New Year, New Plane, New Simulator

Happy New Year from everyone at San Carlos Flight Center. We are happy to welcome N466CC to our fleet. This Cessna T206H is turbocharged and has a high useful load, so it’s great for trips with friends or family and performs well on shorter runways like here at SQL. The aircraft has 6 seats and a G1000 system with synthetic vision and integrated autopilot.

In the next couple of weeks, you’ll see a new simulator in the San Carlos Flight Center office. This brand new PFC GTX G1000 simulator uses the most modern simulator technology, authentic Garmin software, and can be configured as a few different aircraft.

Flying it will feel the same, but setting up and running the simulator will be an entirely new procedure, so it will require a separate checkout (from the previous simulator) Reach out to the Chief Pilot office for a checkout.

SCFC Member Survey Coming in January

Every other year, the Flight Center conducts a club survey to better serve our members. If you are a renting member, please keep an eye out for an email from us with a link to the survey. The survey results will be used to improve the club, provide feedback to our staff, and help us with long-term planning. 

Renting Members who complete the survey will be entered into a raffle with the possibility of winning an hour of Cessna 172 six-pack time. Thank you in advance for helping keep the Flight Center great!

Private Pilot Ground School Starts

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 Sunday, January 8th!



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.

SCFC's ground school class is flexible, with sessions taught in-person on Sunday morning and Tuesday evenings, and also available online. The course includes in-depth workshops to apply cross-country flight planning skills and weather briefing tools, and a hands-on bonus session with the SCFC maintenance team to look under an aircraft's engine cowling.

It's a fun way to meet and interact with other student pilots. Register online or contact the Front Desk at (650) 946-1700 if you have any questions.

SCFC Member Regulations Updated

Effective January 1, there are some minor changes to the SCFC Member Regulations. The Member Regulations can be viewed in the Members Only section of our website.

Flying in the Rain

The Bay Area has seen a lot of rain in the last few weeks. In many cases, this has curtailed flights, however, flying in the rain is viable If you take the proper precautions.

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 expose the aircraft to a greater potential for hydroplaning. Use aerodynamic braking since mechanical braking may be ineffective. 

Keep your eyes focused outside to avoid being distracted by the water droplets on the windshield. At high speeds, water is blown off the windshield; at landing airspeed, you may see more water droplets than in flight.

There are other nuances, but these are some of the key ones. Want to get more comfortable flying in wet weather? Practice landings in rain with a CFI or consider an instrument rating!

New Year – New FAA Regulations

The new year often brings new laws and new regulations. The state of California often has a number of new laws that become effective on Jan 1, but what about the FAA?

While the FAA doesn’t change regulations on the first of the year like the state, there are a few recent changes that have come about.

Changes to Basic Med: Effective December 22^nd, 2022, a pilot operating under BasicMed regulations can now act as a required crew member and be a safety pilot. Previously, if the safety pilot was operating under BasicMed they would have to act as PIC when serving as a safety pilot.

Changes to Aircraft Registration: One of the required documents pilots check for as part of the AROW mnemonic is the registration certificate. The registration certificate has been valid for 3 years. The FAA is now changing that to extend the registration to every 7 years. While the rule isn’t effective now, it is scheduled to go into effect Jan 23. This will apply to new as well as any valid registration at the time of the published new rule. This may create a bit of confusion since the current registrations have a listed expiration date that is based on a 3-year renewal cycle.

Safety Seminar: Hazards of Frost and Ice

Flying along, you might think it’s a beautiful crisp winter day until suddenly you take a peek at the beautiful scenery below and see frost on your wingtip. What are you going to do next? Do you know all the hazards of frost and icing? San Carlos Flight Center invites Dave Kramer, an experienced instrument rated pilot, and avid weather specialist to talk about how frost and icing can affect an airplane in a safety seminar on Wed January 18 at 7pm.

With atmospheric moisture, comes the hazards of icing. Other than a thunderstorm, nothing else is so detrimental to flight. How can we predict it and where can we find it? In this seminar, anyone will be able to gain a better understanding of how frost and ice forms, how to avoid it, and what to do if you get it.

Join Dave as he discusses these important topics from a pilot’s viewpoint. If you are an aspiring IFR pilot or a seasoned Instrument rated pro, you won’t want to miss this seminar.

SCFC Member Profile: Greg Pinetti

SCFC: How long have you been flying? What certificates and ratings do you have?

GP: I’ve been flying for just over 2 years now. I did jump out of a plane once though, when I turned 18… does that count? I became a member of San Carlos Flight Center back in November of 2020. I hold a Private Pilot certificate for single engine, land. I also received a Mountain Checkout here at SCFC that I’m very proud of. (Thanks Brian!)

SCFC: What got you started on the path to being a pilot?

GP: It was always been something I wanted to do. I remember as a kid, frequently looking up the requirements to become a pilot. I guess you can call it a lifelong dream of mine to fly. When my son was born in 2020, that really took my motivation to become a pilot to a new level. That same year I joined SCFC!

SCFC: How often do you fly? Is it just to maintain currency, or are you going on adventures?

GP: I try to fly 1-2 times a week, weather permitting. For me, it’s all about the adventure. I love flying to different airports, seeing new runways, exploring new places and new airspace. If I have to make a flight to stay current, e.g, night landings, I will try to add a leg that includes something new.

SCFC: What’s the farthest you’ve flown from San Carlos?

GP: So far, the Lake Tahoe area is the furthest I’ve flown from San Carlos. Specifically to Truckee Aiport (TRK). Lake Tahoe is also where I logged the most hobbs time in a single day. We went from SQL to M45, TVL, TRK and back to SQL. 6.1 hrs on the hobbs meter! That was a great flight. Mountain flying is amazing and I highly recommend it. 

SCFC: What New Year’s Resolutions have you made involving aviation?

GP: I have two separate destination goals for 2023 - Catalina Island (AVX) and Crescent City (CEC). They both look like awesome destinations with several interesting and very cool looking airports to check out along the way, up and down the coast. I also have a goal to obtain my Instrument Rating this year.

Spread the Word - Upwind Now Accepting Scholarship Applications

The country's best flight training scholarship program for young pilots is beginning its 11th year of operation and applications are now available.

Each year, the pilots of San Carlos Airport come together in support of the Upwind Foundation, and their mission of providing 9-week summer flight training programs to local area high school students. Applicants are typically in their junior year of school when they apply to the Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. All interested students are encouraged to download the application from the Upwind website at www.upwindscholarship.com.

Applicants must complete essays and a video that conveys their interest in aviation, their ability to succeed in the program, and discuss the difference the scholarship program will make in their journey to become a pilot. For more information, go to the Upwind website, or plan to attend the virtual Upwind Scholarship Information Session to be held on Saturday, January 28th at 3:00 PM.

Scholarship applications must be submitted by February 17, 2022.

Full-Moon Flyers Watsonville - Jan 6 (Fri)

Come join the FlyOutGroup (FOG) on Friday, January 6th, with a scenic flight to Watsonville (WVI)! An easy location to get to from the Bay Area, enjoy a quick 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 for dinner.

The Beer Mule is located across the street from the aircraft terminal. This brewery serves forty craft beers for those not acting as PIC, and many food options sourced from the surrounding farms. Bites like Buffalo Style Fries and the Hot or Not Chicken Sando are some of their unique offerings. 

After dinner, feel free to play a round of cornhole or ping-pong with your fellow pilots, and don’t miss the chance to pick up a few cans of craft beer to take home. Ask the Beer Mule staff which ones they recommend.

We’re excited for the event, and look forward to seeing you in Watsonville! As it’s a Friday evening, please RSVP below so we can give the restaurant a heads-up of our headcount.

Note: Beer Mule has plenty of patio seating outside, so please remember to bring a jacket to keep warm.

FOG Lunch: Lampson - Jan 15 (Sun)

Located in the North Bay, Clear Lake is one of the biggest lakes in the area, although it is often hidden by the mountains between Santa Rosa and the Central Valley. The local airport in the area, Lampson Field (1O2), has an airport diner on the field, so what better way to spend a Sunday than by grabbing lunch at a new restaurant.

On January 15th at noon, 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.

FOG Pilots Heidi and Bob sampled the food earlier this year and shared “Red’s was fabulous food. They open at 10:00AM and have a few breakfast items even though there are none on the menu. I recommend the crab cake eggs benedict (see picture). There is indoor air-conditioned seating and lots of shaded outdoor seating. I highly recommend it as a great nearby-to-the-Bay-Area destination.”

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 please 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!