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The San Diego Traveler

San Diego Airports

by Carole A. Lane on June 28th, 2007

When you think of San Diego’s Airport, you probably think about Lindbergh Field.  It occurs to me that travelers (and many residents as well) are probably not familiar with all of San Diego county’s airports.  There are actually an even dozen public airports, and many other military and private facilities.  Starting with the largest and most famous airport, followed by the others alphabetically, here’s the rundown of all of San Diego County’s airports.

 Commuter Terminal
3225 N. Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101		  Terminal 1
3665 N. Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101		  Terminal 2
3707 N. Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101

The largest, and most well-known airport in San Diego county is  (aka Lindbergh Field).  It is the 30th busiest airport in the country in terms of passengers, and the busiest single-runway commercial service airport in the nation (and second busiest in the world).

On any given day, an average of 40,000 passengers arrive through San Diego International Airport, with approximately 600 aircraft arrivals and departures. 

On interesting fact is that there are no takeoffs from this airport between 11:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.  Click for additional , , , , a , and .

North of Interstate 8, on County Highway S2,
95 miles east of San Diego
Agua Caliente Springs, CA
(619) 956-4800

Agua Caliente is a county-operated landing strip on 160 acres adjacent to Agua Caliente Hot Springs County Park.  The airport includes a single paved, 2,500 foot runway, paved tie-down area, and a parking lot.  for more information.

Blackinton

30114 Airflight Dr.
Valley Center, CA 92082
(760) 749-3252

This is a private use facility.

Borrego Air Ranch

Borrego Springs, CA
(760) 767-7481

This is a private use facility.

1820 Palm Canyon Drive
Borrego Valley, CA 92004
(760) 767-7415

Just three miles east of Borrego Springs, and 100 miles northeast of downtown San Diego, Borrego Valley Airport is a 145 acre  airport owned and operated by the County of San Diego.   It includes a 5,000 foot long paved runway, a parking lot, and a restaurant.  Twenty-three aircraft are based there.

Borrego Valley Airport is surrounded by the Anza-Borrego Desert.  for more information.

Municipal Airport

1424 Continental St.
San Diego, CA 92154
(619) 424-0455

Located just north of the U.S./Mexico border, Brown Field is used for private aircraft coming from Mexico, as well as military and law enforcement agencies. 

Brown field, originally opened in 1918, was used by the military until 1962.  It has an 8,000 foot long, 150 foot wide runway, capable of accommodating most types of aircraft.

The control tower at Brown Field operates between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily.

for additional history and information about Brown Field.

Camp Pendleton MCAS (Munn Field)

Oceanside, CA

This is a military operated, private facility.

Children’s Hospital and Health Center

3020 Children’s Way
San Diego, CA 92123
(858) 966-5948

This is a private use facility.

Fallbrook Community Airpark

2155 South Mission Road
Fallbrook, CA 92028|
(760) 723-8395

Opened in 1969, Fallbrook Community Airport is located on a hill about two miles south of downtown Fallbrook, 60 miles north of downtown San Diego. 

This county-operated airport houses about 125 aircraft, and about 82 are currently based there.  Aircraft fuel and parking are available.  Helicopters/Rotocraft  are restricted to touch-and-go operations there.  Fallbrook Community Airport has a 2,160 foot, paved runway.  for more information.

Flying T Ranch

26702 Highway 78
Ramona, CA 92065
(619) 789-2200

This is a private use facility.

1960 Joe Crosson Drive
El Cajon, CA 92020
(619) 956-4800

Located in El Cajon, off of Bradley & Highway 67, 10 miles NE of downtown San Diego, Gillespie Field is a 775 acre airport with multiple runways.  One runway is 5,341 feet long with 5,341 for take off and 4,635 for landing.  Another is 2,737 feet long, and the third is 4,147 feet long.

Along with runways, Gillespie Field includes a tower, a terminal, and other airport-related businesses in two business parks.  ASTREA, San Diego County Sheriff’s law enforcement aviation section is based there, and it is also home to flight schools, repair and maintenance shops, instrument and avionics shops, aircraft rentals and sales, fuel, and parking.  Food and beverage services are available, as well as car rentals.

Gillespie Field was originally commissioned as a Marine Corps parachutists facility in 1942, but converted to public use in 1946, and is currently a county-operated airport. 

Grossmont Hospital

La Mesa, CA
(619) 589-4131

This is a private use facility.

Hoag

16603 Vesper Road
Valley Center, CA 92082
(619) 749-9162

This is a private use facility.

Hoffman PVT

Santa Ysabel, CA
(213)646-5147

This is a private use facility.

Hunt’s Sky Ranch

Julian, CA
(619) 765-1406

This is a private use facility.

Imperial Beach NOLF (Ream Fld)

Imperial Beach, CA

This is a military operated, private facility.

On Old Highway 80
Jacumba, CA
(619) 956-4800

Originally acquired from the federal government in 1953, Jacumba Airport is used mainly as an operation for gliders, with no aircraft based there.  It’s unlighted and unattended (even though it is one of the county-operated airports), and contains only one 2,510 foot gravel and dirt runway. 

Jacumba Airport is located on Old Highway 80, one mile east of Jacumba and 75 miles east of San Diego.  It is about 3 miles east of the town of Jacumba.  for more information.

John Nichol’s Field

Chula Vista, CA
(619) 421-0968

This is a private use facility.

KGTV-10 Parking Lot

Highway 94 & 47th St.
San Diego, CA 92138
(619) 237-1010

This is a private use facility.

Lake Wohlford Resort

Escondido, CA
(760) 749-2755

This is a private use facility.

Loma Madera Ranch

Santa Ysabel, CA
(619) 782-3443

This is a private use facility.

Lyall-Roberts

Escondido, CA
(760) 742-3256

This is a private use facility.

2192 Palomar Airport Road
Carlsbad, CA 92008
(760) 431-4646

McClellan-Palomar Airport, opened in 1959, is a single runway, mixed-use public county airport.  This airport accepts aircraft sizes up to Bombarier’s Global and the Boeing BBJ 737 family. 

Two commercial airlines operate out of McClellan-Palomar Airport - America West Express and United Express.  They offer direct flights to Phoenix and Los Angeles, which allow passengers to connect to airlines flying around the world.  Las Vegas flights are expected soon.  Dozens of charter services also operate out of Palomar.  It is home to 391 aircraft.

Several flight schools operate out of McClellan-Palomar, for single and multi-engine jets and helicopters.

One of the nicest things about McClellan-Palomar Airport is that long term parking is free and short-term parking is free for up to three days.  This makes it an ideal location for North County residents to depart from, saving on expensive daily parking fees at Lindbergh Field.

There are for a new terminal building and federal inspection facility, terminal access roads, terminal apron, vehicle parking lots, automated parking lot control systems, passenger movement facilities, airport security system, taxiway Charlie, infield drainage, and blast fence.  They also plan to build a restaurant overlooking the runway and aircraft loading area.  These projects are scheduled to commence in September 2007, and to be completed by December 2008.

for history, directions, and additional information.

Mercy Hospital & Medical Center

4077 5th Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 294-8111

This is a private use facility.

Miramar MCAS

San Diego, CA

This is a military operated, private facility.

3750 John J. Montgomery Drive
San Diego, CA 92123
(858) 573-1440

Originally opened in 1937, Montgomery Field is located in Kearny Mesa, and is home to approximately 600 aircraft.  There are flight schools, repair and maintenance shops, aircraft rentals, sales and storage all available at Montgomery Field, as well as a restaurant and rental cars.

Montgomery Field is restricted to aircraft having a maximum certified take off gross weight of 20,000 pounds or less.  It has a 3,400 foot, lighted runway served by an Instrument Landing System, with 4,577 feet available for takeoff, along with a 3,400 foot parallel runway and a 3,400 foot crosswind runway.

The control tower to Montgomery Field operates between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. daily.  for additional information.

North Island NAS/Halsey Field

San Diego, CA

This is a military operated, private facility.

480 Airport Road
Oceanside, CA 92054
(760) 435-5187

Located in the northwest side of Oceanside, approximately 2 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the Oceanside Municipal Airport is a small, public and community airport.  It was built in the 1930’s as a U.S. Navy alternative landing field, and today accommodates only light single and twin-engine aircraft.  There paved runway is 2712 feet long and 75 feet wide.

This airport allows Mercy Air Critical Care helicopters to evacuate critically injured patients to the nearest trauma center.  They have 33 hangars and 47 tie-down spots on 43 acres.

There are plans to replace the hangars, to move the parking area to land purchased in 2003,  and to make a larger taxiway, as requested by the FAA.  The city of Oceanside runs the airport, which is operating in the red, and the county has offered to take it over.  This future of Oceanside Municipal Airport has become very political.

Ocotillo Wells
State Highway 78
Ocotillo Wells, CA
(619) 956-4800

Located 100 miles east of San Diego on State Highway 78, Ocotillo Wells Airport (a county facility) contains two runways, one 2,475 feet long and the other 4,210 feet long.  It sits on a dry lake bed east of Ocotillo West State Vehicular Park, and adjoins the Anza-Borrego Desert.  Tie-downs are available next to the airstrip.  for more information.

On the Rocks

Alpine, CA
(619) 445-9070

This is a private use facility.

Paradise Valley Hospital

2400 E. 4th St.
National City, CA 91950
(619) 470-4321

This is a private use facility.

Pat Coyle Memorial

San Marcos, CA

This is owned by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Dept. and is privately operated.

Pauma Valley Air Park

Pauma Valley, CA
(760) 742-3721

This is a private use facility.

Pomerado Hospital

Poway, CA
(619) 485-4669

This is a private use facility.

2926 Montecito Road
Ramona, CA 92065
(760) 788-3366

Ramona Airport was built in 1943 as a Navy emergency landing field, two miles west of Ramona.  In 1958, the US Forest Service and California Department of Forestry opened a joint Air Attack Base at Ramona Airport.  It is the area’s first responder when a fire erupts, and operates as one of Ramona’s 5 fire stations.  After various other expansion projects, the air traffic control tower was completed in 2003.

Ramona Airport is the third busiest facility in the County’s systems with just over 155,000 operations each year.  With a 5,000 foot paved runway, it serves every type of aircraft from home built experimentals to corporate jets.  214 aircraft are currently based there. 

The airport includes an avionics center, an aircraft service center, 9 aviation businesses, and the world’s only Helicopter Museum with operational helicopters.  Aircraft fuel and parking are also available. 

One of Ramona’s biggest events is the Ramona Air Show, benefiting the families of fallen CDF pilots and firefighters, and hosting between 10,000 and 20,000 visitors.  for history and additional information.

Rancho Vallecito

Julian, CA

This is a private use facility.

Reider Ranch

1550 Round Potrero Rd.
Potrero, CA 91963
(619) 478-5393

This is a private use facility.

San Diego Helicopter Service

Parking Lot
Chula Vista, CA
(619) 423-1717

This is a private use facility

San Diego Police Headquarters

1401 Broadway MS-770
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 531-2771

This is a private use facility.

Scripps Memorial Hospital

9888 Genesse Ave.
La Jolla, CA
(858) 457-4123

This is a private use facility.

Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center

751 Medical Center Court
Chula Vista, CA 91911
(619) 421-6110

This is a private use facility.

Southern California Edison San Onofre

Oceanside, CA
(909) 974-4691

This is a private use facility.

Southern California Edison Songs Mesa

5000 Pacific Coast Highway
San Clemente, CA 92674
(909) 974-4691

This is a private use facility.

Torrey Pines

San Diego, CA

Torrey pines is owned by the City of San Diego, and is privately operated.

Torrey Pines Corporate Helistop

San Diego, CA
(619) 239-6911

This is a private use facility.

Tri-City Hospital

4002 Vista Way
Oceanside, CA 92054
(714) 724-8411

This is a private use facility.

Turner Field/Amphibious Base

Naval Amphibious Base
Coronado, CA
(619) 437-2505

This is a military operated, private facility.

U S Naval Hospital San Diego

San Diego, CA 92134
(619) 532-6125

This is owned by the Naval Hospital and privately operated.

Ward Ranch

Aguanga, CA
(951) 767-0219

This is a private use facility.

Warner Springs

31930 Hwy 79
Warner Springs, CA 92086
(760) 782-0404

This is a private use facility.

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