SQL Closure - SCFC Fleet Moves to HWD Sep 11-Oct 10

This is the month. San Carlos Airport runway will be closed starting Monday, September 11th for reconditioning the runway, taxiways, and other areas.

We've known this was coming for sometime, and made arrangements to temporarily relocate the SCFC Fleet to Hayward Executive Airport, just 10.7 nm North as the pilot flies. This lets our students and pilots keep their aviation adventure going, albeit with some extra driving.

If you're a student, talk with your instructor. Some ground training and simulator training will still happen back in San Carlos, unaffected by the runway closure. If you are flying between September 11th and October 10th, the plane will be in Hayward.

For more information, join us on Wednesday, September 6th at 7pm for a special safety seminar presented by SCFC Chief Pilot Herb Patten. In the seminar, Herb will cover Hayward Operations and some of the logistics of the temporarly relocation. SCFC members can watch it streamed live online, or can join us at the SCFC office.

Bay Flight 61: Our New Archer

We're excited to welcome a new Piper Archer, Bay Flight 61, just out of some refurbishing and ready to join the Flight Center. This is good news for student pilots who love training in low-wing aircraft.

Archer pilots praise their spacious cabin, large windows, and low-wing configuration, providing excellent visibility for both pilots and passengers. Additionally, Bay Flight 61 is equipped with advanced avionics, including dual Garmin G5 flight displays, a Garmin 430 GPS, and a Garmin GFC500 autopilot for your IFR adventures.

Whether you're looking for a training aircraft or are planning a cross country flight, our new Archer has got you covered!

SCFC Office Closed Labor Day (Sep 4)

The club office and maintenance hangars will be closed for Labor Day, Monday, September 4th. For members looking to fly, be sure to make your reservation by 3pm on Sunday, September 3rd, to make sure your keys will be placed in the afterhour lockbox.

Please take photos of the start and end Hobbs and Tach times and email them to info@sancarlosflight.com with any applicable CFI time as well. Thank you and happy flying!

It's Legal. But is it Safe?

Pilots enjoy tremendous freedom. We can fly pretty much anytime we want and fly anywhere we want to go. Yes, going into Bravo does require a clearance and transitioning class Charlie requires two-way radio communication, but these rules rarely restrict us.

Flying outside of Bravo and Charlie airspace requires no communication at all. It is entirely legal. So how close can we get? Flying just outside of the Oakland Charlie and below the Bravo as depicted below is entirely legal… but is it safe to do without being in communication with NorCal? Is it something we should do?

The airplane in this image is at approximately 2500 feet and clearly below Bravo and outside of Charlie. What’s the harm? Well, in this case, the airplane is crossing the KOAK arrivals to runway 30. Roughly at this point, airliners are descending from 4100’ to 2700’. While it is legal to be there, it just isn’t a good idea if not in communication with NorCal. Wake turbulence would likely be a hazard.

Another location where pilots innocently tend to get in the way of approach paths to airports is East of Livermore. Be mindful that many pilots practice approaches to runway 25R at KLVK and they are generally descending from 3200’ to the runway beginning about 8 ½ miles out. If you can, avoid crossing the final approach corridor. A good option is to cross overhead KLVK above their airspace.

Bottom line is, exercise your privileges but be mindful of the choices you make. We don’t want to create a backlash and face changes to the airspace that limits where we can fly.

Flying Tips: Going Around

by Herb Patten, SCFC Chief Pilot

Being the Chief Pilot allows me to fly with many pilots. One of the benefits of this is I have the opportunity to observe pilots' responses to various situations. Many of these observations lead to how we can improve pilot skills. While every pilot is unique, one of the common observations that I have noted is how pilots perform a Go Around.

The Go Around is also known as a “balked landing” in the Cessna airplane flight manual. The procedure is outlined in Section 5 and begins with throttle full, flaps retracted to 20°, climb speed 60 KIAS. A common mnemonic used is the 5 Cs: Cram, Climb, Clean, Cool, Call. This helps pilots remember to Cram – full throttle, Climb – pitch for the appropriate climb speed, Clean – remove drag by retracting flaps.

In practice, I observe that the “Climb” portion of the Go Around is often not well executed. For whatever reason, pilots simply don’t establish a pitch for the climb. What happens is the pitch remains relatively flat and the climb is never established. Instead, the airplane accelerates well above Vy for a significant time.

There may be many factors that inhibit a pilot from pitching up sufficiently to an appropriate climb pitch such as lack of recent practice with Go Arounds, airplane trim, wanting to keep the runway visually insight, or task saturation. 

The next time you are at the airport, make it a point to practice Go Arounds and work on getting a good sight picture that results in a descent climb.

SCFC Member Profile: Nailah Blake

SCFC: You were part of this year’s Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. Is that how you first heard of the Flight Center?

NB: I had been involved with Young Eagles and EAA Chapter 20 at San Carlos Airport, and had made many friends in the plane-spotting community at SQL. But Upwind allowed me to fully join the SCFC community, and I love it.

SCFC: Many pilots don’t start flight training until they are older. How many young people do you know interested in becoming a pilot?

NB: I know a few young people who are interested in becoming a pilot, but it's a very small and niche group for sure.

SCFC: The Upwind training is the same as every other SCFC student, but you do it faster. How do you think a 9-week intense training program compares to how most people do training?

NB: I think a 9-week intense training program is a really nice way to do your flight training. It makes it really easy to fix your mistakes quickly as opposed to having to drag everything out and redo everything over again because you've lost proficiency.

SCFC: What are your long term goals for aviation?

NB: My long term goals for aviation are to fly professionally, likely for an airline so that I get to fly all the time, and travel the world.

SCFC: How has becoming a pilot affected the rest of your life? Does being a pilot change the way you do anything else?

NB: Becoming a pilot really helped solidify the fact that I can do anything I put my mind to, even when things are tough and I don't understand them immediately. The flight training process helped me learn that I work really well using checklists to complete tasks, so now I've been using them more in school to break things down and efficiently get tasks done.

SCFC Supporting You as You Support Your Community

San Carlos Flight Center believes in building a strong community of pilots, and SCFC pilots love giving back. For years, SCFC member pilots have been able to access reduce aircraft rental rates for flights associated with non-profit giving organizations and pilot charities.

The media team at SCFC has just released a new Club Orientation Video covering philanthropy flights. Check it out on our website.

Recap: Upwind End-of-Summer Party

More than 50 people came together last Friday evening to congratulate the Upwind Class of 2023. This event celebrates the accomplishments of these next generation of pilots. It brings together the students, their family, the SCFC instructors and staff along with the San Carlos aviation community. These students have completed the 9-week intensive ground and flight training Upwind summer program.

It was a moving, and awe inspiring event as each member of the Upwind Class of 2023 spoke how impactful this program had been on their lives. A short while later, speeches from their parents echoed the same sentiment. Truly making an impact on these young people is an accomplishment that all involved can be proud of. This innovative program is made possible by the generous support of the Bay Area aviation community. It was a great way to end the summer.

FOG Lunch - Monterey - Sep 10 (Sun)

It’s hot in the Bay Area in September. Beat the heat this month and head down to the Monterey Airport to cool off and enjoy great food at Woody’s at the Airport! On September 10th, enjoy lunch on the outdoor patio that overlooks the airline ramp, allowing you to view take-offs and landings with your meal.



The flight down is an easy one from the Bay Area, and an excellent choice to take passengers on a short flight if they have never been on a general aviation plane before. With views of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Silicon Valley, and Monterey Bay, the flight down is one they won’t forget. Instrument pilots or students can practice their skills with a variety of approaches into the airport, as well.

After landing, park at Del Monte Aviation, as Monterey does not have any transient parking near the restaurant. From there, it’s a short walk to the terminal. Woody’s is located upstairs from the entrance, before the TSA checkpoints. Please plan to be at the restaurant around 12 PM.

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!

Full-Moon Flyers - Nut Tree - Sep 29 (Fri)

A unique destination, Nut Tree Airport (VCB) in Vacaville is located right next to a major shopping and dining center. A former amusement park, the Nut Tree area is now home to numerous dining options, making it a great place to travel to and satisfy all kinds of appetites.

On Friday, September 29th at 7 PM, let’s meet up at the Nut Tree airport and walk to the dining area. The flight is easy, but picking a restaurant is the hard part, with options ranging from BBQ to pizza, ramen to vitamin bowls, and sushi to Mexican food. Once you’ve secured the airplane at transient parking, walk to the south side of the hangars to the west, through the gate, and then follow the pathway to the shopping and dining center.

After your meal, treat yourself to Fenton’s Ice Cream, which is known for its one-of-a-kind creations and flavors, and is a popular place for residents of Solano County. Grab ice cream for the walk back, or enjoy dining on their patio.

The airport is lit at night, and it’s easy to pick up flight following with Travis Approach. Need to work on your night landings? Concord, Napa, and Oakland are within a fifteen-minute flight away.

Like other FOG events, RSVP on our website, and please indicate if you can take passengers to allow student pilots and other aviation community members to participate. Hope to see you there!