Experience Airplane Ownership

San Carlos Flight Center has a diverse fleet, mostly owned by member pilots who allow other members to use their aircraft. In exchange, the rental pilots help aircraft owners cover the variety of costs associated with ownership. For many pilots, the chance to own an airplane is a way for them to deepen their connection to aviation, or if they fly a lot, to reduce their overall cost of flying.

Every year, new airplanes join the fleet, and sometimes airplanes depart the fleet for a new phase of life somewhere else. If you have any interest in owning an airplane, or perhaps becoming a part-owner of an airplane, you should talk with the Fleet Management Team at SCFC. We always know which owners are thinking of taking on new partners to share in ownership or who are ready to sell the whole plane.

Currently, SCFC is looking to add 2-3 planes to our fleet, but we also know of some airplane owners in a partnership that are interested in selling their share. If you are specifically interested in a C172SP or a C182T, give us a call or email info@sancarlosflight.com.

Expanded TFR Boundaries for VIPs

The FAA is expanding the airspace for Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs), specifically those tied to VIP movement. These TFRs are commonly used to protect the presidential nominees and vice president-elect during election season.

Previously a VIP TFR for the Vice President was a 3 NM ring and up to 2,999 feet AGL. Now, you should expect to find the protected area around VIP movement to be a 5 NM ring and up to 4,999 feet AGL.

As always, it is best to check NOTAMs to understand the exact dimensions and the effective time. Only 95 more days until this becomes fully implemented.

News 3

Summer weather means great flying! We are excited to announhilosophy and methodology. These new CFIs are helping us create the safest and most competent pilots in the country.

Safety

Density Altitude and Summer Flying

Density altitude is a factor pilots typically associate with high elevation airports, but with summertime temperatures of 35 °C, 40 °C, and even higher, pilots must also consider density altitude at sea level.

Air density, of course, affects the effectiveness of both airfoils and engines. Lower air density results in longer takeoff distances (due to poorer engine performance, reduced lift, and higher takeoff true airspeed), poorer and shallower climbs, and the need to manage the engine at lower true altitudes.

Considering airplanes with fixed pitch propellers, for a given indicated airspeed with high density altitude, a greater RPM is needed to maintain level flight or to descend on the approach slope to a runway. If you have power settings memorized for the traffic pattern or for instrument approaches (which you should!), you will find that 100 to 200 additional RPM may be required at temperatures of 30–40 °C.

Similarly, airplanes with constant speed propellers may require an additional one to two inches of manifold pressure for traffic pattern or approach operations.

Airplanes whose operations call for leaning the engine above a certain altitude (3000 feet, 5000 feet) should be understood to refer to density altitude, not true altitude. As mountain pilots discover, this can be critical for extracting maximum climb performance.

Also note that most small airplane performance charts (takeoff, landing, climb) are tabulated only up to 40 °C. Beyond that temperature, extrapolation from the charted values is required, and this is not normally considered an accepted practice. (Some performance charts are annotated to explicitly prohibit extrapolation.)

You can, of course, compute density altitude using the trusty E6B. All GPS units include an auxiliary page to compute density altitude upon entry of indicated altitude, barometric pressure, and temperature. Many AWOSs enunciate density altitude in the remarks when it exceeds a set threshold. On very hot days, expect to find that the density altitude is 3000 feet or more in excess of the airport elevation.

SCFC Member Profile: Jamil Dhanani

SCFC: Congratulations on being close to soloing. Your path to the Flight Center is a bit unique. Where did you start your aviation adventure?

JD: I have always been interested in flying since I was a kid, but I never found the time to fully commit to learning. After COVID hit and work slowed down, and I felt it was a good opportunity to start. I was working remotely in Florida and found a flight school nearby, took some time off work, and dedicated myself to learning full-time.

Since I was initially interested in flying recreationally, I opted to go for the Sport license due to its lower requirements and the relative affordability of Light Sport Aircraft. Though of course, I did not anticipate the limitations, such as the low availability of LSAs in the Bay Area and the logistical challenges of transitioning from Sport Pilot to Private Pilot. (My CFI Dave and I have had plenty of headaches over the regulations here). Despite these challenges, it was a great way to get started and a lot of fun.

SCFC: What drew you to flying the G1000 Cessnas?

JD: I eventually want to transition to instrument flying, and since I already had some experience with the traditional 6-pack instruments, I thought it would be fun to try the G1000. It has been a great learning experience.

SCFC: What has been most memorable about the flight training process?

JD: The most memorable part has been the unique perspectives and insights my CFIs have given me. It is fascinating to share this journey with instructors who have a deep love for aviation. I've experienced this with both of my primary CFIs for Sport and now while training for Private here at SCFC.

SCFC: What are your ultimate goals for aviation? What aircraft draw your interest? What airport destinations do you aim to land at someday?

JD: I love flying. I don’t anticipate making a career out of it, as I also love what I do now for work, but I want to continue flying recreationally. Flying LSAs made me appreciate the beauty of flying low and slow, focusing on the experience rather than just getting from A to B. I'm looking forward to exploring the beauty of California from above, and I hope to visit interesting and challenging destinations like Catalina Island, Lake Tahoe, Death Valley, and the Black Rock Desert someday.

SCFC: What do the other people in your life think about your journey to become a pilot?

JD: I think they all knew it was inevitable. All I wanted for my ninth birthday was a copy of Microsoft Flight Simulator, and since then I think they just knew it was going to happen eventually! They have been very supportive.

Upwind End-of-Year Event - Aug 30 (Fr) 6:30pm

You are invited to join the Upwind Celebration party on Friday, August 30th. Thanks to the generous support from SQL community, the Upwind Summer Scholarship Program completed its 12th year of providing ground and flight training to high-school pilots. Join us to celebrate the continuing accomplishment of the Upwind Program!

The party will be at San Carlos Flight Center at 6:30pm. All are welcome, please RSVP here with a headcount (for food). We hope to see you there!

Full Moon Flyers: Hollister - Aug 19 (Mo)

Need to practice night flying, or just want to gain more experience at night? Come join us for dinner at Seabrisa’s Eatery in Hollister (CVH) on August 19th at 7 PM.

On the way down, soak in the gorgeous sunset over the coastal mountains before descending into Hollister Airport. Make sure to remain clear of the San Jose final approach course, and consider talking to NorCal Approach to have an extra set of eyes looking out for you. Park in transient parking, and then walk across the street to the local airport restaurant – Seabrisa’s Eatery! A local favorite for many pilots in the area, they’re known for their unique flavors and vegetables grown from many of the local farms.

After dinner, Hollister is a great place to work on night landings or fly to San Jose (SJC) to complete your night requirements there. With big runways, it’s easy to make the landings to a stop-and-go, and you’ll enjoy the challenge of flying alongside jet traffic.



Everyone is welcome to join us, so please RSVP below and we’ll see you at the event.

FOG Lunch: Sac Exec - Aug 31 (Sa)

This month join us on our FOG lunch adventure as we head up to Sacramento Executive (SAC)! We will be dining at Aviator’s Restaurant, located just inside the terminal. Aviator’s serves a wide variety of breakfast and lunch options offered at reasonable prices. They are a great aviation themed restaurant with seating that offers great views of the ramp!

At 70 NM away, SAC is a chance for student pilots or commercial pilot applicants to gain some valuable cross country time. As always, even student pilots can join us with your CFI! If you are an instrument student, SAC is great to get some practice in with plenty of nearby airports offering a variety of different approaches.

Make sure you RSVP here so we can keep an accurate headcount! See you at 12 noon on January 31!