Santa Maria, the gateway to Southern California, and the beautiful Santa Ynez valley is a great destination airport for many reasons. From the beautiful wineries, to the blissful beaches and tasty BBQ joints; this is a pilot’s dream.

Santa Maria is a short flight from the Bay Area and a perfect destination for either students trying to log their long cross country time, or pilots seeking a great weekend getaway. Where else can you request to taxi directly to your hotel? Or walk from the airport to the beach? Dan Dyer, Chief Pilot at San Carlos Flight Center will reveal the plethora of opportunities, adventures, and points of interests in and around Santa Maria. Dan will review suggested routes of flight, highlight local operations at KSMX, and provide tips on how to efficiently and safely operate at this airport.

If you are interested in joining the FOG trip to Santa Maria on March 27th or you are just interested in a new destination, plan on attending this seminar.

In some ways, learning to fly is largely about learning to land. Pilots of small planes need to perform at least one safe landing on nearly every flight. It’s the type of skill that is learned once, and then perfected for the rest of a pilot’s life. How are your landings? Would you like to hear a few secrets to landing that can help you improve your landing ability?

Join Chief Pilot Dan Dyer for discussion about landing philosophy and some insider tips on perfecting your landings. In this seminar, learn about the two halves to the flare, the actual role of the pilot (you may be surprised), how important it is to look good, and the critical importance of time spent at altitude playing with the horizon.

This presentation may be of value to student pilots working on learning to land for the first time, but also may offer insights to experienced pilots looking to take their landing ability to the next level. If you want your passengers to be happy about your landings, do not miss this seminar.

Keeping an airport strong takes a lot of hard work. The airplane owners and pilots of San Carlos Airport are fortunate to have a great team from San Mateo County maintaining and protecting the airport. Issues are addressed instantly, from runway surface issues to refurbishing the hangars and limiting neighboring construction against flight operations.

SCFC periodically invites SQL Airport Managers to update the pilot community on anything that can impact the safety of flight operations. What upcoming closures can pilots expect? What changes can pilots expect to operating rules and procedures? What is the status of work to improve traffic pattern coverage by the contract control tower?

If you fly at San Carlos Airport, this presentation will bring you current with the latest news and information for pilots coming from the SQL Airport Management office.

Flying IFR brings its own sets of challenges. From managing your navigation to handling the radios, and flying the approach into your destination airport. As pilots, we need to be familiar with all the necessary information about our flight before we fly it. Before you fly your next IFR flight, join us to learn more about approach plates, and how you can gain the most amount of knowledge and information out of them.

San Carlos Flight Center invites Brian Elliot, a Senior CFI, and seasoned IFR Pilot, to discuss how a pilot can retain the most amount of information about an approach plate in the shortest amount of time, and most efficiently. Flying along in the clouds, and glancing down to look at the approach plate for the first time can be uncomfortable and nerve-racking. In this seminar, learn how to digest all the information you’ll need for the IFR approach into your destination.

If you are a seasoned IFR pro, or just getting into it; you don’t want to miss out on this excellent opportunity to fly the approach your best, and learn the most out of an approach plate.

Palo Alto Airport is the busiest GA airport in the Bay Area. Palo Alto is unique with new taxiways, complicated airspace, and forever changing conditions. Along with any airport, Palo Alto brings its own sets of challenges and we want local pilots to be aware of what has changed.

San Carlos Flight Center invites Brian Fisher the PAO Tower Manager to talk about Palo Alto’s new airport layout, runway safety, and the new procedures. Palo Alto just underwent a major overhaul of almost all their taxiways, and it can be extremely confusing for some pilots. In this seminar, Brian will talk about how you as pilots can safely operate at Palo Alto Airport, what ATC expects of pilots, and how to stay vigilant while flying in and out of Palo Alto. Brian will also answer questions that pilots might have about airport operations, procedures, or airspace.

With Palo Alto ever so increasing in popularity, we encourage all Bay Area Pilots to attend this seminar. Know what to expect on your next flight to PAO and don’t miss out on this opportunity.

From piston props to jumbo jets, many people dream of becoming an airline pilot. But what does it take to get there? Randall Walliser has been involved in aviation for as long as he can remember and knows what it takes to get and hold the dream position.

Long ago, Randall flew as a member at San Carlos Flight Center, eventually became a flight instructor, and then progressed to the airlines. We have invited him back to tell us about his latest adventure, as a commercial pilot for SkyWest Airlines. In this seminar, Randall will share what it took to secure his spot in the world of airlines, and share his thoughts about how to get there most efficiently. For many aspiring pilots, this might seem like a difficult task and could deter many, but by attending this seminar you’ll discover ways to overcome barriers.

We encourage anybody who has ever dreamed of becoming an airline pilot to attend this seminar and see for yourself what it takes. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to see how you can obtain the job of your dreams.

It’s 2020. There are all manner of useful devices for working on cars and airplanes. But pilots and mechanics should know the hidden dangers.

Aviation fuels, lubricants, and cleaners are combustible and can build up fumes in enclosed spaces. Pilots and mechanics working on aircraft should know the hazards that electric tools can pose in a fume-filled environment.

SCFC has invited Chuck Jones, FAASTeam Program Manager for airworthiness from the San Jose FSDO to cover this topic. Chuck flew with the sheriff’s department in Florida before moving to Michigan and eventually California. He has owned a couple of helicopters and 2 1/2 airplanes. He started in aviation early, both as a pilot and a mechanic in Mesa AZ, at a Falcon Field FBO owned by his family. He was a crew chief in the Marine Corps and had a variety of jobs in the airlines.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn about the most effective tools for airplane repairs that have the least risk of ruining your airplane.

Flying along, you might think it’s a beautiful crisp winter day until suddenly you take a peek at the beautiful scenery below and see frost on your wingtip. What are you going to do next? Do you know all the hazards of frost and icing?

San Carlos Flight Center invites Dave Kramer, an experienced instrument rated pilot, and avid weather specialist to talk about how frost and icing can affect an airplane. With atmospheric moisture, comes the hazards of icing. Other than a thunderstorm, nothing else is so detrimental to flight. California, because of it’s warmer winters, is notorious for icing. How can we predict it and where can we find it? In this seminar, anyone will be able to gain a better understanding for how frost and ice forms, how to avoid it, and what to do if you get it.

Join Dave as he discusses these important topics from a pilot’s viewpoint. If you are an aspiring IFR pilot or a seasoned Instrument rated pro, you won’t want to miss this seminar.

Most people are used to the idea of school-based flight simulators in flight training, especially for an instrument rating. But there are many great reasons to take advantage of home-based flight simulators to build confidence and enhance your training. Flight simulators are easy to use, extremely helpful, and can cater to any situation.

SCFC invites Brandan Dadoun a Student Pilot, and John Lindstrom a Private Pilot, who both have actively used flight simulators throughout their flying careers, to share how it’s benefited them in becoming better pilots. In this seminar, we will cover the vast amount of flight simulation applications that you can use at home; how to set it up; and how to get the most out of it. Flight simulation has been around for a long time and has proved extremely helpful for many aspiring to become a better pilot. Along with flight simulation being an excellent procedural trainer, pilots can also practice their radio skills by talking with real Air Traffic Controllers. The possibilities are endless.

If you want to become a better pilot, gain confidence, and discover many new things that you might have never known; you do not want to miss this seminar.

Each year, EAA holds the world’s most renowned airshow in Oshkosh. This event boasts thousands of unique aircraft, presenters, and new learning experiences. Ambitious pilots may consider flying themselves to the show. If it’s your first time, you may wonder what does it take to create a flight plan across the country, to fly one of the most challenging arrival procedures, and most importantly to land safely?

San Carlos Flight Center invites Oliver Coolidge, an experienced Oshkosh Pilot and CFI, to talk to our local pilots about how to fly safely and efficiently into the “world’s busiest airport”. For one week each summer, EAA members and aviation enthusiasts totaling more than 500,000 from more than 60 countries attend EAA AirVenture at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where they rekindle friendships and celebrate the past, present and future in the world of flight. “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration ” has it all when it comes to aircraft, you certainly won’t want to miss out. For many, arriving at Oshkosh is a rite of passage that can only be satisfied by being one of the more than 10,000 aircraft flying in, landing at what becomes the busiest airport in the world. It can be a challenging experience, but after attending this seminar, we are sure that you will feel more confident in your flying abilities.

Whether you’re an aviation enthusiast or an aviation novice, AirVenture has something for you. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn more about this event, and more importantly learn how you can safely and efficiently plan flight across the country, and arrive at Oshkosh. Experience AirVenture with us. Your spot along the flightline is waiting for you.