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FOG Lunch at Willows

C172R 

AATD G1000 - $75/hr

BATD GNS-430W - $40/hr

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The club is thrilled to have a large and growing membership, and the support of thousands of other pilots around the area who join us for barbecues, conferences, safety seminars, and FlyOutGroup adventures. If you're a pilot anywhere in the Bay Area, you likely have been impacted by the growth of SCFC and its work to lift up the entire field of general aviation.

We salute all of the members, staff, mechanics, and supporters who have made this club great! Here's to another 10 years of safety, community, and adventure.

Put on your party clothes and join us for big celebration of a Decade of Dreams next Friday evening at the Hiller Museum. We have invited back all former members, instructors, and staff, to join current members in honoring this milestone.

Food and drink will be provided, as well as reconnection with long-time friends and airport personalities. The event begins at 6:30. If you can join us to honor a Decade of Dreams, we'd love to have you. RSVP here.

If San Carlos is your destination airport, monitor the frequency while remaining clear of the area to determine the status of the traffic at the airport. Your initial call may have been at a peak rush for arrivals and departures. Often, the controller will remember that you called and may contact you later with arrival instructions. If not, wait until the rush is over and make another call to request landing. A good clue that it maybe okay to try again is if you hear another aircraft call in and be given an arrival instruction.

SCFC is proud of our heavy investment into the quality of our syllabus and our flight training personnel, and believe it's the safest and most effective flight training syllabus in the industry.

Staff instructors allows SCFC to work together to provide higher quality instruction, and provide more flexibility for students to pick a training schedule and to select a better instructor/student match. We salute our talented flight instructors and believe this gives us the best way to get you the training you need to become a pilot.

SCFC: You opened the Flight Center in March of 2012. How did that come about?

DD: At the time, I was a flight instructor at another flying club that didn't feel much like a club, more like rental car agency for airplanes. No continuing training, no social events, no sense of community. The mechanics actually yelled at pilots who reported squawks. I wanted a place to share my passion for flying with other people just as passionate and just as committed to quality.

SCFC: When did you get started in aviation? What was the initial thing at got you interested ?

DD: I was rebuilding my life after a career change and decided that my next career must be one that allowed me to enjoy one of my favorite things - a great view. I had always loved observation decks or viewing platforms on skyscrapers, or mountaintop vistas. The search finally led me to the goal of becoming a helicopter pilot for the TV news, and so at age 38, I started helicopter training with no prior experience. That decision forever changed my life. Eventually I became a helicopter flight instructor and then added on an airplane rating. After 10 years of teaching, I opened the Flight Center.

SCFC: Where did SCFC's motto of Safety, Community, Adventure come from?

DD: I admired how other successful companies had been able to keep even very large teams of people aligned and working toward a common goal. While on a behind-the-scenes tour at Walt Disney World, I saw a poster with their team's core values clearly stated so that all Disney cast members knew what was important, and how they would be evaluated. I believed that if I could capture what my vision was for a new type of flying club, it would help all the staff and members know what direction we were going. To this day, "Safety, Community, Adventure" still informs our day-to-day decision making, guides us through unknown situations that arise, and inspires us to reach higher.

SCFC: You sold the Flight Center to Alessandro Franco in 2020. What sparked that move?

DD: My family has a genetic kidney condition that eventually caused me to lose my FAA medical certificate, and I believe very strongly that the person at the top should be an active pilot. I also felt that the time was right to pass on the tradition of the Flight Center to the next generation of pilots. I was lucky that Alessandro saw the vision for the place and stepped up to take over as new owner, and that Herb Patten agreed to step into the role of Chief Pilot. SCFC's continues to grow and thrive under their leadership.

SCFC: What are you most proud of?

DD: I'm proud of our active Safety Seminar program which is unrivaled anywhere in the country, and think it shows how a focus on quality and safety can be part of building a sense of community. I love how both the Flight Center and the FlyOutGroup celebrate the adventure of flying. I'm very proud of the Flight Center's flight instructors and training materials, and our overall commitment to the safety of flying. I'm most proud that I was able to bring together so many other people to help me build this magical place.

In 2013, Flight Center member Michael Vowles walked into the office with an idea for a summer scholarship program for high school students. Nine years later, that program has grown to be one of the most successful flight training programs in the country. In June of 2022, the Upwind Foundation will begin its 10th summer of awarding scholarships for ground and flight training to local high school juniors, covering from first flight through to checkride.

So far this year, Upwind has raised $25,800 toward our goal of $66,000. If you haven't made a donation yet this year, we encourage you to come to the Silent Auction fundraiser and go home with some great auction items. Some of the auction items include: Lifetime membership to San Carlos Flight Center and a T34-A Flight over the Bay Area.

To see the full list of donated auction items and experiences, go to the Upwind Foundation auction site at this link.

Membership in FOG is as easy as showing up to any event. To find out about the latest organized FlyOutGroup events, check out our event listing, or go to FlyOutGroup.org.

As always, if you’re interested in attending, please let us know by signing up at RSVP page.

Nothing beats flying on a Friday evening after the workweek, and with the full-moon happening on March 18th, come with FOG to Monterey (MRY) for a dinner at Woody’s at the Airport! Enjoy dinner in the venue 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 in 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. Afterward, you can refresh your night currency at any of the airports on the way back to the Bay Area.

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!