California - San Diego Airport Tours

The airport authority is offering free 2 hour tours of Lindberg Field. The tours apparently offer trips to all 3 terminals, including some behind the scenes things and finally ending with a bus tour of the tarmac and all around the property with some great views of the runway and aircraft. The overall goal if for feedback on future projects and expansion.

Like I said, they are free but for security they will require your DOB and last 4 of your SS# when they email or call back to confirm. I signed up for June 13th and was approved. Just realized that dates now seem to be going quickly. They are 3-4 times a month and tour times are 10am and 1pm. You can pick a date and sign up at http://www.sanplan.com/signup_airfield_tour.asp. I hope they allow me to shoot at least some pictures. :)

Thanks for posting this, Mongah. Please let us know how it went! I'd be particularly interested in hearing what you heard of a political nature --- how heavy the marketing was towards maxing out the airport's capacity in twenty years, that sort of thing.

I'll report back. Don't know if there is any questionnaire or anything to get the feedback they are looking for. I was hoping to go sooner but the 13th was the first date I could get that fit my schedule.

Interesting tour although I wish the tour took place during the weekend.

Well, first of all, had some good opportunities for some great pics, I just forgot that when your batteries are dead, the camera doesn't work.

Aside from that, had a nice time and learned a few things about SAN and it's future. Started at the commuter terminal (or as my daughter calls it, the computer terminal) where we met and boarded a parking lot bus with "VIP Tour" on the front. Took a short ride to terminal 1 where we entered at the WN end and just strolled from one end to the other. Then walked along the outside to terminal 2 where again we walked from one end to the other.

You are given a small head set with the guide wearing a mic so you can hear him. As you go through the terminals he goes over certain features of the terminals, the tenants future plans, etc and is open for questions about anything you pass. Some talk of the future T2 expansion, which is expected to begin in a year or so with the addition of 10 gates. Sounds like when those gates are completed, everyone but WN will move to T2 then a remodel of T1 starting with what sounds like WN occupying all of T1. Glad I wasn't flying WN today, security line wrapped around and then all the way down past baggage clain almost to the entrance of the United rotunda, but that sounds like the norm for 10am.

After T2, back onto the bus for the fun part. Out onto the tarmac at the west end of T2 then along it all the way down to the east end of T1, then back around to the west end of 27 and all the way around the perimeter past MCRD, tower, fire station, FedEx, past the more then normal GA planes due to the golf, down past Jimsair to the east end of 27, and around and finally exiting next to the commuter terminal to end the tour.

Got some nice close up views of many aircraft. Sitting on a bus on the taxiway as jest blow by is quite fun. We even got to watch an AA MadDog go around, never found out why. All and all an informative and fun way to spend 2 free hours. If you go and drive, they even validate parking. I may try to go again with a working camera next time.

On a side note, I had gotten there very early and stood next to the fence at the south side of the commuter terminal and watched what was going on there. Saw 3 ExpressJet flights come and go and they all looked packed to the gills, hope it stays that way,would like to see them do well. Also almost got blow over by a SAAB turning around to park, forgot it get a little windy 50 feet behind the props.