**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.

Sometimes we think certain things would never happen, until they do. For the majority of us pilots, we try to always prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.

San Carlos Flight Center invites Advanced Ground Instructor Michel Vidal-Naquet to talk about the investigation of American Airlines Flight 587 that crashed into a suburban neighborhood in New York in 2001. The NTSB determined that after encountering the wake turbulence of a preceding 747, the first officer applied a series of full alternating rudder inputs that led to structural failure and the separation of the vertical stabilizer. The aircraft was traveling at approximately 250 knots, that is 20 knots below V_A for the Airbus A300 “What? But I thought flying below V_A protected against structural damage?” This accident revealed a general misconception of the term V_A within the pilot community. Does flying at or below V_A always “guarantee” protection?

In this presentation, we will go over the accident and describe different contributing factors to the crash, as identified by the NTSB. We will then examine the concept of maneuvering speed and take a look at how V_A is intricately defined by the regulations. Finally, we will review implications for GA pilots. We recommend all pilots to attend as we learn from this seminar and improve our safety in flight in the future.

Michel Vidal-Naquet is an advanced ground instructor and an instrument-rated private pilot with about 680 flight hours. He started flying in 2013 after settling in the Bay area to work as a computer scientist and engineer. His passion for aviation began during his early childhood when his family first took him on international flights. He brings a scientific point of view to his flying, and is always learning.

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.

**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.

Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) are becoming cheaper and more reliable. Why would a pilot need a PLB if they already have an onboard ELT? How would a PLB help a pilot in an emergency? What is a PLB anyway?

In this seminar, Herb Patten, SCFC’s Assistant Chief Pilot will explain the critical differences between PLBs and ELTs. He will review the history of the emergence of the regulations on ELTs, review accident data that highlights the problems and challenges of the original ELT design, describe the enhancements offered in the new 406-MHz ELT and how they function, and provide an update on proposed regulations for ELT requirements.

Most pilots are aware of the onboard Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) in their personal or rented airplane. Most know that the older models transmitted a distress signal on 121.5-MHz in the event of a hard landing. But how many know what frequency the new models transmit on? How does an ELT differ from a PLB? Do you know the differences in who receives your distress signal and how quickly?

Don’t miss this seminar if you want to be prepared in post-emergency landing situations, and how you can increase your chances of surviving through the use of ELT’s and PLB’s.

Herb Patten is the Assistant 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 over 1,500 hours and flown into at least 120 different California airports. He is co-founder of the Bay Area Student and New Pilot Support Group, and a board member 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 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.

**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.

Do you know how to identify where certain VFR reporting waypoints are on a chart? Do you know if the airport you are landing at has an operating beacon? Do you know if the airport you are landing at has pilot controlled lighting, or lighting at all? Or maybe if you just want a VFR chart refresher, this is the place for you to be.

VFR charts pack an extraordinary amount of material and represent a 3-dimensional world of terrain and airspaces in 2 dimensions.  They describe graphically the earth as it looks to us pilots from the air. And no matter how much we study them and how good we get at interpreting them there is always something new or some little nuance that we didn’t realize. Lastly, they are fun.  Who doesn’t enjoy looking at a map, especially an aviation one?

Join Russell Bowerman a CFI as he gives a ground school refresher. He will actively involve the audience in this fun review of VFR charts and point out interesting facts that you then can go out and impress your friends.

Russell Bowerman has always maintained an interest in aviation, visiting aviation museums, taking sightseeing flights, and staying up to date on all the newest fighter jets and airliners.  After receiving his Private Pilot Certificate in 2018, he decided to make a career of it, attaining his Commercial and CFI ratings. Russell has been teaching and loving it ever since. Beyond flying, he really enjoys traveling and feels lucky to meet new people and learn about their diverse backgrounds in the process of flight training.

Keeping an airport strong 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 instantly, from runway surface issues to refurbishing the hangars and limiting neighboring construction against flight operations.

SCFC periodically invites SQL Airport Managers to update the pilot community on anything that can impact the safety of flight operations. What upcoming closures can pilots expect? What changes can pilots expect to operating rules and procedures? What is the status of work to improve traffic pattern coverage by the contract control tower?

If you fly at San Carlos Airport, this presentation will bring you current with the latest news and information for pilots coming from the SQL Airport Management office.

San Carlos Airport is owned and operated by San Mateo County. Airport managers oversee and support both county airports, Half Moon Bay and San Carlos, with primary offices at San Carlos. The airport gets better every year, and the manager oversees a great number of development projects to improve service to pilots and for the county.

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.

**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 some ways, learning to fly is largely about learning to land. Pilots of small planes need to perform at least one safe landing on nearly every flight. It’s the type of skill that is learned once, and then perfected for the rest of a pilot’s life. How are your landings? Would you like to hear a few secrets to landing that can help you improve your landing ability?

Join Chief Pilot Dan Dyer for discussion about landing philosophy and some insider tips on perfecting your landings. In this seminar, learn about the two halves to the flare, the actual role of the pilot (you may be surprised), how important it is to look good, and the critical importance of time spent at altitude playing with the horizon.

This presentation may be of value to student pilots working on learning to land for the first time, but also may offer insights to experienced pilots looking to take their landing ability to the next level. If you want your passengers to be happy about your landings, do not miss this seminar.

Dan Dyer is a flight instructor and Chief Pilot of San Carlos Flight Center. He has been instructing for 14 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 [email protected]

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.

**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 to a new airport can bring its own sets of challenges, risks, and new procedures. For student pilots trying to branch out of their home airport, Hayward Executive Airport in the East Bay might seem the most suitable. What airport information is crucial to operating safely at Hayward? What specific things do you need to watch out for? What are the hot spots or things that may be confusing to a student or new pilot?

Herb Pattern, SCFC Assistant Chief Pilot will share his experiences of years of operating in and out of Hayward’s Class D airspace. He will discuss local procedures, pattern operations, special procedures, and where you can retain all this information for your flight. He also has samples of the radio calls you’ll hear when operating in the Hayward ATC environment, to help student pilots become familiar with important differences. After attending this seminar, students will have more confidence in operating safely at Hayward.

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 know your A game.

Herb Patten is the Assistant 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 over 1,500 hours and flown 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 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.

**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.

Santa Maria, the gateway to Southern California, and the beautiful Santa Ynez valley is a great destination airport for many reasons. From the beautiful wineries, to the blissful beaches and tasty BBQ joints; this is a pilot’s dream.

Santa Maria is a short flight from the Bay Area and a perfect destination for either students trying to log their long cross country time, or pilots seeking a great weekend getaway. Where else can you request to taxi directly to your hotel? Or walk from the airport to the beach? Dan Dyer, Chief Pilot at San Carlos Flight Center will reveal the plethora of opportunities, adventures, and points of interests in and around Santa Maria. Dan will review suggested routes of flight, highlight local operations at KSMX, and provide tips on how to efficiently and safely operate at this airport.

If you are interested in joining the FOG trip to Santa Maria on March 27th or you are just interested in a new destination, plan on attending this 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 [email protected]

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.

**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.

Planning for a long cross-country flight involves a lot of thinking ahead. There’s weather analysis, route selection, and planning for alternatives. There’s also the need to estimate flight time and fuel burn to meet FAA regulations for minimum onboard fuel. Seems easy right?

The only way to determine the amount of fuel you’ll need, is if you’ve already solved a host of other calculations. To be accurate, you’ll need to know ground distance, forecast winds, and aircraft performance information. You’ll also need to make some choices about altitude and route. Most pilots complete these series of calculations using grid sheets to guide their calculations, with cryptic columns label such as TH, DEV, CH, and ETE. At San Carlos Flight Center, we use a Cross-Country Flight Log sheet that makes it easy to understand the sources of information and the flow of calculations.

In this Ground School Refresher seminar, Flight Instructors Herb Patten and Dan Dyer will walk students through the variety of calculations need for each leg of flight that lead up to the final Fuel Needed number. If you are a new flight student confused about cross-country flight calculations or just need a refresher, please tune in.

Herb Patten is the Assistant 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 over 1,500 hours and flown 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 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 [email protected]

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.

SEMINAR POSTPONED – WILL OCCUR ON WEDENSDAY APRIL 1ST @ 7PM

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.