“If we had royalty in the United States, then Rod Machado would be the Prince of General Aviation. He sets the gold standard for accomplishments and for being a kind human being who helps others.” That’s what I wrote about Rod in one of my books. If you are in the S.F. Bay area next weekend, run, drive, fly, hitchhike or swim to the San Carlos Airport to meet Rod and hear him speak on Friday night.
If you’ve never heard Rod speak then you’re in for a real treat. He’s one of the funniest aviation speakers on the planet, so it’s bound to be hilarious evening. He will be honored on November 1 in San Carlos, CA at an Aero Club of Northern California dinner event. And it's all for charity. Tickets just cover the price of dinner, but the Silent Auction...well that's where the action is at. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Rod is a flight instructor’s flight instructor. Flying since 1970 and instructing since 1973, he has taught for more than 8,000 hours in the air. He has taught hundreds of flight instructor revalidation clinics and safety seminars and he was the 1991 Western Region Flight Instructor of the Year.
He is also a professional speaker who delights audiences with his humor and intellect. His presentations include topics as diverse as Risk Assessment, Defensive Flying and Handling In-flight Emergencies. For six years, Rod wrote and co-anchored ABC’s Wide World of Flying. He is AOPA’s National CFI spokesman and a National Aviation Safety Counselor appointed by the FAA in Washington D.C. If you use Microsoft’s Flight Simulator, you’ll recognize him as the flight instructor voice and the author of the flight lesson tutorials in the book that comes with the software. He also writes monthly columns in AOPA Pilot and Flight Training magazine.
In addition to coming to the dinner to say hello to Rod...bring your checkbook or credit card to help raise money for scholarships for students in S.F. Bay Area college aviation programs. Last year the silent auction raised nearly $10,000 and the Aero Club is presenting a total of $8,000 in scholarships to four recipients at the dinner.
Platinum sponsor Scheyden has donated one of their first Limited Edition True Aviator timepieces for a live auction at the event. The Scheyden True Aviator features Swiss Movement, UTC / World Time Zones / Airport Codes/ Chronograph, Digital IFR Timer, Wet Compass, Wing Root Design Bracelet with Locking Tri-Fold Clasp, AND the first ever “Aide Memoire ATIS Bezel” for remembering ATIS alpha codes. Scheyden is best known for precision eyewear and this newly announced $2,992 timepiece is their first entry in the pilot watch market.
Check out the list of four dozen silent auction items that includes airline tickets, aviation headsets, training materials, AvGas, and a P-51 ride!
To get a flavor for what's been called the premier aviation event in the Bay area, check out this video from the 2011 dinner event.
Print the dinner reservation form now and mail it in today. Sorry, no reservations at the door! Dinner is $70 for members and $85 for non-members. And you can join as a member to get the discount. Dinner includes wine and beer. For questions or late reservations, call 408-634-8062.
Come join us for a night to remember!
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