The Centerline
The newsletter of San Carlos Flight Center
In This Issue
SCFC News
Safety
Community
Adventure

Member News 

Welcome New Members

 

Nicholas Blanck

Robert Briggs

Mark Colin

Craig Forman

Howard Foster, CFI

Justin Gottschack

Esteban Guedez

Tom Gwon

Mathew Hart

Adam Kelly, CFI

Gopal Kumar, CFI

Barbara Lindemann

Christophe Mallard

Leo Mancini

John Walker

Demian Warner

  
 
Member Achievements

  

Eric Laue

First Solo

Solo Cross Country

(CFI Justin Phillipson)

 

Sebastiaan Waelkens

First Solo 

(CFI Kevin Hyberger)

 

Pedro Santos 

Private Pilot

(CFI Lisa Dyball)

 

Julia Vom Wege 

First Solo 

Solo Cross Country

(CFI Justin Phillipson)

  

Upcoming  
Safety Seminars

 

AIM High for Instrument Pilots: An In-Depth Look at the FAR/AIM

Flying the SF Bay Tour:
A Members-Only Seminar

CFI Round-Table:
Checklists vs. Flows and The Impossible Turn 

iPads in the Cockpit:
Must-Have Apps for GA Pilots

Destination: Acapulco

Right Seat Workshop: Communications and Air Traffic Control

Upcoming
Events & Trips
Full Moon Flyers

FlyOut Lunch

Pop Quiz

Guest Editor: Brian Eliot

A fun monthly knowledge test

  

1) Does the phrase "radar contact" constitute permission to enter Class B airspace?

2) How does the location of the of the CG impact cruise speed when all other factors are held constant?

3) When flying an LPV approach, should you initiate the missed approach when the GPS shows 0 distance from the missed approach point?

 

(answers are at the bottom)

The Fleet

Cirrus SR20

N353CA - $255/hr

 

Super Decathlon

N66405 - $140/hr 

($160/hr for aerobatic)

 

Citabria

N59WD - $135/hr

   
C182 - G1000

N182BG - $235/hr

N1483L - $240/hr 

 

C172S - G1000

N646DW - $170/hr  

N1004E - $170/hr
N63251 - $175/hr

C172S - 6-pack

N458SP - $153/hr

N236SP - $153/hr

N21263 - $156/hr

 

C162

N5210H - $125/hr

 

C152

N24896 - $98/hr  

  

Simulators

Multi-Screened G1000 - $75/hr

Xwind 200 - $240/session

ATD GNS-430W - $30/hr    

 

 (member prices shown) 

SCFC Gear

Cool t-shirts, hats, and fun accessories, with designs you won't see anywhere else!

Contact Us 

(650) 946-1700

 

Email Us 

 

655 Skyway Rd

Suite 215

San Carlos, CA 94070 

   

Pop Quiz Answers 

1) No. Only the phrase "Cleared to enter Class B" does.


2) An aft CG increases cruise speed (but decreases stability).


3) No. You go missed at the decision height on the glide path, which is likely well before the GPS shows 0.


Stay InformedJoin Our Mailing List
Like us on Facebook

January 2014

SCFC News

New Year, New Ground Schools

After a winter hiatus, Ground School classes begin anew this week at San Carlos Flight Center.  

 

Private Pilot Ground School has grown in size so much that we have added a second class option. You can now attend either Tuesday evenings 6:30-9:00pm with Dan Dyer, or the new Sunday morning class, 10:00am-1:00pm with Herb Patten. Both offer the identical content at parallel schedule.

 

 

Instrument Ground School is back on Thursdays at 7:00pm with Brian Eliot. Brian is SCFC's resident IFR expert, and has earned a reputation for making those difficult concepts easier to understand and remember.

 

 

Classes start this week. Contact the front desk to sign up (650) 946-1700.

 

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *  *   *
 
Right Seat Workshop Returns on January 25th

SCFC regularly holds Right Seat Workshops that are intended to demystify flight for people that fly often as passengers with other pilots. The more you can understand about what is going on in the cockpit, the more enjoyable the flight will be, and the greater your ability to impact the safety of the flight. Join Dan Dyer for an introduction to Radio Communication and Air Traffic Control from the perspective of non-pilots. The workshop includes group breakout sessions and exercises designed to help you become more familiar with radio procedures and terms. The workshop runs 10:00am to 2:00pm and the cost is $80 for right-seaters sponsored by SCFC members, or $100 for non-members, and lunch is included. Contact the front desk to sign up (650) 946-1700.

 

Safety
Landing Flat is Dangerous
Many landing hazards are caused by touching down flat and at too high a speed.  On nosewheel aircraft, the nosewheel should NOT be part of the initial ground contact IN ANY WAY, and should only be allowed to touch down well after the initial landing forces have been absorbed by the mains.  If you are landing flat, or if the nose touches down less than 1 second after the mains, you are due for some retraining.  Grab your favorite CFI and nail down this critical skill.
 

 

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *  *   *

 

Shake off the Rust in 2014

Did you take the holidays off from aviation?  Food, family and parties can take away time we used to spend keeping pilot skills current.  A few weeks off can become a few months off, and then rust sets in.  One or two laps in the pattern may be all it takes to reawaken the pilot in you and keep your skills and your confidence at the level you need to be safe.  Some pattern work, a FlyOutGroup trip, or even a new aircraft checkout and you'll start 2014 Rust Free!

 

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *  *   *

 

Instrument Proficiency with TFP University 

SCFC CFII Jason Miller is back with another round of his virtual learning courses. Jason's upcoming
TFP University course, Methods and Systems for Instrument Pilots, starts January 20 with ten weeks of lectures based on his methods for safe and methodical instrument flight. Also included in the course is a live Q&A session each Wednesday morning at 8:00am in the SCFC Classroom, which is open for anyone to attend. Click here for more details on cost and how to sign up.
 
Community
Member Profile: Pedro Santos
SCFC: What inspired you to start learning to fly?
PS: My friend and pilot Herv� Kieffel had considerable influence on my decision to start learning to fly. His enthusiasm for flying coupled with my own need to seek adventure and new challenges resulted in an amazing 15 months of training, concluded with the reward of a private pilot license.

SCFC: Name an interesting memory or moment from your private pilot training.
PS: Two experiences will be remembered for a long time... the first solo flight in San Carlos (KSQL) and the first flight and landing at Catalina Island (KAVX).

SCFC: What is the next step for you in the training?
PS: I'm starting IFR ground school this coming Thursday at SCFC.

SCFC: What advice do you have for other students facing their private pilot checkride?

PS: Be rested, confident and believe in yourself and your instructor. It is not likely that you would be endorsed by your CFI for a checkride if you were not ready for the challenge. Having said that, make sure you study and master your ground materials and air maneuvers.

 

SCFC: What does flying offer you that is different from the rest of your life?

PS: Our lives are defined by a collection of experiences. The more diverse and unique your life experiences, the richer your life will be. Piloting an airplane has significantly enriched the collection of my life experiences and offered me a great feeling of accomplishment and success.


The Member Profile is a regular newsletter feature,  

designed to help SCFC members get to know one another.

 

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *  *   *

 

New Year's Eve Member Videos

For our New Year's Eve party, we asked members to make short videos talking about their memories of 2013, their hopes for 2014, and how they like flying at the Flight Center.  The compiled videos are now available to view on our Facebook page and on YouTube (search for "San Carlos Flight Center").  Thanks to everyone that participated in the videos.  We hope to see more of you in the next video projects.

 

Adventure

Yellowstone Mountain Flying Adventure

Each year during the last week in June, an armada of FOG airplanes departs the Bay Area bound for a fun and amazing mountain flying adventure.

 

This year we will take the northern route through Idaho, Montana and Wyoming - a true mountain playground for pilots! After visiting Yellowstone we will land at a variety of back country strips in Idaho. As with all FOG mountain flying adventures, we will be taking all C182s with 1 CFI and 2 pilots on board. The trip is a great opportunity to complete your C182 or G1000 avionics checkout, or earn your high performance endorsement. It promises to be an unforgettable flying adventure with plenty of room for ground-based fun as well.

 

Overnight stops and route are in the works now. If you'd like to be kept updated with details as they emerge, click here and sign up on the interest list. 

 

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *  *   *   

 

Hola, Mazatl�n!

Chances are, you have not yet flown GA to Mexico. Well here is your chance! SCFC CFI Thomas Daniel is leading a group of Cirrus owners on a group trip to beautiful Mazatlan, Mexico over President's Day weekend, February 14-17, 2014. It promises to be an amazing adventure with two nights each in Mazatlan and Alamos. Contact Thomas for more details at [email protected].

 

As a bonus, come hear Thomas talk about his recent journey flying his Cirrus from the Bay Area to Acapulco on Wednesday, January 22 at 7:00pm in the SCFC Classroom. He will talk more about the logistics involved in flying GA across the US/Mexico border, tell great stories and show plenty of photos.

 

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *  *   * 

 

We keep our online calendar updated, so bookmark this page: 

 http://www.sancarlosflight.com/activities/calendar. Better yet, follow the instructions at the top of the page to add this calendar to your iPhone.
Start 2014 Right and Get a Free T-Shirt 
 
Fly any SCFC airplane in the month of January 2014 and receive this great t-shirt for free! It's our way encouraging you to start the new year off right. 
 
Limit 1 per person while supplies last. 
 
Expires January 31, 2014.