Upwind Wine & Cheese and Silent Auction

The Upwind Foundation invites you to a fundraising Wine and Cheese Party on Friday, March 27th, hosted by San Carlos Flight Center. All are welcome. Wine starts pouring at 6:30 pm, with bidding on a variety of silent auction items immediately to follow. Be sure to arrive early as the auctions close at 7:45 pm. You don't want to miss out on this year's interesting items and fun flight opportunities.

As a special treat, everyone present will be introduced to the Upwind Class of 2026 - the recent high school students who have been awarded a summer of flight training entirely paid for by donors to the non-profit Upwind Foundation. Join us to meet the winners and celebrate with their families.

Be prepared to bid hard to win great auction items such as training time with your favorite CFI, lifetime membership to SCFC, unique flight experiences and much more! Check out all the online auction items at Bidding Owl.

Everyone is welcome. Please RSVP here so we can plan for enough food and drink.

Volunteers Needed – SCFC at KSFO

Do you want to make a difference in a young person and help them follow their aviation dreams? If so, volunteer to help San Carlos Flight Center at this year’s Alaska Airlines Aviation Day at SFO. The event is Saturday, June 6, 2026, and it offers youth aged 11 to 18 a free, behind-the-scenes look at aviation careers. The event features plane tours, flight simulator experiences, and interaction with pilots and mechanics.

SCFC will be hosting a booth with information about aviation events and pilot training. We will also have several airplanes on display where attendees can learn more about the airplanes used in flight training.

If you are interested, email Herb Patten.

SCFC Building Remodel

The current San Carlos Flight Center building, 795, will undergo demolition and remodeling in the upcoming months. Team SCFC is doing this to update and maximize the quality of our operations.

Throughout the reconstruction phase, portable offices will be installed in our parking lot. Operations are estimated to continue as usual from the modular offices. Any concerns or questions about the building remodel should be directed to the front desk.

Before the demolition begins, San Carlos Flight Center will be hosting an honorary event for the building. Check our San Carlos Flight Center website or This Week at the Flight Center (our weekly articles) for updates on the upcoming gathering.

Safety

Preventing Autopilot Takeovers

There are two things any pilot of an airplane that has an onboard autopilot should know. 1) How to quickly engage the autopilot to hold heading and altitude, and even more importantly 2) All the ways to turn it off immediately.

Even if you prefer hand flying most of the time, a good pilot should have quick, safe engagement of the autopilot to hold heading and altitude as part of their skill set. This can be very helpful when dealing with passenger issues, or changing charts, and it can be lifesaving during inadvertent VFR flight into IMC. Practice this often. Set the heading bug to forward, engage the autopilot, and put it into HDG and ALT mode. Then verify the flight is under safe control before turning your attention away.

Study all the ways to disable your autopilot, so that there’s never any doubt about if you or the autopilot is in control. The autopilot unit can usually be disabled by turning the unit itself off, by pressing a disconnect button on the yoke, or by pulling the circuit breaker. Many autopilots may also be disabled by combinations of the electric pitch trim controls.

In the event the autopilot is engaged accidentally during your flight, use positive flight control to keep the plane stable, and immediately disconnect the unit any way you can. Practice disconnecting the autopilot after testing it in the runup area.

Destination Planning Tip: Call Your FBO

If you’ve never been to a new airport, you may become faced with one of the hardest knowledge items in all of general aviation - where to park the plane. There are not standard FAA sources that share this, and often online aviation “reference” sites don’t have accurate information.

To be sure you have a place to park, call the FBO before your flight. Tell them when you’ll arrive, what type of plane you’ll have, and ask if they have a spot for you. It’s the only real way to know for sure. While you’re doing that, ask about ramp fees and parking charges, and what hours the FBO will be open. Nothing is worse than arriving after a long flight after hours to find the FBO has closed, and won’t let you park unless they charge a $200 call-out fee.

Search the Internet for the contact info for the FBO where you are going, or search AirNav.com.

SCFC Member Profile: Natali Espinoi

SCFC: How did you find San Carlos Flight Center? What has been your favorite part about training here?

NE: I heard good things about San Carlos Flight Center on Reddit and decided to go in and check it out. I was captured by the welcoming vibe everyone had. This holds true one year later. My favorite part about training at SCFC has been creating a Women in Aviation International Chapter with other amazing women.

SCFC: What inspired you to start flight training? Any specific moment or event?

NE: My first ever flight when I was 6 years old; gravity pulled me down in my seat as we took off and it felt like magic. This flight sparked an interest in me but I only pursued it 30 years later. I remember driving from Monterey to Daily City to relax from a stressful workweek, thinking, ‘if money was not an obstacle, what career would I pursue?’. I smiled from ear to ear as I looked up to the sky and said out loud, “I would be a pilot!” 

SCFC: Congratulations on passing your Private Pilot knowledge test. What advice would you give a student pilot preparing for their Private Pilot knowledge test?

NE: Thank you!! It feels great to have it done. To other student pilots I suggest they use the Private Pilot Test Prep book, take as many practice tests as you can. Early in my training I bought an online ground school and reinforced it with SCFC’s in-person ground school. The in-person ground school helped me meet other student pilots and hear their real life experiences. 

SCFC: What has been the most challenging but rewarding part of training so far? 

NE: Accepting that I am moving slower in my training than other student pilots. My extreme caution slowed me down and prevented me from feeling fully confident. The Safety Seminars offered by SCFC, in person or pre-recorded, have helped tremendously. I have also relied on my CFI, his patience and supportive statements go a long way. 

SCFC: What are some of your long term goals in aviation? Any specific adventures you're looking forward to?

NE: I want to turn aviation into a career. My ultimate goal is to work as an airline pilot. A short term goal is getting my PPL; I am excited to take my husband, mom and siblings on cross-country adventures. 

Full Moon Flyers: Livermore

Join FOG for a flight down to Livermore for dinner on March 3rd. After parking in transient, walk the short distance to the Golf Course clubhouse, where the restaurant, Beebs, will be. Please plan to be seated by 7:00 PM as the restaurant closes at 8:00 PM. With a variety of food and options, there are plenty of choices for everyone.

Since it’s a short flight, consider taking your passengers on a sunset Bay Tour before dinner. The views during the cooler summer evenings will be spectacular, and nothing beats the gorgeous sunsets.

Click here to learn more and register

FOG Lunch: Petaluma

On March 20th, join FOG for lunch in Petaluma. Located right on the field, Two Niner Diner recently reopened serving a wide variety of breakfast, brunch, and lunch options.

Enjoy the views of San Francisco and Marin Headlands on the way up. This is a great and exciting way for student pilots to gain valuable experience and hours. You can even land at nearby airports to practice your skills.

After landing in Petaluma, we will park in transient parking near the airport terminal building. Please plan to meet at the Two Niner Diner by 12pm.

Click here to learn more and register

Upcoming Multi-Day Trips

In between May and September of 2026, FOG is hosting three multi-day flying adventures.

The first of three is a 4-day monument valley trip exploring the American Southwest from Thursday, May 27th to Sunday, May 31st. During this trip you'll be able to explore the incredible landscape in Southern California and even experience some mountain flying.

Click here to learn more and register

(American Southwest)

The next excursion is from Thursday, July 16th to Sunday, July 19th. This trip will cover the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Throughout these four days, you'll have the chance to explore cities, fly internationally, and gain valuable mountain flying experience.

Click here to learn more and register

(Pacific Northwest & Canada)

Last, but certainly not least, is FOG's 5-day Colorado mountain flying adventure. From Thursday, September 3rd to Monday, September 7th you'll be able to fly to some of the highest elevation airports in Colorado and gain a profuse amount of mountain flying experience.

Click here to learn more and register

(Colorado)