You’ve read about them and maybe had to answer a knowledge test question about them but do you really need to know the details of a DME arc on an instrument approach?  After all, you are flying with modern avionics with WAAS capability, VOR approaches are a thing of the past right?  Then it happens, you are IMC and your destination is below minimums even the LPC and know you need to divert.  You divert to an airport and pull up the approach chart and realize the approach has a DME Arc.  Do you remember how to do it?  What will you do if the GPS and autopilot won’t magically fly the arc for you?

Do not fear the arc.  In fact, they can be quite fun and rewarding and will keep you proficient with the basic navigation instruments.  In this seminar, Brian Eliot will demystify the the DME arc approaches found at Crescent City (KCEC), Fresno Chandler Executive Airport (KFCH), Tri-Cities Airport (KPSC), Yakima Air Terminal (KYKM), along with two right here in the Bay Area, Watsonville (KWVI) and Salinas (KSNS).

If you are an IFR or interested VFR pilot, take advantage of the expert insight offered by Brian Eliot, IFR resident expert at San Carlos Flight Center.

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.

Summer is here and all of us are itching to get back into flying.  However, with the hot summer heat comes Thermal Turbulence.  Want to know how it will affect your next flight?

San Carlos Flight Center invites commercial pilot and weather enthusiast Dave Kramer to discuss Thermal Turbulence.  In this seminar, Dave will cover what to expect from Thermal Turbulence, where to fly to get a good ride, and how to identify it before you get hit.  Many pilots don’t know how to anticipate where and how Thermal Turbulence may impact your flight.  In some cases, that may be ok, but in other cases it is crucial to recognize the dangers that come with this Thermal Turbulence before you take your next summer flight.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn about Thermal Turbulence to better prepare you and your passengers for your next flight this summer..

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 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.

San Carlos Flight Center invites AGI and CFI Herb Pattern to explore the “Circle to Land” instrument approach.  In this seminar, Herb will review the design criteria that cause an approach to be titled for circling only, when circling minimums are excluded from a chart, when you can land straight in from a circling approach, and when you can circle from a straight-in approach.  It’s also crucial not to forget discussing chart notes, circling restrictions, and formulating a landing plan based on the approach path and runway layout.  Finally, we will examine the critical execution of the circling missed approach maneuver.

All instrument-rated pilots need to be familiar and confident with these procedures.  You will never know when you are faced with this situation.  Join us, and re-familiarize yourself with this unique procedure.

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 2,000 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.

Seattle and the Pacific Northwest is a hub of the aviation industry and innovation, and what better way to experience this cosmopolitan region than in the air?  However, with a major international airport, multiple military bases, and rapidly shifting weather patterns, flying in this airspace isn’t easy to navigate.

San Carlos Flight Center invites member pilots Travis Bender and Brandan Dadoun to delve into Seattle Airspace, the San Juan Islands, and different ways a Bay Area Pilot can reach Seattle.  This seminar will break up the complex Seattle Airspace into smaller areas so it can be interpreted and flown easily for any pilot hoping to fly in the region.  In addition, we will also discuss proper procedures for many airports, including SeaTac International, Boeing Field, and Renton, as well as how to handle some of the unique challenges of flying in the region, such as terrain and weather.  Finally, we will highlight how to fly from the Bay Area to Seattle VFR.

If you are hinting in flying to Seattle in the near future, this seminar will help you get there efficiently and safely.

Travis Bender is private pilot 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.

Brandan Dadoun is the SCFC’s Seminar Coordinator, and has completed the majority of his flight training at SCFC – 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.  Brandan loves teaching others when he is not flying himself.

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.

In this seminar, designed primarily to be viewed by flight instructors, we will examine the obligations of the role of flight instructor, and look for ways good instructors can push themselves to improve.  Most importantly, we’ll show all the important ways that flight instruction differs from being a pilot, as outlined in the FAA’s Aviation Instructor’s Handbook.

If you are a new flight instructor who is passionate about effective instruction and looking for tips to improve your effectiveness, please join us.  Commercial pilots who may be considering flight instruction as a career may also find value in this seminar.  High-time flight instructors may already know much of these items, but are welcome to view the presentation as a refresher of what our profession aims toward.

San Carlos Flight Center invites Master Sergeant John Addams, and Senior Airmen Cameron Roelofs to discuss the Travis RAPCON and its ATC services.  In this seminar they will cover how Travis accommodates basic service to VFR aircraft, and the benefits of receiving VFR flight following within their airspace.  They will also explain some of the ways that Class E airspace relates to Travis AFB, and why it’s important to be talking to Travis RAPCON while operating in their airspace.  Lastly, how pilots can be direct, clear, and concise on the radio while talking to ATC.

The presenters are also eager to take questions from the GA flying community.  If you have ever wondered about the approach operations at Travis AFB, or if you want to learn more about their services and experiences; you won’t want to miss this seminar.

Master Sgt John Addams from Olympia, WA. Currently the Assistant Chief Controller of Travis RAPCON. He’s been in the Air Force going on 18 years.

Senior Airmen Cameron Roelofs from Grand Rapids, MI. He’s been in the Air Force for 3 years and is one of our most talented controllers and trainers.

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.

Flying through in the many airspaces of California 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 Herb Patten, Assistant Chief Pilot, AGI and CFI and Dan Dyer, Chief Pilot and CFI to show how to perfect your communication and phraseology.  They will cover radio phraseology from the basics through advanced ATC services with emphasis on flight following and flight service stations.  This seminar will include many examples on how to recognize bad radio calls, and how to fix them. Learn how to make radio communication easier and safer for all pilots.

If you are interested in becoming better at your radio, you don’t want to miss 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]

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.