SCFC Welcomes New Flight Instructors

The Flight Center is always looking for passionate and effective flight instructors to help our members reach their dreams of flight. We typically hire two to three times a year, with each new class going through a rigorous hiring and CFI onboarding program. SCFC is pleased to announce our two latest instructors!

Jesse Silver started his aviation journey as a young teenager with a birthday demo flight on Maui. Being aloft was a revelation to him. Later, after high school, he flew out of Palo Alto. Momentarily sidetracked for about 15 years, Jesse returned to flying in the early 2020s and has been at it regularly since. If not up in the air, he really enjoys being out in nature, usually on a peak somewhere, and general adventures of all sorts.

Kameron Peterson was born in Walnut Creek and raised in California’s Bay Area, where his passion for aviation took hold early in life. He began flight training in Northern California before moving to Florida to complete his ratings at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach.

With experience flying in both California’s diverse terrain and Florida’s coastal skies, Kameron brings a well-rounded perspective to flight instruction. He’s passionate about helping students grow into confident pilots and finds the most reward in watching his students achieve their goals.

Instrument Ground School starts Sept 29

IFR Ground School begins the last week of September at San Carlos Flight Center. Whether you have just finished your private pilot certificate and you're looking to continue training, or you need a refresher, the IFR Ground School is a great way to accomplish your goals. Join CFII Herb Patten for this 12-week course, which teaches the aeronautical knowledge you need for the airplane instrument rating knowledge test and for the ground portion of the checkride.

We will be using the training materials that we have developed for our instrument syllabus, so this is a great fit if you are currently or planning to do your instrument rating at San Carlos Flight Center.

Classes begin Monday, September 29th, and will occur weekly through December 15th. The classes start at 6:30pm.

Learn more and sign up here.

Now Hiring - Flight Line (Part Time)

The Flight Center is excited to announce that hiring has begun for our Flight Line team! This part-time role is a great way for someone to break into the aviation industry, get hands-on experience with aircraft, and contribute to the club.

Our Flight Line Team wears many hats, but their primary role is to work behind the scenes with our maintenance team to ensure our aircraft are airworthy and ready for our members to use. The role is great for a student or current pilot, although you don't need an aviation background to apply.

Interested, or know someone who is? Learn more and apply on this page.

Security Clearance Required - New Badging Coming to San Carlos

The County of San Mateo Airports has completed the installation of new cardkey/badge readers at the vehicle gates at both San Carlos and Half Moon Bay Airports. Cardkey readers will eventually be installed at pedestrian gates as well.

The Airport has begun the process to issue cardkeys to all Airport users, including SCFC employees, and eventually, SCFC renting members. This includes taking and passing a short online Non-Movement Area Training course. Once that has been completed, a photo will need to be provided that will be used on the cardkey.

The cardkeys are being rolled out in phases over the next several months. Members will be sent an email when it is their turn to begin the process with details of how to take the course. Additional details will be provided as soon as the plans for activating the card readers are known.

Safety

Caution the Wake... On the Ground!

During training, your instructor probably talked about the importance of avoiding wake turbulence when taking off or landing. However, it is just as important to be mindful of jet blast while moving about the airport.

Earlier this summer, one of our Cessna 152 students encountered the importance of this firsthand. While taxiing out from the FBO at a large airport, the 152 needed to taxi behind a Boeing 737. The airliner took a right turn into the ramp, where it proceeded to hold short of the terminal's ramp area waiting for a marshalling crew. As the 152 passed behind, the 737 began to add thrust to taxi forward into the gate. The resulting jetblast was strong enough to shake the 152, and the pilot observed the wing get picked up gently, before settling back down.

The additional thrust that the jet used to move is known as "breakway thrust," and can be as high as 40% of the total power output of the engines. To avoid getting caught, pilots are encouraged to stay a minimum of 400' away from airliners, as well as adding crosswind taxi correction. As our pilot experienced, get too close and you may find yourself getting tossed about. Rare cases have even resulted in small private jets flipping Cessna's when they taxi by. If you fly into larger airports, keep this in mind the next time you fly.

Sky Clear - SQL AWOS Back Online!

The automated weather system is back online after a few months of being out of service. The AWOS, not to be confused with ATIS, provides surface weather when the tower is closed. It is also responsible for generating the METARs that are accessible online when the tower is closed. The prior system was very old, and when it failed, there wasn’t an easy way to repair it. The Airport worked to get a new system to replace the failed one. Last month, the FAA validated the new system. Pilots flying at night and early morning now have access to weather. If you listen to it carefully, you may hear the word “test” at the beginning. We have confirmed with the tower manager that the system is now fully operational.

Don't be a Noisy Neighbor - Adhere to Nightly Noise Abatement Procedures!

Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, but autumn officially starts on September 22^nd. School is back in session, and one other key change is sun begins to set earlier. Many pilots will begin flying at night. If you do, you should refresh your awareness of the local airport's voluntary night noise abatement procedures.

• San Carlos – no pattern work of any kind when the tower is closed.
• Hayward – Touch & Go and Stop & Go operations prohibited from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.
• Livermore – Night curfew is in effect from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• Half Moon Bay – no pattern work 2 hours after sunset or after 6:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays.
• Oakland - Flying between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. should be avoided.
• Reid-Hillview - No Touch & Go between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.
• San Jose – Night currency limited to using KSJC as the initial departure and/or final point of arrival.

Many airports have noise monitoring programs that collect information from automated systems as well as reports from individuals living near the airport. Please adhere to the voluntary noise abatement procedures, so our airports can. remain open for years to come!

SCFC Member Profile: Trevor Kawamura

SCFC: You got your start in aviation through the Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. What was that summer like?

TK: Upwind was definitely the best summer of my life! Apart from the first solo, some things I remember most from the summer are the full moon flight to Stockton, the long solo cross country, going under the cowling to better understand how an engine works, and flying for 11 days in a row before my checkride.

SCFC: You're heading off to college soon. Where are you going and what is your ultimate goal in aviation?

TK: Many fellow upwinders and I are going to Embry-Riddle's Prescott campus. Right now, I want to focus on doing well in my instrument and commercial and being proactive about training. I'm not completely sure what my ultimate goal is currently, because I recognize now that there are many more opportunities in aviation besides being an airline pilot.

SCFC: After your Upwind summer, what have you done to stay connected to San Carlos Airport and the Flight Center community?

TK: I've continued to attend meetings with Civil Air Patrol squadron 192 and EAA chapter 20. After Upwind ended, I've also helped out at a couple Upwind outreach events.

SCFC: How have you shared your passion for aviation with your family and friends?

TK: I have had the pleasure of taking my parents, uncle, and a couple of friends with me on flights. My first passenger after my checkride was actually a friend, because he asked to go flying with me first!

SCFC: What preparation have you done for your college flight training?

TK: To prepare for college flight training, I'm trying to familiarize myself with the G1000. I'm also reviewing Embry-Riddle's checklists and brushing up on physics.

Learn from a Seasoned Aviator - Lessons from a Career in Aviation

Great aviators are shaped by the lessons they learn from others. Every flight brings new challenges, and the most experienced pilots have faced them time and again. By listening to their stories and insights, we can all grow into better, safer pilots.

San Carlos Flight Center is proud to welcome retired Captain Bennett Taber, who brings knowledge from more than 35 years of experience in the skies. In this seminar, Captain Taber will reflect on key learning moments from his professional career, share best practices, and discuss how every pilot can strive for excellence. He will highlight the importance of attention to detail, its impact on flight operations, and the value of mastering the basics.

There is only so much one can learn from the classroom and our routine flying. Join us to learn how to fly your best from a seasoned aviator.

Learn more and register here

Party Recap: Upwind Summer Ended Wonderfully

Last Friday was the End-of-Summer event for the 2025 participants in the Young Aviators Summer Program. Six students participated, of which five were recipients of the Upwind Summer Scholarship.

Each year, students and instructors undertake the challenge of completing a full program of Private Pilot training in the nine weeks between the students' junior and senior years of high school. It's flying and studying five days a week, eight hours a day, and it is a very demanding program.

The event was a great moment for proud parents and instructors to celebrate the achievements of these hardworking students and the overall success of the Upwind Foundation.

Three of the six have passed their private pilot practical test and have joined the community of private pilots. The other three are on a track to finish over the next several weeks.

Full Moon Flyers - Harris Ranch - Sept 6

A longtime favorite of pilots in California, Harris Ranch (3O8) is known for its award-winning steak and hamburgers. Located just outside Coalinga, the ranch features a hotel and multiple restaurants, as well as an excellent lighted runway for pilots to fly in. On Saturday, September 6th, let’s fly down to the Ranch to have dinner at their signature restaurant.

The flight down is varied as it takes you from the urban sprawl of the Bay Area, across the Diablo Range, and then a leisurely route following the I-5 corridor. You’ll get a view of the Ranch from the air before descending for the thin runway that sits just to the south of the restaurant. Upon landing, we’ll walk to the restaurant together at 7 PM, where we will enjoy a variety of freshly cut steaks and other dining options. Harris Ranch is regarded as one of the best restaurants for pilots to fly into in Northern California.

This is a great opportunity for student pilots to complete their night cross-country, as well as current pilots to share their love of flying with others. (Students looking to ride-along can look for aircraft with an open seat on the sign-up page linked below.)

Learn more and register

Pacific Northwest Trip Recap

Our annual big summer flying trip this year was a massive success! We had 17 pilots, 7 airplanes, and flying across two countries - the United States and Canada! This was our first time in over a decade to venture across the border into British Columbia, and it was a great learning experience.

The group at Vancouver International Airport (CYVR)!

The team is hosting a recap discussion of the trip on Wednesday, September 3rd, at 7 PM. We'll talk about what worked, what didn't, and what pilots should know if they are considering a similar trip in the future. Join us for an insightful discussion on an amazing experience.

Learn more and register here