SCFC Welcome Night - Nov 13 (W) 6:30pm

If you’ve recently joined the Club, you may have only met your instructor and one of our Front Desk agents. It’s time to meet some other students and pilots.

Join us on Wednesday, November 13th at 6:30pm for San Carlos Flight Center’s Welcome Night. Ever few months, we’ll welcome in our newest members and give you a chance to hear about all the other activities and events going on at the Club. It’s a casual event with food and some activities. The vibe is mostly welcome and get to know each other, and less like a formal classroom presentation (even though we have plenty of those on other nights!). Find out what other students are doing for their training path. Put faces to names of people you see taking up your CFI’s Friday afternoon when you wanted to book.

The event is hosted and run by CFI Travis Bender, who has been a part of SCFC for almost 10 years, starting as a high school kid with a dream, getting involved in the Upwind program, working the front desk and now teaching. No one better captures the fun and spirit of the Flight Center.

To join us, just register here for the event so we can have enough food and drink. Feel free to also bring friends or family who are interested in meeting Club members and finding out why SCFC is such a great place for flying.

SQL Tower Appreciation Month

It's time to take a moment and appreciate the great work of the controllers in San Carlos Tower.

It’s been about a year with the new crew and we are hearing great feedback from the pilots and CFIs who rely on tower and ground services. Of particular note are students on their first solo flight, who have commented how the tower support during their first solo makes a big difference.

SERCO recently added two new ex-FAA controllers to SQL team, so now San Carlos probably possesses the most experienced controller staff in the Bay Area. Some recent hires come from working at SFO SIMM, and are excited to work live traffic once again, and bring San Carlos now up to full controller staffing.

Please take some thime in November to celebrate the great services our tower controllers provide, and their work in keeping the airport safely operating for all of our pilots.

SCFC Office Closure Dates for November

November begins the year-end holiday season, which means occasional office closures. Please take note the days the office and maintenance department will be closed or closing early for the remainder of the year.

If you are planning to fly on a day we are closed, please make your reservation ahead of time so we can put the keys into the overnight lockbox for your flight. And a reminder to email info@sancarlosflight.com with photos of the hobbs and tach time before and after your flight. Thank you and happy holidays.

Safety

Safely Flying at Night - Nov 6 (W) 7pm

On November 3rd, Daylight Saving Time will end, and with it comes early nightfall. For those of us who work a regular 9-5 schedule, early nightfall means an increase in night flying time. How current are your night skills? Maybe it’s time to focus on what is different between day VFR and night VFR flight.

Obviously, less ambient light adds challenges for anything requiring eyesight. This includes preflight inspection, taxi safety, obstruction avoidance, IMC recognition and avoidance, cockpit resource management, and a number of other things. Most familiar to pilots is probably the differences in landing. The sight picture of a normal approach to a runway is very different with reduced external visual cues from night. Flashing lights can help or hurt pilot attention and recognition.

So should night flight be avoided? Not necessarily. Night flight brings with it reduced ATC workloads, often calmer winds, cooler temperatures that help performance, and the ability to spot traffic from farther off. Your decision about flying at night can be aided by attending a Night Flying Refresher seminar like this one.

For more information or to sign up for the event, check out our website here.

Flying in Busy Airspace - Tips from ATC

Recently, the Flight Center visited Northern California TRACON in Sacramento. These ATC visits are organized by the Flight Center on a regular basis. A key benefit from these trips is understanding how pilots and controllers can work together to keep everyone safe.

One area of concern that NorCal raised is the corridor between Coyote Hills and the Mineral Plant. In that area, there is no Class Charlie airspace, and the floor of the Bravo is 4,000 MSL. That seems to leave plenty of room for VFR traffic to climb up to 3,500 MSL. However, this is a very congested area. Not only are there many VFR aircraft traversing that route, ATC is also descending IFR flights inbound to Oakland and Hayward. These IFR flights are descending below 4,100 MSL in those same locations. You can see that at 3,500, a VFR aircraft will many times come close to the paths of the descending IFR flights.

What to do? NorCal offers a couple of recommendations. One, consider transition overhead Oakland at 2,000 if your flight route is in that direction or transition through Hayward’s class Delata airspace talking to Hayward Tower. If not, obtain flight following with NorCal in that area on 125.35 MHz.

Another airspace awareness tip came from the controllers at San Carlos. They recently highlighted a risk with the Oracle departure. When flying the Oracle departure and staying below the 1,500 MSL Bravo shelf, you aren’t always going to be out of the way of arrivals into SFO. They said they have seen arrivals on approach to SFO dip below the 1,500 MSL Bravo shelf at the same time there is a VFR aircraft on the Oracle departure.

As always, see and avoid and don’t simply rely on staying outside of Bravo and Charlie airspace to avoid encounters with large IFR aircraft. Choose your route and altitude appropriately and use flight following for additional awareness.

SCFC Member Profile: Ian Harris

SCFC: When did you first think about becoming a pilot?

IH: I have wanted to be a pilot my whole life, but found a lot of financial and schedule barriers earlier in my life. I started flying gliders many years ago and had to stop because life got in the way. I found the time away frustrating and I had been looking for a long time to find a means to get back into it. I was very happy to find SCFC, and while I had some trepidation about training in such complex and busy airspace, I jumped at the opportunity afforded by my current work.

SCFC: You took at break during your flight training. How did you find the restart process when you got back into the cockpit? 

IH: It was important to me to ensure that I got back into flying in the safest and most rigorous way possible. I found the curriculum at SCFC to be outstanding in its structure and detail. It clearly trains pilots to operate professionally in one of the most demanding areas of the country.

SCFC: Congratulations on your successful Private Pilot checkride. What will you remember most about the FAA Practical Test?

IH: My experience was that the FAA Practical Test mirrors the training at SCFC quite well. It's not a matter of "teaching to the test", but rather that the checkride and aviation in general seem to use their own language and reflect a mindset that a student pilot has to learn along with the didactic curriculum and practical maneuvers. I feel that the training at the SCFC prepares students extremely well in this regard by immersing them in the culture of aviation.

SCFC: What big flight adventures will be in your future?

IH: I'm doing as much flying as I can at this point. I don't want to let any more time pass without taking advantage of the privileges that flight training has afforded me, and I look forward to continuing training to improve my proficiency and expand my abilities in aviation.

SCFC: What motivational or training advice do you have for other people considering flight training?

IH: I've heard that many students fail to complete their training, and I suspect that there are some common themes. One is that they underestimate the time and effort it is likely to take. Then when they don't see immediate tangible progress, they lose steam. Another more general theme is that obstacles block their path: changes in work/school schedule, financial constraints, CFI churn can almost be expected during training. I think the key to overcoming these obstacles is to have a specific mission or vision for what you want to do as a pilot and to keep your eyes on that prize.

FOG 2-Day Long IFR XC Trip to Santa Barbara - Nov 16-17 (Sat-Sun)

Join FOG for a weekend of fun and adventure!

This 2-day training trip is designed to be a fun vacation to Santa Barbara while also fulfilling long cross country requirements. With a stop at Camarillo for lunch at the excellent Waypoint Cafe before proceeding on to Santa Barbara, the total distance will exceed 250 miles, making it perfect for a long IFR cross country. Just add one more stop of your choosing on the way down, and you’re all set! Each aircraft will have 2 pilots and 1 CFI on board. 

You can use this trip to meet:

• Long IFR Cross Country requirement
• Commercial requirements
• An exciting way to build time

Space is limited! After signing up, a $200 deposit will be required to confirm your spot. To pay the deposit, call the front desk at (650) 946-1700. The deposit will be credited towards the cost of the airplane rental and instructor rates.

Contact the front desk for any questions through call or email info@sancarlosflight.com. It promises to be an unforgettable flying adventure with plenty of room for ground-based fun as well!

Full-Moon Flyers Willows - Nov 15 (Fri)

This month, join our Full Moon Flyers as we head north to Willows (WLW) and dine at Nancy’s Airport Café. Located in the Central Valley just next to I-5, Willows is an easy airport to reach and a perfect cross country destination.

At 100 NM away, it is a great destination for commercial students looking to fulfill their cross country requirements!

Nancy’s Airport Café is a small airport diner, but is known for its all-day breakfast, American fare, and best of all, their pies! Make sure to grab a slice before heading home, as they’re known for keeping pilots coming back for more. To access the restaurant, please park on the ramp alongside the hangers and self-serve fuel depot, and walk through the gate.

If you plan on joining us, make sure to RSVP here! Please arrive and be at the restaurant by 7PM. See you on November 15.

FOG Lunch Petaluma - Nov 23 (Sat)

This month, join us as we head north to Petaluma! Located right on the field, Two Niner Diner recently reopened serving a wide variety of breakfast, brunch, and lunch options. This event will be on Saturday, November 23.

Enjoy the views of San Francisco and Marin Headlands on the way up. You can even do a Bay Tour! 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! Looking for some cross country time? Fly north just a bit more and land in Santa Rosa before heading into Petaluma.

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 12 noon.



Everyone is welcome to join us, please RSVP and we will see you there!