Summer Flying Gets Busy - Here’s What You Can Do to Help

Summer is not far away and warmer weather means an increase in flight activity. If you plan on training and flying this spring and summer, here are some tips to aid in scheduling.

Book recurring reservations

The Front Desk team advises members to book lessons at least two weeks in advance to get the instructor and airplane they want, and feel free to book as far out in advance as you can. You can take advantage of Flight Schedule Pro’s recurring reservations, allowing you to lock in CFI and aircraft reservations consistently for the future.

Don’t book the aircraft for ground-only sessions

If you know that you’ll only do ground training on your next lesson, be sure to remove the aircraft from the reservation, so another member can schedule it. 

Cancel reservations when plans change

For those flying solo or for fun, please keep in mind that if you decide not to fly, please remove your reservation from FSP at least 24 hours in advance. Of course, if your plans change due to weather or illness, let us know and we can remove the reservation. 

Fly at off-peak times

Can’t seem to get a flight in during the middle of the day? Try flying in the early morning or later in the afternoon/evening. With longer days, the extra daylight allows you to squeeze in an extra lesson or solo flight. Not to mention that the sunrises and sunrises are a beautiful sight to see from the air! 

In-Person Seminars Returning to SCFC

San Carlos Flight Center is happy to announce the return of in-person Safety Seminars. For the past two years, SCFC has livestreamed its seminars for anyone to view across the globe for free. Before we were met with the challenges of COVID, we invited dozens of pilots to our classroom to attend in-person. Here pilots could learn in an interactive setting, meet each other, and share the joy of flight.

On May 6th we are excited to bring this back. 

We have recently expanded our classroom to accommodate an in-person audience, and we are looking forward to welcoming dozens of pilots to our bi-weekly seminars. Our seminars will still occur on Wednesday evenings at 7 PM and Saturdays at 12 PM noon.

Presentations will be free of charge when attended in-person at San Carlos Flight Center, and available to Livestream from anywhere for Web Members. Additionally, Web Members have access to a growing library of over 500 recorded safety seminars including examining complex ground topics, new flying destinations, radio communications, hands-on workshops, and visits from industry professionals.

In-person Safety Seminars will start on Saturday, May 6th at 12 PM at San Carlos Flight Center. We encourage you to attend our first in-person seminar and stick around for our first BBQ of the 2023 season.

If you are interested in attending our in-person seminar, please RSVP here, and if you can join us at our BBQ, RSVP here. We are looking forward to welcoming you back.

Play Ball! Don’t Strike Out!

Opening day for baseball is like a national holiday for some. For pilots, it means that we need to pay attention to NOTAM FDC 0/0367. What is this cryptic NOTAM? Referred to as the sporting events TFR, it prohibits flight within 3,000 AGL in a 3 NM radius over a “qualifying stadium” during a “qualifying event”. It is effective one hour before the scheduled start to one hour after the end of the qualifying event.

What is “qualifying stadium”? In the SF Bay Area there are a few locations that meet this definition. These are depicted on our VFR charts with this stadium symbol.

A qualifying event is an MLB, NFL, NCAA Division I Football game or NASCAR Cup, Indy Cup, or Champ Series race. This is the challenging part as keeping track of this is not always easy. These events aren’t included in an FAA briefing but thankfully products such as ForeFlight and SkyVector graphically depict these.

 Remember that the TFR extends until 1 hour after the event actually ends. If you want to transition via Oakland during an Oakland A’s game you might be better off transitioning overhead Hayward to avoid the TFR.

Better than 5000 and 5

What does it mean when a controller says "better than 5000 and 5"?

At towered airports the weather conditions at the airport are recorded by a human observer that is then broadcast on the ATIS frequency. Anything involving humans is often subject to inconsistencies or anomalies. Here at San Carlos the recording on the ATIS occasionally sounds like a speed reading contest.

One recent anomaly is the use of the phrase “the weather is better than 5000 and 5”. In the past, this has been rarely used at San Carlos however anytime we get a new controller, they often bring their phraseology from their previous location. The AIM does explain this in 4-1-13. Essentially this means the ceiling is 5,000 feet or more and the visibility is 5 miles or more. And now you know the rest of the story.

SCFC Member Profile: Imran Idzqandar

SCFC: How long have you be flying in the SF Bay Area?

II: I started my flight training in March of 2022. It's been a gradual pace due to travel and other factors.

SCFC: What is something you found particularly challenging about flight training?

II: Radio calls are always exciting but challenging for me. Each new place, new situation. In recent times, the weather has been a big challenge.

SCFC: Other than flying, what other adventurous activities do you participate in?

II: I often travel to explore new corners of the world. I love to photograph people and sights along the way, and enjoy hiking new trails in the SF Bay Area!

SCFC: What inspired you to begin flight lessons?

II: I think flying is the pinnacle of human engineering in a lot of ways - literally making humans fly! It brings the world together. I wanted to learn, experience and champion that firsthand.

SCFC: What dream destinations will be in your future now that you have your certificate?

II: Flying a loop around the Statue of Liberty, and a flightseeing trip around Alaska are some of the items on my pilot bucket list. Also, I am originally from Malaysia and look forward to flying around Southeast Asia a little bit more when I'm back in that region!

Welcome Upwind Class of 2023!

The Upwind Foundation (Upwind) is pleased to announce the Upwind Summer Scholarship Class of 2023.

The following San Francisco Bay Area high school juniors have been awarded the flight scholarship: Nailah Blake of San Mateo, Ava Gaboury of Belmont, Charlotte MacAvoy of Hillsborough, Thomas Woneis of San Jose, and Cyrus Wong of San Jose.

In this accelerated flight training program, these five aspiring young aviators will aim to earn their private pilot’s certificate after nine weeks of intensive instruction.

Full-Moon Flyers Ukiah - Apr 7 (Fri)

Take a scenic flight up north with FOG to try out a new destination and restaurant! El Molcajete is a Mexican restaurant right across the street from Ukiah Airport’s transient parking. On April 7th , let’s fly out to Ukiah (UKI) and meet at the restaurant for dinner.

Plan to meet at El Molcajete at 7:00 PM. El Molcajete is a local favorite, and has a lot of praise as one of the best Mexican eateries in the area. The enchiladas and burritos are popular items, but be aware that the portions are often large, so plan on taking some leftovers on the return trip!

Ukiah Airport is a non-towered airport with a long runway about an hour’s flight north from San Francisco. We’ll park at transient parking, where you can also find a fuel-pump with self-serve 100LL.

To get to Ukiah, you can follow Highway 101 from Marin, or take a slightly longer but scenic route along the coastline, and then going direct to the nearby Mendocino VOR.

For instrument pilots and students, the airport also has three different types of approaches that you can use.

RSVP here so we can get a headcount, and we hope to see you at the event!

FOG Wine Tasting Trip - Apr 14-16

Join us for an unforgettable weekend getaway in the beautiful Santa Maria Wine Country! This FOG favorite offers an array of experiences, from wine tastings and delicious meals, to live music and a visit to California's newest airport, New Cuyama.

Start your trip by taxiing your plane directly to the hotel at Santa Maria (KSMX) and enjoy a group dinner at the famous Cool Hand Luke's BBQ. On Saturday, board our private chartered bus and explore the local vineyards, with lunch provided at one of the wineries.

On Sunday, fly home through the newly re-opened New Cuyama airport (L88) where pilots can enjoy a great, tasty lunch in a contemporary setting at the Cuyama Buckhorn. This event is extremely popular, so please visit our website by clicking here for more information.

Limited to the first 14 people, register and book your plane early for this highly anticipated event. Contact us at (650) 946-1700 or flyoutgroup@sancarlosflight.com for any questions.

FOG Tour of the Southwest - Jun 1-4

Experience the ultimate cross-country training adventure with the FlyOutGroup Tour of the Southwest. This 4-day trip in early June will feature flying to the best of the Southwest United States and provide pilots with unique challenges and amazing memories.

Day 1 will take us to San Diego Lindbergh Field (SAN), a large yet accommodating Class Bravo Airport, with lunch along the way planned at Catalina Island (AVX).

Day 2 takes us through the Southwest with sightseeing over the meteor crater, and the gorgeous natural beauty of Sedona Arizona (SEZ). We'll spend the night at a private airport in Monument Valley, where you'll experience unparalleled views of the surrounding landscape. Day 3 allows us to follow the Colorado River over the Grand Canyon and into Harry Reid Las Vegas International Airport (LAS), bagging another Class Bravo Airport. End your night with some fun in the vibrant culture of Las Vegas.

On Day 4, we'll make our way back home via Bishop and Mammoth, posing the unique challenge of mountain flying with gorgeous views of the surrounding Sierras. 

For this cross-country training trip, you'll be paired with a CFI and another pilot to share flight time and costs. You can choose to make the trip in any of our C172s, C182s, or new C206, so you could use the time toward an aircraft checkout, or high-performance endorsement.

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to explore the beauty of the Southwest from a unique and exciting perspective. Stay tuned for more information on our website.