We love our community
San Carlos Airport was established in 1948 at its present location 20 miles south of downtown San Francisco. Between 1940 and 1948, the Airport was located approximately one-half mile southwest, at the site where Best Buy is today. The original airport terminal was constructed in 1917 at the intersection of Terminal Way and Old County Road in San Carlos. Instructors at what was then known as San Carlos Flying Field provided flight training to many pilots, some of whom served in World Wars I and II.
San Carlos Airport is home to approximately 500 aircraft and over 25 aviation related businesses. Typically, San Carlos Airport generates over 130,000 aircraft “operations” per year. Approximately half of the operations are business related or revenue generating. The Airport is an important business and transportation asset to the community. Local businesses use their own aircraft or local air charter services to be more efficient, productive and competitive in their business markets.
San Carlos Airport provides a variety of emergency service and response functions including Air-Ambulance, Medivac flights, law enforcement patrols and it provides a base for other important emergency service activities and government agencies that add to the safety and security of the community.
The Airport is self-funded through airport user and business fees and receives no money from the County’s General Fund. Aviation is a significant employer in San Mateo County and the Airport provides an important source of education and training for the pilots, mechanics and airport employees that fill the jobs in this industry.
Disaster Airlift Response Team at San Carlos Airport
The San Carlos Airport Association is pleased to announce that we are working with the Half Moon Bay Pilots Association on becoming part of the San Mateo County Disaster Airlift Response Team (DART) and a supporter of the California Disaster Airlift Response Team...
A Flying Career that Began at San Carlos Airport
Editor's introduction: Steve Olsen learned to fly at San Carlos Airport (SQL) in 1966 and was a certified flight instructor at West Bay Aviation at SQL for over four years (Aug. 15, 1967 to Dec. 31, 1971), accumulating 3959 hours before moving on to a career in the...
Bob Lane’s Emergencies (c. 1969)
Editor's introduction: Bob Lane was a highly skilled pilot and instructor who operated the West Bay Aviation flight school at San Carlos Airport in the 1960's and early 1970's. Steve Olsen is a pilot and certified flight instructor who was mentored by Bob and went on...
Belmont Airport
Belmont Airport was established sometime in the 1930s. Also known as Belmont Landing Field and Central Airport, it was a beehive of aviation activity in the pre-war San Francisco Bay area. A newspaper story describes the first airmail flight from Belmont on May...
Why is that parking area called “Piombo?”
The above photo shows the Piombo Construction Company shed that was on the site of today's Samtrans South Base Maintenance and Operations Facility. In the early 1950's Piombo was asked to bid on paving the runway at San Carlos Airport. In exchange for doing that...
Applications due for $5000 Flight Training Scholarships
5/2/18: Applications due for $5000 Flight Training Scholarships Last Chance for Students to Apply for a High School Flight Training Scholarship! The You Can Fly High School Aviation Initiative is helping high school students, ages 15 to 18, reach...
Community Airports Help Attack CA Wildfires
Read how nearby community airports helped attack recent wildfires in Southern California at https://goo.gl/fHGLbW Flames and smoke rise near California’s Santa Paula Airport, a base of operations for firefighters battling the nearby Thomas Fire. Photo...
San Carlos Pilots Provide Free Community Service
We are pleased to refer you to the recent article in the Six Fifty blog to learn about the community of volunteer pilots at San Carlos Airport who provide a wide range of free community services that include flying donated organs, medical patients,...
