My sister was a nurse working at Scripps Medical in the early 60s. She and her husband were looking at new homes near Gillespie Field about 1962. While looking at new homes they heard a odd noise. Two aircraft had collided in mid air. One plane, a Taylorcraft just like my dads fell about 50 yards from them. They rushed to the scene to help but there was no hope for the one person inside. She said the oddest thing was the silence and paint chips fluttering down like leaves, it was a very eerie feeling.
There used to have a PAPI 4 on that approach, but they removed it. Did and still does have ILS though. 9L still has glide-slope indicators though, 2 lights in line. Before they put the (more obscurring) fence up, and before they removed the PAPI, I used to joke to my wife that she needed to pull up when we drove past the end of the runway! LoL
Great video. Too bad those 2 pilots killed themselves and the 2 nurses the other day attempting a circle to land in crappy weather to 27 here. They stalled that jet and it is unforgiveable. Pilots need to be trained better on these circle to land maneuvers and know how to define the aircraft MMS that they are operating.
@@TheGospelQuartetParadise Does not matter which turn, what matters is never going below the DMMS of the aircraft you are operating. Once you do there is no recovery.
@@johndemerse9172 The Lear PIC screwed the pooch and rolled bloto going well below the MDA and TPA in marginal VFR with an NA runway to circle IFR. Home field familiarity and endititis for the day likely gave pulled the trigger instead of the toga switch. We used to circle a turboprop airliner fully configured flaps and gear at a reference card speed speed for 30 degree banks at landing weight. Hopefully this will get the kids at FSI and others to clean up their game with DMMS and remind pilots to maintain SA and live another day.
@@rbrtmllr Found this one, it gives one a perspective of the terrain in front of you before the last turn ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QvXpqTB19TM.html. And this one turn starting @ 4:40. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lTr_jpuT1gw.html
@@wingslevel In both those videos the planes are flying a closer base to the west of the two hills, not between them, but they still give a bit of an idea what you have to deal with for 27.
IMO this airport is no more difficult to find than any other one located in the middle of a metro area surrounded by cars and street lights, and some nearby elevated terrain which is usually well marked with flashing red lights. Having a GPS in the panel and TAWS would help greatly if you're not familiar with the area. In marginal weather the biggest problem is finding the safest flight path from where you are at any given time to the runway threshold while avoiding terrain and not making any radical turns (>30 deg. bank) to clean up an unstable approach....easier said than done depending upon the experience of the pilot.
Yes ! It can be very difficult to find. Have landed there many times. When doing nite flights, sometimes I had to as the tower for vectors. It makes you feel very incompetent...
I have passed Gillespie field many times on my way to my daughter's in El Cajon. That is a heavily populated area, and periodically there is talk about the airport when there is a crash.
I'm no pilot but i would assume one should have a familiarity, even a vague one, of an airports runway and location if attempting to land there. No maps? GPS? Again, I'm no pilot. I could be just talking out of my ass.
Of course they are using maps/charts but you still need to visually locate the airport with your eyes. They are just making the point that Gillespie is difficult to locate behind the small mountain and this video shows just that. He obviously knew where the airport and runway were at because he flew the approach flawlessly.
