Gillespie Field
SEE · KSEE · San Diego/El Cajon, California · San Diego County · map
Gillespie Field is a public-use airport owned by the County of San Diego, 10 miles northeast of San Diego/El Cajon, California, 388 feet above sea level. It has 3 runways; the longest, 09L/27R, is 5,342 feet of asphalt. It has a control tower, fuel (100LL avgas, Jet A) and about 530 general-aviation aircraft based on the field by the FAA's count. The receiver network heard 40 different aircraft arrive or depart here in the last seven days. The FAA counts about 187,225 takeoffs and landings a year. About 101 passengers boarded flights here in the FAA's fiscal year 2024.
Quick answers answers refresh every morning
What is the airport code for Gillespie Field?
Its FAA code is SEE, and its ICAO code is KSEE.
Where is Gillespie Field?
It is 10 miles northeast of San Diego/El Cajon, California, 388 feet above sea level.
How long is the longest runway at Gillespie Field?
The longest of its 3 runways, 09L/27R, is 5,342 feet long.
Does Gillespie Field have a control tower?
Yes, it has a control tower.
What fuel can you buy at Gillespie Field?
The FAA's airport file lists 100LL avgas, Jet A.
Where can you fly nonstop from Gillespie Field?
Airline flights go to 3 airports, the busiest of them Southern California Logistics, Yampa Valley, Van Nuys. Every route
Are there flight schools at Gillespie Field?
13 flight schools, flying clubs or college flight programmes are based within about 15 miles of it, including Scandinavian Aviation Academy INC and Coast Flight Training and Management INC. Compare them
Where are the nearest FAA examiners to Gillespie Field?
18 pilot examiners and 19 aviation medical examiners work within 50 nautical miles. See them by name
Weather and planning now, the forecast, warnings, pilot reports, winds aloft, restrictions
Fetching the weather now, the forecast, the warnings in force, pilot reports and the winds aloft for Gillespie Field…
Wind map live wind over the area, from Windy.com
Colours show wind speed, the moving lines its direction; drag the time bar for the coming days. Map and forecast by Windy.com.
The airport facts, runways, radio, fuel and services, the FAA's remarks
The airport
- Codes
- FAA SEE · ICAO KSEE
- Kind
- Airport · open to the public · publicly owned
- Owner
- County of San Diego
- Elevation
- 388 feet above sea level
- Control tower
- A control tower · 7:00 am to 9:00 pm
- Attended
- every day, 7:00 am to 9:00 pm
- Lights
- runway lights see the remarks below; beacon sunset to sunrise
- Fuel and services
- 100LL avgas, Jet A; the services card below
- On the chart
- Los Angeles sectional
- Magnetic variation
- 13E
- In the FAA's files since
- December 1942
Runways 3
For understanding the field, not for navigation.
| Runway | Length × width | Surface | Lights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09L/27R | 5,342 × 100 ft | Asphalt, good | Medium-intensity lights |
| 17/35 | 4,145 × 100 ft | Asphalt, good | Medium-intensity lights |
| 09R/27L | 2,738 × 60 ft | Asphalt, good |
- Runway 09L: PAPI, four lights on the right, tree 87 ft high 580 ft from the end
- Runway 27R: localizer with DME, PAPI, four lights on the left, right-hand traffic pattern, threshold displaced 706 ft, road 37 ft high 585 ft from the end
- Runway 17: PAPI, four lights on the left, threshold displaced 450 ft, building 15 ft high 201 ft from the end
- Runway 35: PAPI, four lights on the left, threshold displaced 685 ft, pole 30 ft high 510 ft from the end
Radio frequencies
| Common traffic advisory (CTAF) · Tower | 120.7 | Gillespie |
| ATIS (recorded airport information) · See and aWOS-3P | 125.45 | Gillespie · General outlook on ATIS when the control tower closed. |
| Clearance delivery | 125.1 | Gillespie |
| Ground | 121.7 | Gillespie |
| Tower (secondary) | 123.8 | Gillespie |
| Approach and departure · Class B airspace 062-109 San 14,000 feet and below | 124.35 | Gillespie |
| Class B airspace 029-061 San 14,000 feet and below; 333-028 San 7,000 FT-11,000 feet | 132.2 | Gillespie |
| See and vot | 110.0 | |
| Departure procedure (CWARD) · Departure procedure (PADRZ) | 119.6 | Gillespie |
Automated weather (AWOS-3P), by phone 619-449-1228.
Fuel and services as reported to the FAA
- Fuel
- 100LL avgas, Jet A
- Repairs
- airframe and engine: major repairs
- Parking
- tie-downs
- Oxygen
- bottled oxygen (high- and low-pressure), bulk oxygen (high- and low-pressure)
- Also here
- air freight, air ambulance, avionics, charter flights, flight instruction, aircraft rental, aircraft sales, aerial surveying
Other fields with jet fuel nearby: Montgomery-Gibbs Executive (8 nm west), San Diego International (12 nm southwest), Ramona Airport (13 nm north).
The FAA's file records what is sold and done at the field, as the airport manager reports it, not who sells it or the price; fuel sellers (FBOs) are not named in any public file. Airports selling jet fuel in California · avgas.
The FAA's remarks as written in the airport file, spelled out
- When the control tower closed activate runway end identifier lights runway 27R; PAPI runways 09L, 27R, 17 and 35; medium-intensity runway lights runway 09L/27R and runway 17/35 - the common traffic frequency.
- Runway unlighted; closed sunset to sunrise.
- Runway 17 end lights NON-STD, spread less than runway pavement width.
- Runway 17 +8 feet fence at 30 feet from runway end, 85 feet left.
- Runway 35 unlit 8 feet fence 1 feet south of runway end; +20 feet trees at 100-200 feet from runway end 130 feet left.
- PAPI unusable beyond 6 degreess right of crs.
- Unusable beyond 4 degreess left of centerline.
- Runway 17 approach ratio 20:1 to displaced thld.
- Runway 27R approach ratio 30:1 to displaced threshold.
- Runway 35 approach ratio to displaced thld over +30 feet pole 1203 feet from displaced thld 40 feet left 40:1.
- Runway 17-35 pattern altitude 1188 (800) sunrise to sunset, 1388 (1000) sunset to sunrise.
- Runway 27R centerline in close alnmt with trrn, use of localizer/DME highly recommended.
Flights and activity in the air now, the airlines, based aircraft, takeoffs and landings
Activity now checking the volunteer receiver network…
Within ten miles
- Looking…
Arrivals and departures, last hour
- Looking…
From the volunteer receiver network, a few minutes behind at most; aircraft whose owners asked the FAA not to be displayed are left out; no person is named. Open the live map here.
Scheduled and charter flights from here the DOT's airline reports · August 2025 to July 2026
Airlines reported 5 departures from SEE in those twelve months, carrying 23 passengers in 42 seats (55% filled), to 3 destinations on 2 airlines.
| Where to | Flights | Passengers | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gillespie Field → Southern California Logistics SEE–VCV | 3 | 18 | ADVANCED AIR, LLC |
| Gillespie Field → Yampa Valley SEE–HDN | 1 | 4 | ADVANCED AIR, LLC |
| Gillespie Field → Van Nuys SEE–VNY | 1 | 1 | Scott Aviation, LLC ... |
All 3 destinations, the airlines and the aircraft, month by month
From the Bureau of Transportation Statistics' T-100 table: every segment an airline reported flying, three months in arrears. Private, business and training flights are not in it; the live picture is in the activity card.
Based aircraft as counted for the FAA, fiscal year 2024
Based aircraft, as a table
| aircraft | |
|---|---|
| single-engine | 439 |
| multi-engine | 36 |
| jets | 24 |
| helicopters | 30 |
| other | 1 |
The FAA's count is the general-aviation aircraft kept on the field (singles, twins, business jets, helicopters) from its Terminal Area Forecast, the latest year with an actual count; airline fleets are never counted as based anywhere, so a big airline airport shows a small number. The aircraft heard arriving or departing are the site's own record from the volunteer receiver network, airliners included; aircraft whose owners asked the FAA not to be displayed are left out. The register section below shows how many aircraft are registered to owners in town, a different measure again.
Takeoffs and landings a year about 187,225, the FAA's fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024)
Takeoffs and landings, as a table
| a year | |
|---|---|
| airline | 2 |
| air taxi and commuter | 495 |
| general aviation, travelling | 66,983 |
| general aviation, local | 118,736 |
| military | 1,009 |
Local flights stay in the traffic pattern or nearby, often practice; travelling flights arrive from or leave for somewhere else. Counts at airports without a tower are the FAA's estimates. How this compares nationally: Airports by the numbers.
Who flies and works here aircraft registered in town, the companies, the examiners nearby
Aircraft registered in San Diego/El Cajon from the FAA register
No aircraft on the register list San Diego/El Cajon, CA as the owner's town.
Who works here from the FAA's certificate lists and the register
Flight schools, flying clubs and college flight programmes based within about 15 miles (12 nearest of 13, all in California):
- Scandinavian Aviation Academy INC 5 aircraft · El Cajon, 2 miles away
- Coast Flight Training and Management INC 42 aircraft · San Diego, 10 miles away
- First Flight CORP 9 aircraft · San Diego, 10 miles away First Flight Corp is a full-service FBO at San Diego Municipal Airport (KSDM) offering flight training, aircraft rental, maintenance, fuel sales, and ground handling services.
- San Diego Community College District 7 aircraft · San Diego, 10 miles away San Diego Community College District is one of California's largest community college districts, serving approximately 90,000 students annually across three credit colleges (San Diego City College, Mesa College, and Miramar College) and sev
- Armed Forces Aero Club 2 aircraft · San Diego, 10 miles away Armed Forces Aero Club is a 501(c)(7) nonprofit flying club based in San Diego, California, maintaining a fleet of member-owned general aviation aircraft for recreational use.
- Baja Flyers CORP INC 2 aircraft · San Diego, 10 miles away
- Aa5A Flyers 1 aircraft · San Diego, 10 miles away Plus One Flyers is a member-oriented, non-profit flying club founded in 1996 that operates a fleet of rental aircraft from three locations in San Diego County.
- Beech Nut Flyers LLC 1 aircraft · San Diego, 10 miles away Beech Flyers is a flying club based in Van Nuys, California that provides Beechcraft-specific pilot training and aircraft rental.
- Geraldine Flyers LLC 1 aircraft · San Diego, 10 miles away Plus One Flyers is a flying club organized as a non-profit California corporation, founded 30 years ago.
- Mooney 52503 Flyers 1 aircraft · San Diego, 10 miles away
- San Diego Flight Training INC 1 aircraft · San Diego, 10 miles away Flex Air is a flight school with locations in Kansas and San Diego, California.
- San Diego Flight Training International INC 1 aircraft · San Diego, 10 miles away
Companies in the same town as this airport, and schools within about 15 miles of it (each placed at the main public airport of its town, or at the town's centre); not every one of them works from this field. All operators · all repair stations · all flight schools · all FBOs.
Examiners and inspectors nearby designated by the FAA · within 50 nautical miles
18 pilot examiners (the FAA's designated pilot examiners, who give the practical tests for pilot certificates) are based within 50 nautical miles: 18 for private pilot, 17 for commercial and instrument, 9 for airline transport pilot, 13 for flight instructor, 4 for sport pilot; 17 for airplanes, 11 for multi-engine airplanes, 1 for helicopters, 1 for gliders. Also nearby: 2 sport aviation examiners, 19 aviation medical examiners, 3 mechanic examiners, 1 airworthiness representative (maintenance), 4 airworthiness representatives (manufacturing), 6 engineering representatives, 1 parachute rigger examiner, 10 training center evaluators, 2 training center examiners, 10 administrative pilot examiners.
- Alejandro Silva private pilot; airplanes · Provectus Aviation Unlimited, LLC · El Cajon, CA (2 nm) · (619) 504-9129 · [email protected]
- Rodney Anderson private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, instrument instructor, commercial pilot, instructor renewals, military competency, ground instructor, foreign pilot certificates; helicopters · Circle Air · El Cajon, CA (2 nm) · (714) 757-0066 · [email protected]
- David William Leonard private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, instrument instructor, sport pilot, instructor renewals, military competency, ground instructor, foreign pilot certificates; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · San Diego, CA (8 nm) · (619) 274-0804 · [email protected]
- Gregory Michael Madariaga private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, sport pilot; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · San Diego, CA (8 nm) · (818) 402-4860 · [email protected]
- Jay Eugene Brentzel private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, instrument instructor, instructor renewals, military competency, ground instructor, foreign pilot certificates; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · San Diego, CA (8 nm) · (619) 341-0320 · [email protected]
- John Warren Hardy private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, instructor renewals, military competency, ground instructor, foreign pilot certificates; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · San Diego, CA (8 nm) · (858) 722-2571 · [email protected]
- Mary Adene Schu private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, instrument instructor, sport pilot; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · Coast flight training · San Diego, CA (8 nm) · (541) 390-3980 · [email protected]
- Ronald Ray Greathouse private pilot, commercial and instrument, flight instructor; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · San Diego, CA (8 nm) · (619) 992-7030 · [email protected]
All 76 nearby, by kind, with contact details
What each kind does
- DPE: Designated Pilot Examiner: gives the practical tests (checkrides) for pilot certificates and ratings.
- SAE: Sport Aviation Examiner: gives the tests for sport pilot certificates and light-sport aircraft.
- AME: Aviation Medical Examiner: a doctor who issues the medical certificates pilots must hold.
- DME: Designated Mechanic Examiner: tests candidates for the mechanic certificate (airframe and powerplant).
- DAR-T: Designated Airworthiness Representative, maintenance: issues airworthiness certificates and approvals for aircraft in service.
- DAR-F: Designated Airworthiness Representative, manufacturing: issues airworthiness certificates for newly built aircraft and parts.
- DER-T: Designated Engineering Representative: approves engineering data for repairs and alterations on the FAA's behalf.
- DPRE: Designated Parachute Rigger Examiner: tests candidates for the parachute rigger certificate.
- TCE: Training Center Evaluator: gives tests at a simulator training center.
- DCTO-E: Designee at a certificated training organisation.
- Admin-PE: Administrative Pilot Examiner: handles certificate paperwork rather than flight tests.
Designees are listed with the name and contact details the FAA publishes for them on its designee locator (read October 10, 2026): the FAA lists them so that pilots, mechanics and companies can find them. Private individuals are not named, the site's policy at this time. A designee who would rather not appear here can ask us through the contact address on the About page. Each designee is placed at the main public airport of the town the FAA lists (or the nearest one to its zip code), so "nearby" means the town, not an exact address. All examiners by state.
Safety record the NTSB's cases at or near this airport
Accidents and incidents at or near this airport NTSB records · 77 since 1982, 14 fatal
Cases the NTSB recorded with this as the nearest airport, newest first. Each opens the full report in plain English. The country as a whole: Where accidents happen.
Nearby within 30 nautical miles
Connections how this airport links to the rest of the register
- NTSB accidents and incidents at or near this airport 77 since 1982 · 14 fatal
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,069 since 1982 · 1,087 in the last ten years
- Scandinavian Aviation Academy INC 5 aircraft · flight school
- Coast Flight Training and Management INC 42 aircraft · flight school
- First Flight CORP 9 aircraft · flight school
- Southern California Logistics (VCV) 3 flights in twelve months · ADVANCED AIR, LLC
- Yampa Valley (HDN) 1 flights in twelve months · ADVANCED AIR, LLC
- Van Nuys (VNY) 1 flights in twelve months · Scott Aviation, LLC d/b/a Silver Air
- Nearby landing places within 30 nautical miles 8 airports, heliports and seaplane bases
- Public-use airports in California 244 landing places
- California 27,658 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/airport/SEE.json.
Facts from the FAA's airport file effective October 1, 2026, written out in plain English; weather from the National Weather Service's aviation weather service; registered aircraft from the FAA register as of October 27, 2026; accidents from the NTSB's public database. Owners are shown only when they are an organisation; no person is named. Check the official sources before a flight: this page is for understanding an airport, not for planning one.