In 1942 the United States Marine Corps chose a site with 688 acres (278 ha) east of San Diego for parachute training for the newly forming 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.[3] Three 256 feet (78 m) high towers were built from which the paratroopers practiced their jumps.[4]
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.[5]
In 1952 the County was granted ownership of the facility by the federal government.
In 1955, the County granted a 50-year lease for 180 acres (73 ha) of land adjacent, to the south, of the airport, which became the Cajon Speedway by 1961.[7] The last race was run in 2004, and the County started expansion of the airport onto 70 acres (28 ha) of this land in 2005.[7][8]
In 1971 the County Sheriff stationed 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.
Gillespie Field covers 758 acres (307 ha) and has three asphaltrunways:[1]
Runway 9L/27R: 5,342 ft × 100 ft (1,628 m × 30 m)
Runway 9R/27L: 2,738 ft × 60 ft (835 m × 18 m)
Runway 17/35: 4,145 ft × 100 ft (1,263 m × 30 m)
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 and 1% glider.[1]
San Diego Air & Space Museum Gillespie Field Annex
On September 12, 1988, a US Navy 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.[12]
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.[13][14] All four occupants were killed.[15]
