Welcome to our New Maintenance Hangar

Last month, the SCFC Maintenance Team moved into a new larger hangar facility, in the space formerly known as the Wing and a Prayer Hangar. This puts our entire maintenance team under one roof, much closer to the SCFC office, and has already led to increased efficiency and collaboration.

We would love to show you the new hangar but we do need to be sensitive to safety precautions. The work that our maintenance team does in the hangar is often sensitive and requires focus and concentration, so please respect our team's need to stay on task. If the large hangar doors are open, please do not enter the hangar while people are working.

To see what's inside, we invite you to join us for SCFC's Open Hangar and BBQ to be held at noon on Saturday September 28th.

Please add your name to the RSVP list on our website (once we've regained form signup ability after the last site upgrade!).

Construction at Reid-Hillview Airport

Reid-Hillview airport has begun a construction project to replace outdated signage and markings. During the next few months, all of the pavement markings on the airport will be refreshed and all of the airfield signage will be replaced.

There will be significant changes to the taxiways leading to Runway 31 Left and Runway 31 Right. In addition, there will be a new runup area. The future airport layout can be found here.

During the construction expect limited or no pattern work. At times, one or both runways may be closed. Taxiway Y and Taxiway A will be closed. During phases of the construction the runways will be closed at night. Check NOTAMs for the latest closures and pay attention to information broadcast on ATIS.

The work is expected to continue until the end of September. For more details of the construction project, click here.

IFR Ground School Starts Sep 23 (Mon)

IFR Ground School's fall session begins in three weeks at San Carlos Flight Center. Whether you have just finished your private pilot certificate and our looking to continue training or you need a refresher, the IFR Ground School is a great way to accomplish your goals. Join CFI Brian Eliot for this 12-session course which covers the aeronautical knowledge included in the FAA knowledge test for the airplane instrument rating.

Classes begin Monday, September 23rd, and will happen every Monday and Thursday evening through October 31st. The classes start at 6:30pm.

To sign up, or for more information, go to our website here.

Safety

Ramp Alert: Watch Your Passengers

As pilot, you are fully responsible for the safety of your passengers, even before they step onto the plane. From the moment you allow them access to the airplane ramp area, they must be watched and guided how to keep themselves safe and not interfere with the operation of the airport.

A recent runway incursion occurred at San Carlos Airport when some passengers wandered away from a pilot who was preflighting the aircraft. Instead of waiting in the safety of the gazebo viewing platform, these passenger unknowingly walked into the movement control area - taxiways and runways. Fortunately, there were no injuries or interruptions of airport service.

But the incident should draw all pilots' attention to pre-ramp access safety briefings for passengers, and alert us all to watch non-pilots very closely. Without training, our family and friends may be dangerously unaware of the risks associated with the airplane parking area, and all areas where engines are running and propellers are spinning.

Please have your passenger view SCFC's short video "A Guide for Passengers" here, and fully brief them of the need to adhere closely to your instructions in the ramp area.

College Football TFRs Now Active

Whether or not you enjoy college football, all pilots in the Bay area need to be interested when a game is scheduled. A sporting event TFR exists when a college football game is being played. The TFR is active 1 hour before the scheduled start of the football game to 1 hour after the end of the event. During that time, the TFR encompasses a 3 NM radius around the stadium up to 3,000 feet AGL.

Stanford, UC Berkeley and San Jose State home football games are included in this TFR. These locations are marked by the magenta diamond.

Palo Alto airport is affected by this TFR and during that time if you come from the south over SLAC be sure to contact Palo Alto tower. Expect to be assigned a squawk code and follow their instructions.

If you depart San Carlos on the Woodside departure, make sure that you stay out of the TFR. The same applies if you are arriving from SLAC. Be sure to not enter the TFR.

Secure Unattended Aircraft at All Times

Note to all pilots: Never walk away from a plane that isn't secured in some way with rope, chains, or chalks. The combination of a slight slope and a breezy afternoon can get aircraft rolling on the ramp, colliding with buildings, vehicles, or other aircraft.

Student pilots often arrive early before a lesson to preflight the aircraft, giving them time to check everything safely before the rental clock starts running. SCFC instructors understand and support this process, especially early in pilot training when preflight takes a bit longer.

But remember, to never walk away without at least one rope securing the plane to its parking spot. In breezy conditions, leave all ropes attached (and the control lock in) until you are ready to board the aircraft for departure.

SCFC Member Profile: Michael Ng

SCFC: Congratulations on completing your Private Pilot training. How does it feel to have crossed the finish line?

MN: Thank you! I feel a lot of excitement and relief! I’m very happy to have finally achieved a life long goal of becoming a pilot and am excited to take my friends and family out for those $100 burgers that everyone is talking about! The last month before my checkride was also fairly stressful as we worked to get a few hour requirements knocked out while battling the morning weather, so very happy that it all came together in the end.

SCFC: People fly for a lot of different reasons. What made you want to become a pilot?

MN: My parents had a VHS recording of Top Gun that I would play on repeat when I was a kid and that was certainly my favorite movie growing up. But my uncle is also a private pilot and that certainly made the pipe dream seem a lot more realistic. He had a Piper Lance when I was young and later I got a chance to fly in a RV-7A that he built and have been trying to find a way to get my PPL ever since.

SCFC: What significant events along your training path will stand out forever in your memory?

MN: My Pre-solo phase check and my first solo were very memorable. The oral portion of my pre-solo phase check did not go so well (my own fault that I came in underprepared, Shelby gave me all the material and we went over everything that I would have need to succeed). But from that experience I learned a lot and it forced me to take studying and training more seriously in terms of ground knowledge. I think Herb did a great job of simulating a checkride environment and allowed me to dig myself into knowledge holes. I took a lot of that experience into better preparing for my checkride and was able to avoid some of the mistakes that I had previously made so I’m very appreciative that I was able to experience that earlier in my training. For my first solo I vividly remembered how shocked I was at the climb performance of N530CA with a single passenger and how different the flight controls felt solo. My three laps in the pattern went smoother than I could have imagined and I thought it was really funny to get my Solo shirt on Valentine’s Day.

SCFC: What are your first few flying adventures going to be as a Private Pilot? What long-term dream routes or destinations will you go for?

MN: I would love to take my girlfriend on a BayTour and check out the Golden Gate Bridge/SF from the sky! I hadn’t realized that was possible to do until I started my training at San Carlos so I always thought that was one of the coolest opportunities that we have in the bay. I don’t know about any specific routes or destinations, but I am also interested in mountain and bush flying and would love to one day get more training and be able to fly-in and camp in the backcountry!

SCFC: If you could do it over again, what changes would you make to your training path, if any?

MN: I would definitely listen more to Shelby when he told me in the very beginning that flying at least twice a week speeds things up/helps you build more proficiency. Between weather cancellations and personal plans only having one lesson scheduled a week for my first year of training meant I ended up taking a long time to hit certain checkpoints like soloing and it took a while to build up some confidence in landings. If I were to do it again, I would try scheduling 2-3 flights a week and also read the ACS a lot earlier in the training than I did. I’ll need to try and listen to my own advice when I start looking into my IFR Rating.

Party Recap: Upwind Summer Ended Wonderfully

The last Friday in August was the time for celebration as the Upwind Foundation hosted and End-of-Summer event for the 2024 Upwind Summer Scholarship Recipients and their families.

Each year, students and instructors embark on the challenge or completing a full program of Private Pilot training in the nine weeks between the students' junior and senior year of high school. It's flying and studying five days a week, eight hours a day, and only the best students get selected.

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.

Full-Moon Flyers Nut Tree - Sep 16 (Mo)

This month join Full Moon Flyers in Vacaville as we fly up to Nut Tree Airport on September 16th. At just over 50 NM, Nut Tree makes for an easy cross-country destination.

This is a great opportunity for students or pilots looking to gain valuable night experience. The airport is lit as night and you can follow the well lit I-80 back towards Oakland for an easy flight back!

Once we land in Nut Tree, we will be dining at Fenton’s Restaurant and Creamery. Known for their ice cream, Fenton’s also offers a wide variety of sandwiches, burgers, and salads at reasonable prices. Don’t forget the ice cream! 

Once you land in VCB, secure your aircraft on the transient parking ramp. The walk is about 5-10 minutes to the restaurant depending on your walking speed. We will meet at Fenton’s by 7PM.  Make sure you RSVP here so we have an accurate headcount! We’ll see you there!

FOG Lunch Watsonville - Sep 28 (Sa)

Take Friday off and join the Bay Area FlyOutGroup (FOG) on Friday, September 27th with a scenic flight to Watsonville (WVI). An easy location to get to from the Bay Area, we will enjoy a quick hop over the Santa Cruz Mountains, and then descend over Monterey Bay. Park in the ample transient parking, and it's only a short walk to meet at noon Ellas at the Airport for lunch.

Ellas at the Airport is located in the WVI airport terminal and conveniently positioned right by the ramp of airplanes. This Italian-style restaurant is known for its great locally sourced eats from healthy salads to full-sized meals. No matter what your appetite is, you won’t be disappointed.

We’re excited for the event, and look forward to seeing you in Watsonville! Please RSVP here so we can give the restaurant a heads-up of our headcount.