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Member News
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Welcome New Members
Jeanne Depman
Markus Guittap
Pete Mulligan
Richard Parry
Marco Reguilon
Stanislav Vitko
Matvey Zubkov
Member Achievements
Brandan Dadoun Private Pilot
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Pop Quiz
A fun monthly
knowledge test.
Editor: Dan Dyer
1. In contrast with taxiway markings, runway markings are- yellow.
- white.
- omnidirectional blue.
2. Why does the runway threshold at San Carlos have six longitudinal stripes disposed symmetrically about the runway centerline?
- To indicate the runway is 75' wide
- To indicate that the control tower is not in continuous operation
- To indicate a full runway stopping distance between 2,500 and 3,000 feet.
3. What are the rectangular box markings located on each side of the runway centerline approximately 1,000 feet from the landing threshold on some runways?
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Runway/runway hold short markings
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ILS critical areas
- Aiming point markings
(answers are at the bottom)
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Upcoming
SCFC Events and Safety Seminars
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Mar 3 (Wed) 7pm
4 Things You Should Have Learned in Your First 10 Hours
Mar 10 (Wed) 7pm
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Upcoming 
Events & Trips
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Mar 11-16 (Thu-Tue)
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The Fleet
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C182 - TAA
N123TZ - $228/hr
N182EE - $234/hr
C182 - Analog N9894E - $195/hr
N236SP - $165/hr
N21591 - $165/hr
N996RA - $154/hr
N2370F - $154/hr
C152
N111RK - $125/hr
N530CA - $125/hr
N5369H - $121/hr
N669NE - $125/hr
Simulators
(member prices shown)
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Contact Us
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Front Desk
(650) 946-1700
info@sancarlosflight.com
795 Skyway Rd, Suite A
San Carlos, CA 94070
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Stay Informed
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SCFC News
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9th Anniversary - Happy Birthday SCFC!
Today marks the 9th anniversary of San Carlos Flight Center. Most of our pilot members may not remember back to the days we first opened our clubhouse doors in the old Skyway Building down the road. At that time, the SF Bay Area had a handful of old-style flying clubs with pooled aircraft and not much beyond that. Flying was largely an individual experience and not much went into a shared sense of community in aviation.
 SCFC changed all of that. Within months, SCFC's passionate commitment to enhanced aircraft and pilot safety, our active calendar of pilot celebrations and events that bring the airport community together, and our leadership in creating adventurous flyout trips around the Western United States had transformed general aviation in Northern California. Now, many flight schools and flying club in the SF Bay Area and around the country look to San Carlos Flight Center as a leader in rejuvenating aviation for today's generation.
We couldn't have done it without you! Thank you to all the pilots, instructors, aircraft owners, and members who come together to make the Flight Center unique and share our gifts with the world.
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Completing a Year of COVID
It's hard to imagine that we would still be reeling from the impact of the global pandemic that is COVID-19. SCFC first shut the office on March 16, 2020 in response to an emergency directive from the County of San Mateo, after the absence of any real effort to keep the virus from taking hold in the US. After a year of business disruption, changes to our social norms, and sadly many cases of disease, disability, and death, California and the US are only at the beginning of a return to normalcy.
We are proud of the way SCFC pilots have adjusted their behaviors to allow us to protect each other, while still enjoying aviation. We hope that the vaccination rollout is gaining steam, and look forward to the day when we can again gather in groups and celebrate aviation together. Stay safe, we are almost through this.
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Safety
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VFR Chart Update - Changes to Cycle Dates
The FAA recently changed the update cycle for VFR charts from semi-annually to every 56 days. This 56 day cycle matches the update cycle of other FAA chart products (e.g. IFR Enroute Charts, TPPs, Chart Supplement.). The benefit of this change includes a reduction in the number of NOTAMs and elimination of the Chart Bulletins because the charts will be updated more often. Digital chart users will notice more frequent need for downloading charts compounded by the fact that all charts expire on the same day.
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Staying Safe with ADS-B Out
It has been a while since the ADS-B mandate has been in effect so it may no longer be forefront in your mind.
 The SCFC fleet has been ADS-B out compliant for a long time but proper procedures must be followed.
 Two of the airplanes in our fleet (6DW and 70F) have an ADS-B out solution that requires that the navigation lights be turned ON immediately after start. Those airplanes use a product from uAvionix that is powered by the wires running to either the wing navigation light or the tail navigation light. To power on the ADS-B transmitter, electrical power must be running to those lights.
On these aircraft, we have placed a placard that says that the navigation lights must be on. So do your part and turn those navigation lights on for every flight.
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 CAL Fire: Fighting California's Wildfires from the Air
CAL FIRE is the leading aerial firefighting force, protecting California and the rest of the world throughout major fire-seasons. With hundreds of aircraft and pilots, it takes a team to keep people safe.
Join Chief of Flight Operations Stu Sprung to provide an insight of their daily operations, a summary of the types of aircraft used, and a description of the various mission profiles flown in fire areas. Stu will highlight typical conflicts between CAL FIRE and GA aircraft in and around the "Fire Traffic Area" and provide recommendations to mitigate them.
Fire season is approaching, and SCFC encourages all Northern California pilots to tune in this livestream event to gain important insights into the aerial firefighting operations of CAL FIRE.
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Community
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Member Profile: Amir Kaspi
SCFC: People are drawn to aviation for many different reasons. What motivated you to begin flight training?
AK: I was looking for a new hobby that would challenge me and open a door to a new experiences, and aviation was the perfect fit. I love the mix of academic learning, real life practice, and the thrill of flying.
 SCFC: Pilots need to have attention to detail and the desire to detect and eliminate risk. What other aspects of your life have influenced your pilot ability?
AK: I served in the Israeli Air Force many years ago and I think that period trained me to have great attention to detail and to make the best decision under tight timelines and a lot of pressure. This experience comes in handy when you fly a plane.
SCFC: What maneuver, or knowledge item did you find the most challenging during your private pilot training? How did you finally master it?AK: Short-field landing was one of the more challenging maneuvers for me, but once I internalized that maintaining your speed is the key to success, it became easier.
SCFC: What flying adventures are you looking forward to going on?
AK: Someday, I would like to take the family on an aerial "road trip" through Alaska.
 SCFC: In what ways did the life changes resulting from COVID affect your training path?
AK: It took me more time to complete my private pilot training and obtain my license, but I realized that getting to the end was a marathon not a sprint.
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Welcome to New SCFC Mechanics
 San Carlos Flight Center continues to grow to meet the needs of more members. We have added new aircraft, new instructors, and continue to add new members to our SCFC Maintenance team.
Last month, we welcomed in two new mechanics, Matthew Jacuzzi and Jurrel Malilay, to the larger team. SCFC takes pride in finding great people with the right attitude and providing them oversight and training in Flight Center quality and effectiveness to build their skills and enhance the club's operation.
The best way to keep our growing community feeling as social and friendly as we have for the last decade is to introduce yourself and say "Hi" to anyone you haven't yet met. Through our shared experience, we all make this club great!
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Finally, a New Voice on ATIS - Welcome Donna!
 ATIS recordings at towered airport allow pilots to receive critical local weather and procedural information "off frequency" - meaning without taking up time on the congested tower control frequency. ATIS should be checked prior to taxi on departure, and prior to initial contact with ATC before arriving into tower controlled airspace.
For whatever reasons, SQL pilots have often struggled for years to interpret and understand our local recorded ATIS. Multiple complaints and requests for change have been ignored as recordings were regularly mumbled or sped through at the speed of an impatient livestock auctioneer closing a sale. It's been years. Pilots had begun to give up, and were regularly forced to listen to the ATIS recording multiple times to ensure that important safety information hadn't been missed.
Recently, a new controller has joined SQL's contract tower with a different approach. Donna's measured, professional ATIS recordings have been a welcome relief to pilots, and hopefully a new indication that the experience of pilots matters to our partners in the control tower. Welcome Donna!
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Adventure
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IFR New Moon Flyers (March 11-16)
 A new moon creates very little light at night, giving instrument pilots or students an opportunity to practice night-IFR flying even in VFR conditions. Between March 11-16, fly out to Castle Airport (KMER) in the Central Valley and practice some instrument approaches, including an ILS and GPS approach. The flight from the Bay Area is considered a cross-country, and crosses some uninhabited terrain, creating the illusion of flying in a zero-visibility environment. Don't miss this opportunity to knock out some of your IFR currency and night currency in one flight.
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 California's Death Valley in Bloom
Death Valley can be a very unforgiving place, with high temperatures, barren deserts, and little water or shade. However, each Spring, desert wildflowers bloom in a mosaic of color, transforming the Valley into a giant garden. Combined with the cooler temperatures and moderate climate, this is the perfect time to take a socially-distanced trip to one of America's most unique National Parks. As such, the FOG challenge this month is to fly down to Death Valley and capture images of the wildflower bloom in action, from both the air and the ground. Submit your images to the FOG email for a chance to be featured in a recap at the end of the month.
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Airport of the Month: Marina (KOAR)
 Often overlooked by larger Watsonville to the north and Monterey to the south, Marina is a scenic non-towered airport to fly to. With a runway overlooking the water, even doing pattern work will be a great flying experience. For instrument pilots or students, the airport has two GPS approaches to practice with, as well as an Obstacle Departure Procedure. The airport is also close to the beach, so a walk or rideshare ride can complete a fun day out on a pristine piece of California coastline.
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