View source for Gillespie Field

{{Other uses|Gillespie Field (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox airport
| name         = Gillespie Field
| image        = SEE - FAA airport diagram.gif
| image-width  = 150
| caption      = FAA airport diagram
| IATA         = SEE
| ICAO         = KSEE
| FAA          = SEE
| type         = Public
| owner        = [[San Diego County, California|County of San Diego]]
| operator     =
| city-served  = [[San Diego, California]]
| location     = [[El Cajon, California]]
| elevation-f  = 388
| elevation-m  = 118
| coordinates  = {{coord|32|49|34|N|116|58|21|W|type:airport_region:US|display=inline,title}}
| website      = [http://co.san-diego.ca.us/dpw/airports/gillespie.html co.san-diego.ca.us/dpw/...]
| pushpin_map = USA California#USA
| pushpin_map_caption = 
| pushpin_label = '''SEE'''
| pushpin_label_position = right
| r1-number    = 9L/27R
| r1-length-f  = 5,342
| r1-length-m  = 1,628
| r1-surface   = Asphalt
| r2-number    = 9R/27L
| r2-length-f  = 2,738
| r2-length-m  = 835
| r2-surface   = Asphalt
| r3-number    = 17/35
| r3-length-f  = 4,145
| r3-length-m  = 1,263
| r3-surface   = Asphalt
| stat-year    = 2016
| stat1-header = Aircraft operations
| stat1-data   = 226887
| stat2-header = Based aircraft
| stat2-data   = 547
| footnotes    = Source: [[Federal Aviation Administration]]<ref name=FAA>{{FAA-airport|ID=SEE|use=PU|own=PU|site=02165.*A}}, effective 2016-12-31</ref>
}}

'''Gillespie Field''' {{Airport codes|SEE|KSEE|SEE}} is a county-owned public [[airport]] in [[El Cajon, California]]. It is located 11.5 miles (18.5&nbsp;km; 10 nmi) northeast of [[downtown San Diego]].<ref name=FAA/>

==History==
: ''Section reference dates.''<ref>[http://www.co.san-diego.ca.us/dpw/airports/gillespie.html Gillespie Field] (San Diego County web page)</ref>
In 1942 the [[United States Marine Corps]] chose a site with {{convert|688|acre|ha|lk=on}} east of [[San Diego]] for parachute training for the newly forming [[Paramarines|parachute battalions]]. In September 1942, '''Camp Gillespie''' was completed and named in honor of Lieutenant [[Archibald H. Gillespie]], a Marine officer who played a prominent role in the effort to separate California from [[Mexico]] in the 1840s.<ref>Shettle(200):97</ref> Three {{convert|256|ft}} high towers were built from which the paratroopers practiced their jumps.<ref name= MilMus>{{cite web|title=San Diego Metropolitan Area during World War II|url=http://www.militarymuseum.org/SDWW2.html|work=California State Military Museum|accessdate= 15 July 2016}}</ref>

In February 1944, the camp was commissioned as Marine Corps Auxiliary Airfield Gillespie under the command of [[Marine Corps Air Station El Toro]].  MCAAF Gillespie soon became responsible for [[Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton|Camp Pendleton Outlying Air Field]].  Among the units that transited and trained at MCAAF Gillespie were [[VMSB-141]], [[List of United States Marine Corps aviation support units#Assault Air Warning Squadrons|Air Warning Squadron 10]] and the [[United States Navy|Navy's]] [[Grumman TBF Avenger|TBM-3 Avenger]] torpedo squadron VT-37.<ref name="Shettle200:98">Shettle(200):98</ref><ref name= MilMus/><ref name= xxx>{{cite web |url= http://www.midamericaflightmuseum.org/Avenger1.pdf |publisher= Mid America Flight Museum |title= Aircraft History Card N5260V General Motors - Eastern Aircraft Division  TBM-3E Avenger U.S. Navy Bu. No. 91726 |accessdate= 15 July 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160817074150/http://www.midamericaflightmuseum.org/Avenger1.pdf |archive-date= 17 August 2016 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

[[File:Avenger at 2012 Wings over Gillespe.jpg|thumb|left|Grumman TBF Avenger on the tarmac at the 2012 Wings Over Gillespie airshow]]

In 1946 the airfield was turned over to [[San Diego County]] and became a general aviation facility.<ref name="Shettle200:98"/>

In 1952 the County was granted ownership of the facility by the federal government.

In 1955, the County granted a 50-year lease for {{convert|180|acre|ha}} of land adjacent, to the south, of the airport, which became the Cajon Speedway by 1961.<ref name=Speedway>{{cite news |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2013/jul/06/travel-top-50-speedway-el-cajon-jimmie-johnson/ |title=Sports site No. 8: Cajon Speedway |last=Gehlkin |first=Michael |work=[[The San Diego Union Tribune]] |date= July 6, 2013 |accessdate= 2 July 2016}}</ref>  The last race was run in 2004, and the County started expansion of the airport onto {{convert|70|acre|ha}} of this land in 2005.<ref name=Speedway/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://motocrossactionmag.com/news/cajon-speedway-will-become-hangars-for-gillespie-field |title=Cajon Speedway Will Become Hangars for Gillespie Field |author=Staff writers |work=Motocross Action Magazine |publisher=Hi-Torque Publications Inc. |date= August 22, 2005 |accessdate= 2 July 2016}}</ref>

In 1971 the County Sheriff stationed [[ASTREA (air support unit)|ASTREA]], a helicopter law enforcement base at the airport, and in 1993 the San Diego Aerospace Museum located its restoration operations and an exhibit at the field.

==Facilities and operations==
Gillespie Field covers {{convert|758|acre|ha}} and has three [[Asphalt concrete|asphalt]] [[runway]]s:<ref name=FAA/>
* Runway 9L/27R: {{cvt|5342|x|100|ft}}
* Runway 9R/27L: {{cvt|2738|x|60|ft}}
* Runway 17/35: {{cvt|4145|x|100|ft}}

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2016 the airport had 226,887 aircraft operations, average 622 per day: 99.8% general aviation, <1% [[air taxi]] and <1% military. At that time there were 547 aircraft are based at the airport: 86% single-engine, 7% multi-engine, 3% helicopter, 3% [[Jet aircraft|jet]] and 1% [[Glider aircraft|glider]].<ref name=FAA/>

==San Diego Air & Space Museum Gillespie Field Annex==
[[File:A-7B 154554 San Diego Air and Space Museum Annex.jpg|thumb|A-7B 154554 Corsair at SDASM Annex]]
[[File:Atlas 2E Ballistic Missile.jpg|thumb|Atlas 2E ballistic missile on display at the [[San Diego Aerospace Museum]]]]

Gillespie is the home of the restoration facility Gillespie Field Annex<ref>[http://www.sandiegoairandspace.org/about_the_museum/gillespie_field_annex.php SDASM Gillispie Field Annex] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903083402/http://www.sandiegoairandspace.org/about_the_museum/gillespie_field_annex.php |date=2011-09-03 }} Restoration Facility</ref> for the [[San Diego Air & Space Museum]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sandiegoairandspace.org |title=sandiegoairandspace.org |publisher=sandiegoairandspace.org |date= July 15, 2013 |accessdate= 19 July 2013}}</ref>  It is open to the public and has on display many vintage and modern aircraft.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://dawidhampelphotography.weebly.com/san-diego-air--space-museum---gillespie-field-annex.html |title= Dawid Hampel Photography - Gillespie Field Annex - Aircraft photographs |accessdate= 15 May 2016}}</ref> It has an [[Atlas ICBM]] rocket as its gate guard, a recently restored [[F-102 Delta Dagger|F-102A Delta Dagger]] with drop tanks and AIM-4A Falcon missiles, and a [[Grumman F-14A Tomcat]] used in ''[[Top Gun: Maverick]]''.
{{coord|32.828421|-116.966146|scale:2000_region:US}}

==Accidents and incidents==
On September 12, 1988, a US Navy [[Grumman F-14 Tomcat|F-14]] with mechanical problems crashed into two hangars at Gillespie Field. Three persons on the ground and the two crew were injured, and 19 aircraft and 13 vehicles were damaged or destroyed.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Frammolino |first1=Ralph |last2=Fritsch |first2=Jane |title=Navy Jet Crashes Into Gillespie Field Hangars |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-09-13-mn-1814-story.html |publisher=Los Angeles Times |date=September 13, 1988 }}</ref>

On December 27, 2021, a [[Learjet 35]] aircraft on a repositioning flight from [[John Wayne Airport]] crashed into a neighborhood east of El Cajon during an approach to Runway 27R.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Riggins |first1=Alex |title=NTSB report sheds new light on Learjet crash that killed 4 in East County |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/public-safety/story/2022-01-11/ntsb-report-sheds-new-light-on-learjet-crash-that-killed-4-in-east-county |access-date=April 3, 2022 |publisher=[[San Diego Union Tribune]] |date=January 11, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite report |title=NTSB Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - WPR22FA068 |url=https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/40/41/374fa45142a0b9615bae5c10da6f/pepper-drive-plane-crash-ntsb-preliminary-report.pdf |publisher=[[National Transportation Safety Board]] |page= |docket= |access-date=April 3, 2022 |quote=}}</ref> All four occupants were killed.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-28|title=Small jet plane crashes in neighborhood near El Cajon: authorities|url=https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-news/plane-crashes-in-neighborhood-near-el-cajon/|access-date=2021-12-28|website=FOX 5 San Diego|language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==

*[[Gillespie Field station]]
*[[List of airports in California]]
*[[List of United States Marine Corps installations]]
*[[AirShow San Diego]], annual June airshow, formerly "Wings Over Gillespie"

==References==
;Notes
{{Reflist}}

;Bibliography
{{Refbegin}}
*{{cite book
  | last = Shettle Jr.
  | first = M. L.
  | title = United States Marine Corps Air Stations of World War II
  | publisher = Schaertel Publishing Co.
  | year = 2001
  | location = Bowersville, Georgia
  | isbn = 0-9643388-2-3
}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20180329043233/http://gillespiepilots.org/ Gillespie Pilots Association]
*[http://co.san-diego.ca.us/dpw/airports/gillespie.html Gillespie Field] at County of San Diego website
*[http://www.gillespiefield.com/museums/ Unofficial Gillespie Field] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914140142/http://www.gillespiefield.com/museums/ |date=2016-09-14 }} with a complete list of Gillespie field museums, businesses, and weather
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110903083402/http://www.sandiegoairandspace.org/about_the_museum/gillespie_field_annex.php San Diego Air & Space Museum Gillespie Field Annex]
*{{FAA-diagram|05402}}
{{US-airport-ga|SEE}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110902082220/http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/aba/admin_factbook/media/201103.pdf Administrators Fact Book]

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Airports in San Diego County, California]]
[[Category:Aerospace museums in California]]
[[Category:Museums in San Diego County, California]]
[[Category:El Cajon, California]]