BAY FLIGHT 2018 To Be Held On Saturday, October 27

On Saturday, October 27th, San Carlos Flight Center, SCFC, will host a full day conference for San Francisco Bay area general aviation pilots. Launching a new annual conference, “BAY FLIGHT 2018” will feature safety seminars, panel discussions, and speakers for pilots interested in staying current about the latest topics in aviation, learning new skills and techniques, and hearing from leaders in the field. Taking place at the Seaport Conference Center in Redwood City, CA, the event will be anchored by a keynote address by Rod Machado. The pilots, aircraft owners, controllers, and educators in attendance will be able to choose between three tracks of panels, presentations, and seminars, ending the day with an Air Traffic Control panel discussion on ways to improve pilot/controller communication.

“When AOPA shut down the annual AOPA Summit, general aviation pilots lost an important annual event for news, education, and for building a sense of community,” said Dan Dyer, Chief Pilot at San Carlos Flight Center and an organizer of the conference. “Flying clubs like ours play a part in bringing pilots together, but more needs to be done. We hope BAY FLIGHT brings together pilots from all over the area.”

BAY FLIGHT 2018 is the natural extension of San Carlos Flight Center’s active safety seminar and guest speaker program. For more than 6 years, the San Carlos Flight Center has hosted events every Wednesday evening and every Saturday at noon at their office at San Carlos Airport. The events welcome local pilots for ongoing training, discussion, and exposure to the latest and greatest in general aviation, and has become the center of the pilot community at San Carlos Airport. Each year, more than 2,300 Bay Area pilots attend one or more events at San Carlos Flight Center.

The inaugural BAY FLIGHT 2018 event begins at 9:00 AM Saturday morning with a kick-off presentation by noted aviation educator and humorist, Rod Machado. “I am thrilled that we finally have a venue large enough to invite Rod Machado in to speak to us,” said Dave Kramer, FAASTeam Member and Seminar Coordinator at SCFC. “We have had many great presenters over the years, but we have always hoped someday to welcome in Mr. Machado.”

The day continues with 12 breakout sessions and seminars in three tracks. Some of the seminar topics are pulled from the most popular and oft-repeated safety seminar topics at the San Carlos Flight Center.

Avionics and flight technology also feature prominently in the program with a presentation by Ryan McBride, Lead Product Designer at ForeFlight, and an ADS-B update from Jason Miller from the Finer Points of Flying podcast and website. Hot topics in the industry will be covered in a seminar on electric airplanes by Cory Combs, co-founder of Ampaire, and Joseph Oldham, founder of the Sustainable Aviation Project in Central California. Another seminar, presented by Dan DeMeo of Rabbit Aviation, will cover the current status of unleaded fuel in aviation.

“Radio communication is a skill pilots are always working to improve, even for long-time pilots,” said Herb Patten, a local Commercial pilot and CFI, “so two of the seminars are focused on radio communications.” Other seminars include an accident and safety update from Michael Huhn from the National Transportation Safety Board, and local weather guidance from aviation meteorology specialist Ashley Helmetag. “The event brings together a powerhouse of presenters with valuable information to share,” concluded Patten. True to the emphasis on radios and safety, the formal events of the conference concludes with a panel discussion by local ATC representatives on ways to improve pilot and controller communication.

After the panel, attendees are invited to stay around for an afternoon social hour to meet the presenters, discuss what they’ve heard, see old friends, and make new ones. Organizers hope that BAY FLIGHT 2018 will be a celebration of general aviation for San Francisco Bay Area pilots, and meet San Carlos Flight Center’s mission to increase safety, build community, and create adventure.

Online registration for BAY FLIGHT 2018 opened on May 4th. Early Bird discounts apply before July 31st.

(Source: San Carlos Flight Center news release)

FMI: bayflight18.com