Flight Instructors Joining Team SCFC

San Carlos Flight Center welcomes in three more flight instructors, helping the club ramp up for the busy summer flying months. If you've been around the office in the last few weeks, you may have seen them in the classroom going through our extensive CFI onboarding process to get them acquainted with SCFC's private pilot syllabus and our club procedures. These instructors are done with onboarding and are flying with students.

You can read more about them on our website here. Make sure you say hi to Nathaniel, Jeremy, and Khizar if you see them around the office!

Airplane Share Owner Opportunities

At some time, most pilots consider owning their own plane. Have you? Because of the large investment and the risks associated, buying a plane can be as daunting as buying a small home. What costs should you expect? How does owning reduce your overall cost of flying? What about buying an airplane with partners?

Many SCFC airplanes are owned by small partnerships formed by SCFC members to make owning an airplane a bit more affordable. With by family relocation or other life priority changes, partners sometimes are looking for new members to join their partnership, or to sell their share to. If you've ever considered owning part of an SCFC C172, C182, or Archer, contact Alessandro Franco to find out what owner transitions are in the works.

You may also want to view our recorded SCFC safety seminar "Investigating Aircraft Ownership" which talks about choosing the right airplane, how to navigate the purchase process, and what to consider when inspecting a potential airplane. The challenge of owning an airplane doesn’t end after the initial purchase. It is important to recognize how required maintenance factors into future expenses.

May BBQ Pre-flight Inspection Challenge

The SCFC Maintenance Team is often at our monthly BBQs offering guidance on aircraft engines, systems, and safety. At the May BBQ, the team outdid themselves, offering pilots to preflight challenges.

One of the airplanes, the "standard" one, had simple issues staged for pilots to catch on preflight inspection. The other plane was more "advanced", which required pilots to look much more deeply at subtle engine and airframe components - things that likely only a certified mechanic would catch.

Some of the more advanced items included a cylinder hold-down nut that wasn't all the way tightened, safety wire missing from the oil screen in the engine, and a ripped air intake filter.

Here are photos of those items as they appeared in the staged advanced plane.

We hope you'll join us at the next BBQ on July 8 for more challenges from the SCFC Maintenance Team.

Tips to Remain Clear of KPAO Airspace

Pilots returning to San Carlos from the East should be mindful of Palo Alto's airspace. A common route back is to proceed over Coyote Hills and then head to the Cement Plant. This route does keep you clear of Palo Alto airspace.

If you get distracted or if there are strong winds from the Northwest, you may drift off course to the South. A good visual landmark to stay well North of is the Dumbarton auto bridge, which is almost entirely within Palo Alto's Class D surface area. While Palo Alto's airspace in this location is capped at or below 1500, an early descent combined with drifting off course to the South could cause you to violate the Palo Alto airspace.

Remaining well Northwest of the Dumbarton Bridge helps to avoid this conflict. This also has the benefit of remaining out of the way of Palo Alto departures that often times fly outbound over the Dumbarton Bridge.

Note that Coyote Hills is a common route departing San Carlos. Many pilots inbound plan to cross over Coyote Hills at 2000 because it is common for pilots outbound to be climbing and crossing the Coyote Hills at 2,500.

Aerobatic Flying Seminar - Sat Jun 10

Embark on an extraordinary journey into the world of aerobatics, where the exhilaration of breathtaking maneuvers meets the unwavering commitment to safety at every turn. The world of aerobatics can be an exhilarating and captivating aspect within aviation. Aerobatics offers pilots the opportunity to fully understand the capabilities of their aircraft and themselves.

On Saturday, June 10, San Carlos Flight Center invites Air Transport Pilot Ross Ferguson and Aerobatic Pilot Kamryn Lamperchet to share how to get started with aerobatic flying. In this seminar, learn how to begin your aerobatic flying journey, what to consider when selecting an instructor and aircraft, and gain valuable insights into venturing into the world of competition aerobatics.

Ross has been a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) and Airline Pilot for more than 25 years. He has flown aircraft ranging from Ultralights to transport aircraft including many Airbus and Boeing jets. Ross has owned and operated his own aircraft and is currently a member of the US Yak-52 Aerobatic Team.

Kamryn Lamperchet is a new IAC competitor in the Yak-52 competing in Primary and Sportsman aerobatics.

Note: We are back to hosting in-person seminars at our San Carlos clubhouse, 795 Skyway Suite A. Everyone is welcome to attend in person. To sign up for this event, click here. SCFC Renting and paying Web members can watch the events through our livestream. More details on our safety seminar program and becoming a Web member can be found here.

SCFC Member Profile: Garrett Held

SCFC: Congratulations on passing the Instrument Checkride. Looking back, what would you say was the most challenging aspect of instrument flight?

GH: In training, it was definitely the task saturation that comes from doing multiple approaches in a row. Busy Norcal controllers would make requests while I was simultaneously getting weather, programming the G1000, and briefing the approach. However I never minded the training, my CFI Terry Kelley made it challenging and a lot of fun.

SCFC: What motivated you to work toward your instrument rating?

GH: The most important thing for me was to become a safer pilot, but a bonus was being able to break through a marine layer in the morning and having the confidence that I would not get stranded somewhere by cloudy weather. I was actually able to use it after my checkride to get through a thin marine layer that had covered the airport where I took the test.

SCFC: What new insights to your private pilot training did you gain from the perspective on an instrument pilot?

GH: I knew it would be different, but it was interesting to see just how much different actual IMC was from the limited hood work done for private pilot training. I think everyone should experience actual IMC at some point during their instruction. I was also surprised by how much I enjoyed learning about weather in depth and I continue to learn more even beyond the instrument requirements.

SCFC: What big future flight adventure are you thinking about?

GH: Right now I'm looking forward to a long solo cross-country that I could use as qualification toward the commercial pilot certificate requirement, or maybe even further to where my dad learned to fly in southern California.

SCFC: As an instrument pilot, did you find advanced avionics like GPS and autopilot to be more helpful, or more stressful during your training??

GH: I received my private pilot in 2001 before widespread use of GPS. For instrument training, I found the glass cockpit required a bit of a learning curve but was worth the reliable instruments and improved situational awareness. The same could be said for my Sentry and iPad. The flight director and autopilot has also been fantastic, as long as you learn to think at least a couple steps ahead of it and are always ready to disable it if it's not doing what you expect.

Biggest Little Airshow - Sat Jun 17

Please note, San Carlos Airport will close to regular traffic from 10:30am to noon on Saturday, June 17th for the Hiller Museum's annual Biggest Little Airshow.

This year’s show will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the museum by matching a thrilling aerobatic performance by airshow pilot Vicky Benzing in her 1940 Boeing Stearman airplane and the Sukhoi West Demo Team along with demonstrations of exceptional radio-controlled models.

Beautifully detailed radio control model aircraft will be on display and perform demonstrations at the Museum from 10:30 AM to 12 PM.

The runway closure allows realistic jet and propeller-powered model aircraft to roll down the runway and into the sky to take their part in a unique aerial extravaganza including aerobatic helicopters, drones, quadrotors, and more.

For tickets and more information check out the event page on the Hiller Museum website.

Full-Moon Flyers Watsonville - Jun 3 (Sat)

Come join the FlyOutGroup (FOG) on Saturday, June 3rd with a scenic flight to Watsonville (WVI)! An easy location to get to from the Bay Area, enjoy a quick hop over the Santa Cruz Mountains, and then descend over Monterey Bay. Park in Transient Parking, and we’ll all meet at Ella's at the Airport for dinner.

Ella's 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! As it’s a Friday evening, please RSVP so we can give the restaurant a heads-up of our headcount.

Become a FOG Leader/Organizer

Calling all Bay Area pilots! The Bay Area FlyOutGroup (FOG) is always looking for exciting new destinations and passionate pilots to lead the outings. If you've gone to a new airport recently and found a fun town nearby, or a great on-field restaurant, or any another reason to make a group pilot trip, you can volunteer to lead a FOG event.

We'd love to work with you to pick a date and build your idea into something other FOG pilots can join in on. FOG trips are great ways to meet other local pilots, share flights, and explore airports that are often just a short flight away.

If you are looking for a way to get more out of your pilot rating, check out the FOG page and contact the FOG team at FlyOutGroup@sancarlosflight.com. Let's get planning!