SQL Runway Closure - Apr 13 (Su)

If you plan to fly on Sunday, April 13 be advised that San Carlos Airport is shut down in the morning to accommodate the Hiller Runway Run.

The event allows runners and walkers onto the runway, taxiways, and other airport areas, which means all flight operations come to a halt. As of today, the FAA NOTAM for the event has not been posted, but we expect the closure to be from 7:45am until 9:45am. Please plan ahead and check the NOTAM closer to the date to see what the actual closures are.

Private Pilot Ground School: New Cycle Begins

San Carlos Flight Center's Private Pilot Ground School holds group classes in two sessions every week, either Sunday morning at 10am or Tuesday evening at 6:30pm. The class runs in a continuing cycle, with 12 separate classes covering the variety of topics needed for student pilots working toward their first certificate.

Because of the nature of the class, you can join ground school at any time, and sit through all 12 classes in any order. You're also able to sit through classes more than once to better understand the material.

For those students who want to start class on Lesson 1, a new cycle will begin Sunday April 6 and Tuesday April 8. For more information, look here.

"Spring" Up to a Cessna 182

For many private pilots, you might have learned to fly in a Cessna 152, 172, or a Piper Archer. If you've ever wished for faster cruise speeds, a higher useful load, or just the cool factor of holding a high-performance endorsement, the Cessna Skylane is the next logical step up.

The first thing with a new aircraft checkout involves a review of the aircraft's systems and POH. To help get your training off the ground, join Flight Center instructor Travis Bender on April 9th for a discussion of the Skylane's systems. You'll learn everything you need to know about the constant-speed propeller, cowl flaps, engine management, and more. Travis will also cover the Flight Center's process to get checked out in the 182. 

This is a great foundation to get ahead of the ground knowledge required for a high-performance endorsement and Skylane transition training. Whether you just completed your private pilot training or have experience in a Cessna 182, join us. To sign up for this event, please visit this page. 

FOG March AFB and SoCal Airshow - Limited Spots Still Available!

There are still a few spots left for our FOG SoCal Airshow trip this month on April 11-13! Join the FOG armada as we fly south to Los Angeles to catch the Southern California Airshow at March AFB. 

This year's SoCal Airshow brings the United States Thunderbirds, a demo by the B-1B Lancer bomber, the F-35, vintage warbirds, and more! The event is not just limited to the airshow; you'll also have access to the March Air Base flight line, where you can get up close to military aircraft and civilian aircraft alike. This is your chance to get photos and (possibly) see the inside of an active B-52, F-22, NASA aircraft, and more!

On the return trip home, the FlyOutGroup organized a rare tour of an aircraft boneyard in nearby Victorville Airport. You can see airline jets like the Boeing 757 and MD-10, as well as movie props like the 747 used in Christopher Nolan's 2020 spy movie, Tenet. It's a great way to cap off a fun and eventful weekend.

Student pilots are welcome to attend, as are any pilots. Please sign up on the event page.

Safety

Skyhawk Pilots: 100R ≠ G100UL Be careful getting fuel at other airports!

Over the last few years, unleaded fuel has gained significant traction at airports around the country, especially in California. Many nearby airports now offer unleaded fuel in addition to 100LL. However, pilots flying SCFC aircraft need to be careful to use the right type of fuel.

SCFC's Skyhawk aircraft are currently flying with 100R, which is supplied by our fuel tanks on the ramp. This is a different type of fuel than G100UL. G100UL is sold at Watsonville, Reid-Hillview, and South County Airport. It has not been approved for any of the Flight Center's aircraft. Please ensure that you do not fuel a Flight Center 172 with G100UL, as only 100R, 100LL, and UL94 are approved for our Cessna 172s. 

For example, Watsonville's self-serve fuel has unleaded fuel as an option, but please read the signage carefully, as it is G100UL, not UL94 or 100R. If in doubt, use 100LL instead or call the SCFC Front Desk.

With all the new types of fuel being introduced, it is paramount to sump your tanks before flying. Using the wrong type of fuel can lead to significant consequences, as most aircraft don't encounter problems with incompatible fuel until after takeoff.

Play Ball! Don’t Strike Out!

Opening day for baseball is like a national holiday for some. The Giants' opening day is Friday, April 4th. For pilots, it means that we need to pay attention to NOTAM FDC 0/0367. What is this cryptic NOTAM? Referred to as the sporting events TFR, it prohibits flight within 3,000 AGL in a 3 NM radius over a “qualifying stadium” during a “qualifying event”. It is effective one hour before the scheduled start to one hour after the end of the qualifying event.

What is “qualifying stadium”? In the SF Bay Area there are a few locations that meet this definition. These are depicted on our VFR charts with this stadium symbol. 

A qualifying event is an MLB, NFL, NCAA Division I Football game or NASCAR Cup, Indy Cup, or Champ Series race. This is the challenging part as keeping track of this is not always easy. These events aren’t included in an FAA briefing but thankfully products such as ForeFlight and SkyVector graphically depict these.

What about the A's? They moved to Sacramento. Their opening day was Monday, March 31st, but because the stadium they play in seats less than 30,000, this TFR doesn't apply to them.

Remember that the TFR extends until 1 hour after the event actually ends.

Get Down! Check Under the Belly for a Thorough Preflight

Pilots develop their own methodology for doing their pre-flight inspection. This is often what their CFI taught them, or they follow the pre-flight inspection steps listed in the airplane’s flight manual. The goal of the pre-flight is to determine that the plane is airworthy, safe and legal. 

Many things get checked during the pre-flight inspection, e.g., flight control surfaces, the quantity and quality of fuel, quantity of oil, required documents, lights, and landing gear. These often can be inspected while walking around the airplane. 

Getting down and looking under the belly of the airplane may be something that is not given due consideration. Certainly, checking the fuel sumps under the belly of the plane is done, but sometimes pilots don’t spend sufficient time checking the belly of the airplane. What could be missed?

There are inspection plates under the belly of the airplane that should be checked to make sure they are secure. It is not common, but on a rare occasion you might find them not secure.

An oil leak may be detected by looking for oil streaks under the belly. A small oil leak may not be immediately visible, but the oil often drips down to the bottom of the cowling. From there it is often blown by the relative wind onto the belly of the airplane causing streaks to form. If you check thoroughly under the belly of the airplane, these streaks are quite visible. 

A pre-flight inspection should be systematic and thorough. Next time you’re doing a pre-flight inspection remember the underside of the airplane can be just as important as the other surfaces.

SCFC Member Profile: Fei Fang

SCFC: Congratulations on passing the Private Pilot Checkride. What were the most memorable parts of the whole checkride experience?

FF: I was lucky to take my checkride at the beautiful Calaveras airport in the best time of the year! It was super special as overnight trips are the reason I wanted to get a PPL and I got to experience that for my checkride. Flying there a day early, exploring around and doing a small hike at the gorgeous New Melones Lake made me fall in love with the area. And of course I will never be able to forget my worst landing ever that happened during my checkride which is gonna haunt me in my dreams forever. :) 

SCFC: Pilots fly for many reasons. What got you started on the path toward becoming a pilot?

FF: I thank the 17 year old Fei for randomly going for a run, accidentally entering the Purdue airport terminal, and getting talked into taking a demo flight by the people there. Can't stop thinking about it since...

SCFC: How did you acquire all of the required ground knowledge? Did you take a group ground school class, online study, or 1-on-1 with your flight instructor? Was that effective for you?

FF: I did the Private Pilot Ground School at SCFC with Herb (as I am absolutely incapable of studying by myself) and that worked out brilliantly for me. I could not ask for a better ground instructor. While prepping for the checkride oral, I also abused a friend who is prepping for a CFI checkride to give me free ground lessons, and it definitely helped as we both passed!

SCFC: What flying adventures do you plan to go on with your new certificate and privileges?

FF: I can go on for 10 pages :) But my 1st flight would be taking my bestie to our favorite BBQ place in Sacramento, then flying my favorite instructor in the world to Harris Ranch to buy me lunch. On the scenic side, I'll need to revisit Angwin, Shelter Cove, Catalina, and finally fly my friends to ski in Tahoe. Lastly, I am super excited about the FlyOutGroup trip to the Pacific Northwest and Canada in the summer that I'll be going on with my flight center family!

SCFC: Aviation is open to everyone, but historically some groups have been underrepresented in the pilot community. What would you say about your experience to encourage others from underrepresented communities to take the leap to become a pilot?

FF: The journey to Private Pilot is a rollercoaster, so be prepared to be emotionally destroyed many, many times (like me). But it was also the most rewarding thing I've ever done and the day I solo'ed will remain the happiest day in my life. Flying is addictive, and you have been warned!

Calling All Women Pilots, Student Pilots, and Instructors - Apr 16 (Wed) 7pm

Some SCFC members and staff are in the process of forming a Women in Aviation chapter for San Carlos Airport. That process may take a while, but in the meantime the group has started holding meetings to socialize, hear aviation guest speakers, and share their love to flying.

Join us on Wednesday, April 16th at 7pm to meet the women involved and hear from our Guest Speaker, Alyssa Cova, a pilot intern working at United SFO. We'll also share stories of the women in the group, including what called them to aviation and how their adventure has been.

SCFC encourages all women in aviation to join us for the event. Sign up on our website.

United Flight Ops Tour Recap

Last month, a group of 15 SCFC students and instructors got a unique, backstage tour of all that goes on in the United Airlines Flight and Station Operations at SFO! 

We walked through the bustling flight planning area where pilot crews were at tables briefing for their various flights to Toronto, Tahiti, Taipei and Tampa, and were treated to a presentation about the airline career outlook. 

There happened to be a Boeing 777 sitting at a nearby gate, so our tour guides pounced on the opportunity to let us on board to explore it. We got to roam the cabin, see the crew rest bunks, and each got a turn to sit in the drivers seat to try it on (the 777 looks quite nice on our SCFC pilots)!

While they didn’t let us take it up for a Bay Tour, many could see themselves at the helm of this heavy metal in the future! 

To finish the day, the group stopped in to the Station Operation Command Center where station controllers were plugged in to headsets diligently working under low-light conditions, their faces illuminated by computer monitors at their desks displaying all kinds of colors, graphs, schedules, airport diagrams, and gate camera feeds.

They were busy coordinating fueling, catering, and cleaning for flights preparing to depart, creating real-time delay notifications for passengers, sending customer service supervisors to deal with the upset passenger at gate F11, deciding which flights to hold on the gate for connecting passengers, and determining which aircraft were available, which needed to be taken out of service for maintenance and which should be routed here or there to ensure the fewest schedule disruptions across the entire United system. 

It was a fascinating day for all involved and hopefully we can do this again sometime soon!

Meet the 2025 Upwind Winners

Last month, the Upwind Foundation held a Wine and Cheese fundraiser to raise money for the Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. The program pays for high school students to attend the nine-week Young Aviators Summer Program held every summer by San Carlos Flight Center. At the event last month, the recipients of the 2025 scholarships were announced, and introduced to the gathered donors and supporters.

The 2025 scholarship winners are:

• Libby Dioli of Aragon High School High School
• Libby is already used to the SCFC community as she works here as a member of our Flight Line team
• 
  
• Kurt Kenyon of Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep School
• Kurt has already attended the SCFC ground school as well as taken a few flight lessons.

• Gregoire Scherrer of Carlmont High School
• Gregoire has also taken the SCFC ground school and enjoys plane spotting.

• Christopher Soudah of Hillsdale High School
• Chris has flown his drone frequently to experience the thrill of flying, and is ready to fly real planes.

• Cyrus Wescott of Lycée Français in San Francisco
• Cyrus found his passion for aviation during an internship with the maintenance team at San Carlos Flight Center.

At the end of the evening the Upwind Silent Auction ended with a frenzy of bidding on the most popular items. The San Carlos aviation community was very generous both in donating some cool items to auction, and bidding for those items to raise money for the Upwind Foundation, raising over $24,000 by the end of the evening.

Full-Moon Flyers Santa Rosa - Apr 12 (Sat)

On Saturday, April 12, join Full Moon Flyers as we head up to Santa Rosa (STS)!

At about 70 NM and less than an hour flight, Santa Rosa is an easy destination. Take in views of the San Francisco skyline as you make your way up and back.

Once there, we will have dinner at Tap and Pour. The restaurant is located right at the terminal and serves a menu of salads, burgers, and entrees. Being in wine country, passengers can even enjoy a glass of local wine!

After landing in STS, taxi over to Sonoma Jet Center for parking. Once the aircraft is secure, the terminal is a short walk away. Please plan to arrive at Tap and Pour by 7PM.

Don’t forget to RSVP here.

FOG Lunch Paso Robles - Apr 18 (Fri)

Join FOG and head down with us to Paso Robles (PRB) to get an early start on the weekend.

Located just northeast of San Luis Obispo, the 135 NM flight makes Paso Robles a great cross country destination. Beautiful scenery enroute, huge runways, and not much air traffic.

When you land in PRB, taxi over to the terminal where you will find Joe’s One-Niner Diner. Plan to arrive at the restaurant by 12 noon since they are only open until 2pm. Joe’s One-Niner Diner serves a wide variety of breakfast options and a great selection of sandwiches. They are even known for having the best breakfast in town!

After lunch, you can explore the town or taxi to the other side of the field and visit the nearby Estrella Warbird Museum.

If you are interested, please don’t forget to RSVP here. We will see you there!

FOG Scenic Arizona Trip - April 25-28

The FlyOutGroup is launching for Arizona and the Grand Canyon at the end of April, from Friday April 25th to Monday April 28th. This awesome cross-country adventure is designed to help California pilots check off some amazing sightseeing boxes while enjoying the fun of group social flying.

We will depart San Carlos for our first destination, Flagstaff Arizona from which we can overfly the Grand Canyon. From there we can visit the picturesque scenery of Sedona and the exciting approach into the airport which sits on top of a mesa. We can progress south towards Tucson to visit the country's third largest aviation museum before returning home on the 28th. 

SCFC pilots can use this instructor-led trip to work toward a mountain checkout, or a high performance aircraft checkout, depending on how you plan it. SCFC pilots are welcome to join this trip without an instructor, provided they already have a mountain checkout because of the high elevation airports on the trip. A high performance aircraft would be required.

For more information, contact the event leader Noa Brown at noa@sancarlosflight.com or click here.

FlyOutGroup's Summer Destination Revealed - Pacific Northwest and Canada!

Grab your passports for this year's FOG summer trip! We're heading up north to Seattle, Puget Sound, and British Columbia on July 17-20. A new destination for us, you'll get to experience mountain flying, fjords, open-water crossings, and more. 

The four-day trip begins with a flight across the Cascade Mountains up to Seattle. You'll learn how to safely fly around towering volcanoes like Mt. Shasta and Mt. Rainier, as well as the Bravo airspace in Seattle. The second day takes pilots up to the San Juan Islands before crossing the US/Canadian border and landing at Vancouver International Airport. The following morning, sightseeing around the fjords and islands of British Columbia, all while learning the nuances of flying in Canada. You'll cross the border on the way back, before landing at Portland for the evening. Our last day takes us home from Oregon to California. 

This trip requires a bit of preparation, so if you are interested, please sign up on the event page. We anticipate that this trip will fill up very quickly. Student pilots, as well as certificated pilots, are welcome to participate.