Gillespie Field facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gillespie Field
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FAA airport diagram
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | County of San Diego | ||||||||||||||||||
| Serves | San Diego, California | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | El Cajon, California | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 388 ft / 118 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 32°49′34″N 116°58′21″W / 32.82611°N 116.97250°W | ||||||||||||||||||
| Website | co.san-diego.ca.us/dpw/... | ||||||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||||||
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Location in California
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Location in the United States
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Source: Federal Aviation Administration
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Gillespie Field (IATA: SEE, ICAO: KSEE, FAA LID: SEE) is a public airport in El Cajon, California. It is owned by the County of San Diego. The airport is about 11.5 miles (18.5 km) northeast of downtown San Diego. It serves many different types of aircraft.
Contents
History of Gillespie Field
Gillespie Field has an interesting history that goes back to World War II.
Early Beginnings as a Military Camp
In 1942, the United States Marine Corps chose a large area of land east of San Diego. This land was used for parachute training. It was for new groups of soldiers called Paramarines, who were trained to jump from planes.
In September 1942, the training area was finished. It was named Camp Gillespie to honor Lieutenant Archibald H. Gillespie. He was a Marine officer who helped California become part of the United States in the 1840s. Three very tall towers, each 256 feet high, were built. Paratroopers practiced their jumps from these towers.
Becoming a Marine Airfield
In February 1944, Camp Gillespie became an official military airfield. It was called Marine Corps Auxiliary Airfield Gillespie. It was managed by Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. This airfield also became responsible for another nearby air base, Camp Pendleton Outlying Air Field.
Many different military units used MCAAF Gillespie for training. These included squadrons like VMSB-141 and Air Warning Squadron 10. The United States Navy also trained here with their TBM-3 Avenger torpedo planes.
Transition to a Public Airport
After the war, in 1946, the airfield was given to San Diego County. It then became a general aviation facility. This means it was used by private planes and smaller aircraft.
In 1952, the federal government officially gave ownership of the airport to the County.
In 1955, the County leased out a large piece of land next to the airport. This land became the Cajon Speedway by 1961. Car races were held there until 2004. After that, the County began expanding the airport onto some of this land in 2005.
Modern Uses and Services
In 1971, the County Sheriff's Department started using the airport. They based their helicopter law enforcement unit, called ASTREA, there.
In 1993, the San Diego Aerospace Museum opened a special area at the field. Here, they restore old aircraft and have exhibits for people to visit.
Airport Facilities and Operations
Gillespie Field is quite large, covering about 758 acres (307 hectares). It has three asphalt runways for planes to take off and land.
- Runway 9L/27R: 5,342 feet long and 100 feet wide.
- Runway 9R/27L: 2,738 feet long and 60 feet wide.
- Runway 17/35: 4,145 feet long and 100 feet wide.
Aircraft Activity
In 2016, the airport had a lot of activity. There were 226,887 aircraft operations in one year. This means about 622 planes took off or landed each day!
Most of these operations (99.8%) were "general aviation." This includes private planes, flight training, and business flights. A small number were "air taxi" flights (like small charter planes) or military flights.
At that time, 547 aircraft were based at the airport. Most of these (86%) were single-engine planes. There were also multi-engine planes, helicopters, jets, and even gliders.
San Diego Air & Space Museum Gillespie Field Annex
Gillespie Field is home to a special part of the San Diego Air & Space Museum. This is called the Gillespie Field Annex. It's where the museum restores old aircraft.
You can visit this annex and see many cool vintage and modern planes on display. For example, there's an Atlas ICBM rocket that acts as a "gate guard." You can also see a restored F-102A Delta Dagger jet. There's even a Grumman F-14A Tomcat that was used in the movie Top Gun: Maverick! 32°49′42″N 116°57′58″W / 32.828421°N 116.966146°W
Past Incidents at Gillespie Field
Like any busy airport, Gillespie Field has had some incidents.
- On September 12, 1988, a US Navy F-14 jet had mechanical problems. It crashed into two hangars at Gillespie Field. Three people on the ground and the two pilots were injured. Many aircraft and vehicles were damaged or destroyed.
- On December 27, 2021, a Learjet 35 aircraft had a serious accident. It crashed into a neighborhood east of El Cajon while trying to land. Sadly, everyone on board was lost.
See also
In Spanish: Gillespie Field para niños
- Gillespie Field station
- List of airports in California
- List of United States Marine Corps installations
- AirShow San Diego, an annual airshow, formerly known as "Wings Over Gillespie"
