Gillespie Field is the oldest and largest of San Diego County’s eight airports. It includes not just runways, towers, and a terminal, but many airport-related businesses as well. It is comfortably located in the northwest corner of El Cajon, off Bradley & Highway 67, 10 miles north east of Downtown San Diego, at 1960 Joe Crosson Drive (619-956-4800).
Gillespie Field is a gateway to the world and an important part of East County’s community and the airport is also home to flight schools, repair and maintenance shops, aircraft storage, food and beverage services, fuel, instrument and avionics shops, rental cars and aircraft sales and rental services. Hotels and restaurants are within easy reach of Gillespie Field.
Parking at the Airport
Free parking is available at the Gillespie Field Trolley Station. The public can also ride the Orange line of the trolley and get off at the Gillespie Field stop, then just walk across Marshall Avenue to the airport.
Learning How To Fly at Gillespie Field’s Flight Schools
Golden State Flight School has been helping students achieve their dreams of flight training since 1968 at Gillespie Field in El Cajon. As an FAA approved flight training school, they have their our own training curriculum, classes, and certified instructors. As a Flying Club, they have 11 planes in their fleet available for your flight training.
Their flying lessons go at the pace you want to take and you can pay as you go. Since they are more then just a school, you can continue to use the planes you are familiar with and continue on with advanced training with them.
Introductory Flight Special – $99.95
2 one hour flights, FAA Flight Training textbook (200 pages), 2 ground school sessions, 2 hours of dual-instruction, and a logbook. This is an opportunity to find out what flying is like and decide if Golden State is where you want to earn your Private Pilot’s License. We are open 7 days a week, call us at (619) 449-0611 to schedule when you would like to fly.
Private Pilot Ground School – $225.00 + Books
This 9-week course will prepare you for the FAA Knowledge test and is definitely the most fun way to accomplish your required ground training. This class consists of 16 lectures, workshops, testing and graduation which products the student with the neccessary certificate to take the FAA test. Cost of all this… just $225 plus books. The FAA test is also taken here when the class has been completed. More information, call or come by to sign up!
San Diego Air & Space Museum Annex
The San Diego Air & Space Museum’s annex at Gillespie Field has grown to become an integral part of the Museum’s aircraft restoration and replica reproduction program. The museum is staffed mainly by volunteers, and can take pride in producing some of SDASM’s finest work.
Of local significance to the museum’s collection, a Convair F-102A Delta Dagger recently completed restoration at the Annex. This aircraft was built in San Diego at Convair’s Lindbergh Field plant in the mid-1950s. Many of the volunteers who participated in preservation efforts actually worked on the F-102 while employed by Convair/General Dynamics.
Visitor Information
The Museum is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:00am to 3:00pm. There is no charge for admission but donations are accepted. It is located on the north side of Gillespie Field. For more information, please call (619-258-1221).
Annual Wings Over Gillespie Air Show
On June 5th and 6th 2010, the San Diego wing of the Commemorative Air Force will present their annual Wings Over Gillespie Air Show at Gillespie Field in El Cajon. The Commemorative Air Force has the largest airworthy collection of former military aircraft in the world. It has over 150 flyable combat aircraft, making it the world’s seventh largest air force! The CAF’s members number over 10,000 worldwide, composing 80 wings in 30 states and 4 countries. The CAF’s purpose is to acquire, maintain and operate vintage military aircraft, ground vehicles and associated artifacts for the education and enjoyment of present and future generations.
The CAF is a living, flying history lesson, giving tribute to America’s great military aviation heritage. It proudly displays some examples of the only flying aircraft of its type, such as the B-29 Superfortress and Curtiss SB2C Helldiver. Scores of its aircraft have been used in movies for decades, including the recent version of Pearl Harbor.
Each day will feature re-enactments of WWII and Vietnam War aerial battles complete with pyrotechnic displays, “bombing” runs and strafing attacks. You’ll be able to get up close to famous combat aircraft from World War II and see classic warbirds and other interesting aircraft take to the sky!
