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BATD GNS-430W - $40/hr

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With the holidays winding down and the rise of the Omicron variant, it is especially important to be mindful of your health right now. While the Flight Center is open and fully operational, face coverings are required inside the office and on training flights with their CFI in compliance with County health orders. If you don’t feel well or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, please notify your instructor, and stay home until you are better. While you won’t be able to fly, your CFI may be able to hold a ground lesson via a video call.

Vaccinations and booster shots are the best safeguard against the variant, but keep in mind that the FAA has a 48-hour no-fly period after each shot. You may still use the simulator or complete ground lessons, but please refrain from flying during that period.

San Carlos Flight Center is placing information binders in each aircraft. The new binder includes aircraft-specific training highlights that provide an overview of avionics, engine, and other unique features, that were formerly part of the dispatch books. The binder also contains copies of the compass correction card, VOR equipment check log, SQL noise abatement procedures, SCFC member regulations, and contact information.

Pilots are encouraged to reference them for SCFC and SQL procedures, an overview of features unique to a particular aircraft, and to record VOR equipment checks. These binders should not be removed after flight.

We hope you find these information binders useful.

If you missed our fall session, now is the perfect time to jump in the left seat and take off. Private Pilot Ground School starts this week Tuesday, January 4th!

The classes are delivered in a highly interactive manner with content that is constantly being updated and is relevant for pilots flying in the Bay Area. The training not only prepares you for the knowledge test but provides a solid foundation for the oral portion of the checkride. Some unique features include:

Register online on our website. Contact the Front Desk at (650) 946-1700 if you have any questions.

If you are having problems with using the Flight Schedule Pro on your Apple device, you are not alone. Some members have reported that they are not able to connect to the SCFC schedule from the Flight Schedule Pro app on their iPhones. Reports include a screen with “Select your company” but no option to make a selection or the message 'Invalid Session Token Provided'.

This can be frustrating, however, there is a solution. Uninstalling the app and reinstalling it from the Apple store will correct the issue. Your data is stored on the cloud, so reinstalling won't lose you and reservations or privileges.

Preflight: Thoroughly check for water in the fuel system. Water may leak into the tanks through a number of sources. Tip: Place the fuel sample jar against a white surface and look for water sinking below the fuel (as it’s heavier than fuel).

Taxiing: Taxi slower than usual; water on the taxiway reduces friction and can reduce braking effectiveness. Also, avoid taxing through standing water.

In Flight: Avoid flight in heavy rain; heavy rain can reduce flight visibility. TAFs can be checked for indication of heavy rain (+RA). Your vision can be used to detect rain intensity; heavy rain will often be indicated by darker clouds or dark rain shafts, while light rain is more translucent. In any precipitation, be mindful of the outside air temperature to avoid the potential for icing.

Landing: A soft-field landing will help you maintain better control; landing at higher than recommended touchdown speeds exposes the aircraft to a greater potential for hydroplaning. Use aerodynamic braking since mechanical braking may be ineffective.

The San Carlos Tower Manager has informed us that there are changes to the IFR departure procedure from Runway 12. In the past, the IFR clearance given from the controller when departing from Runway 12 would be to fly runway heading on departure, e.g., "Bay Flight 41, cleared to Salinas Airport on departure Runway 12, fly runway heading, radar vectors …."

That part of the clearance is now replaced with the San Carlos Runway 12 Obstacle Departure Procedure, which can

If using ForeFlight, the updated departure procedure can be found under the Procedure, Departure tab of the SQL airport information page as shown below.

SCFC Member Profile: Tim Davis, A&P Mechanic

SCFC: How long have you been a certificated A&P Mechanic?

TD: I passed my mechanic FAA Written, Oral, and Practical tests almost 3 years ago. I'll be eligible for an Inspector's Authorization this August.

SCFC: What got you interested in aviation? What other careers did you try out along the way before finding aviation?

TD: It's hard to pinpoint what exactly got me interested in aviation, but I do remember as a child sitting in the back seat of my parents' car going up 101 and watching airplanes take off and land at SQL and thinking about how cool it was. My dad also took me to see the College of San Mateo's aviation maintenance shop, back when it had one. At that age, their shop was actually kind of overwhelming to me.

SCFC: As a mechanic, do you think often about the important role you have in keeping our pilots safe?

TD: Yes. There is definitely an omnipresent awareness that the whole point of the job is to keep everyone safe, which drives me to do a good job. I find that if I hold myself to, and maintain our aircraft at, a high enough standard, then potential issues get fixed while they are still minor before they have a chance to grow enough to become a conscious reminder about safety.

SCFC: Have you ever done any flight training? Do you have any interest in learning the experience from the pilot perspective?

TD: I trained out of Hayward with the intent of making a career out of it about 5 or 6 years ago. I really enjoyed it, but a career as a pilot wasn't a good fit for me. The added perspective is good to have and I'm hoping to revisit flight training again in the future.

SCFC: What advice would you give new pilots about maintenance and working with mechanics?

TD: Basic aircraft maintenance and care is something that all pilots should familiarize themselves with, especially if they are, or are thinking about becoming, an aircraft owner. You definitely want to approach it with the right mindset and preparation, sort of like if you were getting ready for a flight, all the rules about maintenance that apply to mechanics also apply to pilots when they perform maintenance.

When it comes to approaching mechanics while they are working, each mechanic is different. Some mechanics don't like getting visitors, while others don't really mind it, though it really depends on what we happen to be doing at the time. I usually don't mind it. If you are going to visit, keep in mind that distraction is as much an error precondition for mechanics as it is for pilots, so "sterile hangar" is just as important to us as "sterile cockpit" is to pilots.

Each year, the pilots of San Carlos Airport come together in support of the Upwind Summer Scholarship Program, a 9-week summer flight training program sponsored by the Upwind Foundation. High school students in their junior year are encouraged to download the application from the Upwind website at www.upwindscholarship.com.

Scholarship applications must be submitted by February 18, 2022.

Tune into this live-streamed FAA Safety Seminar listed here. During this seminar, Chris will provide a real-world scenario of a flight he took to Colorado putting high-altitude concepts to the test, and relate how these principles can be applied to flying any type of aircraft. We invite pilots of all experience levels to join this presentation and share their experiences flying in similar scenarios. If you have any plans of operating at high altitudes or want to learn more about the performance envelope of your aircraft, join us for this seminar.

Enjoy lunch or dinner with fresh, local ingredients from Red’s at the Skyroom. This new restaurant features West Coast-fare with a variety of entrees and drinks for you and your passengers. With patio seating, this is a great place to replenish after a training flight or as a break on a long cross-country trip to the north. After your meal, venture around the ramp area to see a collection of vintage aircraft from a variety of eras.

The airport also has an RNAV approach if you want to practice your instrument skills, and features 100LL fuel at a self-serve pump. Like other FOG events, RSVP here, and indicate if you are able to take passengers, so we can allow student pilots and other aviation community members to participate. We’re looking forward to the event, and hope you are, too!

Come join the FlyOutGroup (FOG) on Sunday, January 16th, for a scenic flight to Watsonville (WVI)! An easy location to get to from the Bay Area, enjoy a scenic hop over the Santa Cruz Mountains, and then descend over Monterey Bay. Park in Transient Parking, and we’ll all meet at the Beer Mule at 7pm for dinner.

The Beer Mule, a new restaurant for FOG, is located across the street from the airport terminal. This brewery serves many craft beers for those not acting as PIC, and many food options sourced from the surrounding farms. Bites like Yucatan-style Pulled Pork and Jambalaya are some of their unique offerings.

We’re excited about the event, and look forward to seeing you in Watsonville! Please RSVP. As this is a new restaurant, it may be a popular event, so please book your plane early. Hope to see you there!

The FlyOutGroup is a community of pilots, so we’re taking steps to make it easier to communicate with each other.

Join our group chat! Download the GroupMe app (available on your device’s app store), join the FOG channel at this link, and you’ll be added to a private channel with other FOG pilots and SCFC pilots. We’ll use this platform to communicate announcements about upcoming events and more.

We’ve also got a new email address! For any FOG queries, please contact us at flyoutgroup@sancarlosflight.com.