CFI Finishing School for Flight Instructors

SCFC announces an advanced follow-on program for flight instructors looking to improve their knowledge and training skills - CFI Finishing School. Although many CFI training programs exist in the country to help pilots quickly pass the FAA tests and receive their certificate, there are few that take instructors to the depth of knowledge they will need to handle quality students like the ones we get at San Carlos Flight Center. 

After years, of heavily investing in their own CFI new-hire programs, SCFC is now opening up this advanced training to instructors from other airports and other schools. At CFI Finishing School, we deep dive into aerodynamics so that new CFIs absolutely can understand it, and more importantly can teach it. Real understanding, beyond the rote answers required for the FAA Knowledge Test.

The program also includes tips for how flight instruction should unfold in the aircraft to help students reach their full pilot competency. What first fundamentals are critical to a student’s first few flights. How you can take even basic maneuvers and use them to make your students better at landing. Why the sequencing and grouping of flight education is important. It’s a whole week of things you should have learned but likely weren’t taught in your quick CFI program.

The week-long program costs $500, and the next class will be offered Monday October 24th – Friday October 28th and San Carlos Flight Center.

For more information, check our website or call us at (650) 946-1700 to reserve your space.

Private Pilot Ground School begins new cycle - Oct 2 (Sun) or Oct 4 (Tue)

If you missed our summer session, now is the perfect time to jump in the left seat and take off. Private Pilot Ground School starts this week (Sunday Oct 2 and Tuesday Oct 4).

The classes are delivered in a highly interactive manner with content that is constantly being updated and is relevant to flying in the Bay Area. The training not only prepares you for the knowledge test but provides a solid foundation for the oral portion of the checkride. Some unique features include:

• Flexible - sessions are taught two times per week on Sunday morning and Tuesday evening.
• Fun - meet and interact with other students.
• Fantastic value including bonus sessions:
• Tour and visit with SQL tower controllers,
• Hands on with the SCFC maintenance team to explore under the engine cowling,
• Workshops to apply XC skills and use weather briefing tools

Sign up on our website to confirm your seat in the class that will get your aviation dreams off the  ground.

Scheduling Recurring Lessons in FSP

Developing a new skill like learning to fly is challenging but is also very fun. Flight training does require a commitment and regular training to develop the necessary skills. One way to help with your training is to set aside a regular time on the calendar for a flight lesson.

A regular lesson time helps in many ways including mentally having a target time for the training and arranging a recurring time with your instructor. Once you have a regular time, the next thing you should do put that on Flight Schedule Pro as a recurring lesson. To do that, make a new reservation, check the box labeled “recurring?”, chose a recurrence pattern such as weekly and then the day of the week. Remember to include an airplane as well as your instructor.

What happens if you can’t make one of the recurring lessons? You can simply cancel just that one reservation. Remember to give your instructor as much time as you can but no less than 24 hours. It is better to have a series of recurring lessons and have to cancel one, then trying to schedule a lesson and finding that your instructor is not available. 

If you need help setting up a recurring lesson, ask your CFI or contact the Front Desk at 650-946-1700.

Runway 12 Operations

Although the Bay Area does not experience brutal cold or massive snow storms like other regions, winter still impacts our flight operations. 

One of these impacts is the change in surface winds from usual summer patterns. As fronts move through the area it is common for the winds to shift from northwest to southeast which means the normal runway operations shift. San Carlos will be using Runway 12 while Palo Alto uses Runway 13. 

Before you go out flying on one of these days, think about the changes to procedures that will occur. Arriving to San Carlos from the East and Northeast, expect to enter left base for Runway 12. Departing from Runway 12, expect a Woodside departure rather than a Hillsdale departure. Or a left crosswind departure from Runway 12. Also, follow the noise abatement procedure by turning 20° to heading of 100° when departing Runway 12. 

Operations at Hayward can be tricky when they are using Runway 10 left and right. Due to the close proximity of Oaklands class C airspace, almost every landing is the equivalent of a short approach. Palo Alto operations for Runway 13 may involve arrivals over the Dumbarton Bridge for either a right or left base entry to Runway 13. With proper preflight planning you can anticipate these changes from routine operations.

No PIC for 48 Hours after Booster Shot

As the bivalent COVID-19 booster shots are getting into people's arms this fall, it's important to remember that pilots are prohibited from acting as PIC for 48 hours after receiving each dose. Initial COVID-19 vaccinations, as well as booster shots, all fall under this rule. Should you experience any side effects beyond the 48 hours, ground yourself until you feel back to normal. While you can't fly as PIC, you still do a ground lesson or a dual flight with one of our SCFC CFIs. 

Thank you for doing your part to help end this pandemic.

Do You Know Your IDENT?

We've come a long way since the earliest transponder were used to identify friend vs. foe in combat situations. Today's radar transponders form the backbone of the FAA's air traffic control system. The recent requirement of ADS-B reporting has added many new transponder makes and models.

Across the SCFC fleet, we have many different transponders, all of which by design incorporate an IDENT function that should be easy to locate and use (because it is frequently requested by ATC). For example, on G1000 airplanes, a PFD softkey labeled IDENT is available on all possible PFD menus. Other transponders have a physical IDENT button. Some airplanes have a remotely-mounted IDENT pushbutton on the control wheel or panel.

Where is the IDENT function on your aircraft? Even if you regularly fly SCFC C172s, the first time in a new plane may mean the location of the IDENT function may not be immediately apparent. Take a moment and located this important function. Check with a flight instructor if you are unable to find it on your own. And be sure to also know how to access all the other (less frequently used) transponder functions so that you can properly respond to ATC in all situations.

Understanding C172 Aircraft Systems

As a pilot, you should know the details of the systems for the airplane that you fly. The Vacuum system is a common system in a 172, especially the 6-pack models. 

Here are some additional details that will help you better understand the Vacuum system. As a reminder, the vacuum system spins the gyroscope in the Attitude Indicator and Heading Indicator. Although some of our 172s have electronic instrument for the AI and HI. 

Our 172 6-packs have two vacuum pumps that share the load of maintaining the proper vacuum. You have probably reviewed the schematic diagram in section 7 of the POH that shows the two pumps. These pumps are powered by the rotation of the engine and are attached to the engine’s accessory case.

One key to remember is how the vacuum flows. The pumps draw air from the “vacuum system air filter” which is located inside the cabin and draws that through the instruments before releasing it through the overboard vents on the pumps located inside the engine compartment. 

Having two pumps means that if one fails, the other can handle the load. But knowing the details behind what happens in a failure is useful knowledge. The pumps are interconnected via a manifold, which can be simply thought of as a “T”. Located on the manifold, is a vacuum sensor that can detect when a vacuum pump has failed.

When this occurs, two important things occur. First, the sensor will illuminate the annunciator to indicate a failure. You will either see “L VAC” or “VAC R” to indicate which of the two pumps had failed. The other thing that happens is a check valve on the manifold closes so that the failed vacuum pump doesn’t create an open path which would result in a loss of vacuum.

Knowing the details of the systems in your airplane is great knowledge but also will aid you to understand what happens in the event of a failure.

SCFC Member Profile: Neil Patil

SCFC: When did you first realize you wanted to be a pilot?

NP: It wasn't sudden, but I suppose the early signs were there. As a kid, I carried an obsession with Lego Star Wars and loved those picture books breaking down the anatomy of cars and fighter jets. But being a pilot didn't cross my mind as something ordinary people could do until I moved to the SF Bay Area. 

SCFC: How did you arrive at San Carlos Flight Center for your training?

NP: Going into 2022, I wanted to take on a technical, but structured, challenge, and I figured pilot training would fit that goal. A friend of mine flew out of San Carlos and recommended San Carlos Flight Center.

SCFC: What knowledge area or flight skill came very easily to you? Why??

NP: It sounds a bit nerdy, but I found cross-country flight planning to be a lot of fun. I like geography and have a math background. One of my idle pastimes is to spend hours exploring places on Google Maps. So planning a route and making flight calculations was quite relaxing for me.

SCFC: What memorable flight moments do you have from your Private Pilot training?

NP: My first "good" landing. I struggled quite a bit with landings: every touchdown I did would be flat on the nose, and I spent 3 months (out of 9 total) getting landings right. That first landing successfully holding the nose up was a feeling of relief and satisfaction I won't forget.

SCFC: Do the people in your life treat you with newfound respect and admiration now that you are a pilot?

NP: I suppose so! I'm getting a lot of requests from friends to take them up, and questions about how to start the process themselves. We might see more folks start their training at the Flight Center soon. 

SQL Airport Has a New Community Newsletter - The Friendly Approach

The County of San Mateo has a new quarterly newsletter for the local community, the "Friendly Approach News". It is a new way to communicate with the larger airport community—neighbors, tenants, businesses and other airport users—and to share news and updates about aircraft operations and other activities at San Carlos Airport (SQL) and Half Moon Bay Airport (HAF). 

SQL and HAF provide important services to the County of San Mateo’s bayside and coastal communities. As general aviation "reliever airports" they allow Bay Area commercial-service airports, including San Francisco International, to prioritize airline service. 

SQL is an essential business-focused airport with annual contributions of several million dollars to the local economy and local school districts, which creates 300 jobs and welcomes 100,000 visitors each year to the on-site Hiller Aviation Museum. HAF provides first-responder access to the coast, and is a welcoming destination for both recreational pilots and other visitors to our beautiful coastline and many other nearby attractions.

The County of San Mateo Airports’ team is proud of the work they do in supporting SQL and HAF, and ensuring both airports provide a safe, secure and welcoming environment. Their friendly approach to working with and welcoming all they serve includes prioritizing two-way communications with neighbors and airports’ users.

SQL Airport invites community members to contact the office through the County of San Mateo Airports’ online or via the telephone hotline at (844) 266-6266. To request a direct response to a question or comment, simply indicate this in the Comments section of the online form or as part of the telephone message.

You can see the full inaugural issue of the Friendly Approach newsletter here.

Hiller "Adventure Inspires" - Oct 15 (Sat)

The Hiller Museum is holding their 18th Annual Gala and silent auction fundraiser on Saturday, October 15. The theme this year is "Adventure Inspires" and features keynote speaker Zara Rutherford, the youngest woman to fly solo around the world. 

The sponsored and ticketed event begins with cocktails at 5pm in the newly renovated outdoor museum courtyard, followed by dinner and auction at 6:30pm under an outdoor canopy with heaters. The Museum’s large hangar door will be open for those who wish to explore the museum.

Tickets and more information about this great community event are available at the Hiller Museum website.

Castle Air Museum Open Cockpit Day - Oct 8 (Sat)

October 8th is a special day at the Castle Air Museum – it’s Open Cockpit Day! Castle Air Museum has a wide variety of historic aircraft, and on two days per year, the museum allows visitors to visit the inside of normally off-limits aircraft! Let’s spend a Saturday viewing the insides of these magnificent aircraft, as well as the exteriors in the museum’s beautiful outdoor setting.

The museum is conveniently located next to Castle Airport, which as a former B-52 Air Force base, boasts one of the longest runways in California. The sole 11,800’ foot runway can be seen miles away and is a great place to practice your flare upon landing. It also boasts numerous instrument approaches should you wish to spend some extra time resetting your instrument currency before or after the museum visit. After landing, park at Gemini Flight Support (offering no ramp fees) and walk fifteen minutes to the museum.

At the museum, see aircraft such as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress, SR-71 Blackbird, and the Convair RB-36H Peacemaker, which is the largest mass-produced piston aircraft. Another highlight is a chance to view the museum’s “Hidden Collection” of special exhibits. In addition to the static displays, the museum will open simulators and other fun activities for people of all ages. The museum also offers a food court for lunch along with food trucks.

The museum opens at 9 AM and closes at 4 PM, so feel free to arrive anytime within that window. The museum is fairly large, so plan to stay at least a few hours. It also is mostly outside, so please bring water and sunscreen. Afterward, grab fuel with the FBO, and enjoy a leisurely flight home.

This is always a popular FOG event, so please RSVP early on our website and let us know if you are able to take passengers, in order to allow student pilots to participate.

Full-Moon Flyers Half Moon Bay - Oct 9 (Sun)

On October 9th, make the quick hop over the Santa Cruz Mountains to Half Moon Bay for dinner. The flight is quick from points around the Bay Area but is much faster and less stressful than navigating the traffic on Highway 92. This is a perfect flight to take friends and family on, as it affords stunning views of the local coastline, beaches, and mountains in such a short flight.

After landing, taxi to the small ramp on the southeast side of the airport (located southeast of the taxiway that takes you to Runway 30). Secure your aircraft, and we’ll walk through the gate to meet at Mezza Luna at 7 PM, one of the best restaurants in the town. Enjoy an Italian dinner, complete with classic favorites like pasta and freshly-caught seafood.

While October is often a good time to visit Half Moon Bay, low fog and clouds may prevent VFR traffic from participating. If this is the case, we will alter our destination to Livermore. The FOG coordinator will advise those who registered if a change is needed.

Please RSVP here so we can inform the restaurant of our headcount.

Two Spots Open for FOG Edwards Trips - Oct 14-15 (Fri-Sat)

There are still two spots open for the FlyOutGroup trip to Edwards Air Force Base for the Aerospace Valley Airshow, where participants will be able to get up close with military aircraft on the Flight Line, see a variety of exhibits for all ages, and watch an incredible airshow over the backdrop of the Mojave Desert.

For more information, go to the FOG Event page on our website.