The inaugural Bay Flight 2018 conference will feature safety seminars, panel discussions, and speakers for pilots interested in staying current about a variety of topics. Bay Flight 2018 will be held on Saturday, October 27 (starting at 9 am) at the Seaport Conference Center in Redwood City, Calif.
Flight instructor and inspirational humorist Rod Machado will kick-off the conference. “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 San Carlos Flight Center.
Bay Flight 2018 is the natural extension of San Carlos Flight Center’s active safety seminar and guest speaker program. For more than six years, the San Carlos Flight Center has hosted events every Wednesday evening and every Saturday at noon at their office at the 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.
Following Machado’s presentation, the day continues with 12 breakout sessions and seminars in three tracks.
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.
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 is open. Early Bird discounts apply before July 31.