instructing for 15 years, has 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

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.