¶ San Diego International Airport Standard Operating Procedures
Welcome to the San Diego International Airport SOP.
This manual provides guidelines for the control of air traffic at Lindbergh Field. All air traffic personnel are required to be familiar with its contents. These procedures supplement the Air Traffic Control Handbook, Order 7110.65, and the Facility Operation and Administration Handbook, Order 7210.3. If you encounter a situation not covered in this manual, utilize your best judgment and bring the situation to the attention of the ARTCC manager.
- ICAO: KSAN
- Airspace: Class B
- TRACON: Southern California TRACON (San Diego)
- Field Elevation: 17 ft
The following links provide information relating to the San Diego International Airport. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Airport Diagram, SIDs, STARs, IAPs
- Information from the Airport/Facility Directory
- Sectional- and Terminal Aerodrome Charts, Low- and High Altitude Enroute IFR charts
- Routing of aircraft as can be derived from real world flights
Links:
- San Diego Intl Airport Diagram
- AirNav - San Diego Intl Airport
- SkyVector - San Diego Intl Airport
- San Diego Intl Airport TAC Chart
- IFR Flight Route Analyzer
¶ Shortcuts - KSAN
¶ FACILITY IDENTIFICATION
Controllers will use “Lindbergh” for radiotelephony/facility identification.
Examples:
“Lindbergh Ground”
“Lindbergh Clearance Delivery"
“Lindbergh Tower"
Control positions
| Position | Frequency | FRA |
|---|---|---|
| KSAN_DEL | 125.9 MHz |  |
¶ Procedures
Aircraft departing Lindbergh Field IFR shall be assigned a SID and Transition.
| SID name | Pronounciation | Transition | Aircraft type | Runways |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRDR# | Border | IPL, JLI | Jet | all |
| CWARD# RNAV | Seaward | LAX SLI | Turbojet/Turboprop | 27 |
| ECHHO# RNAV | Echo | KAYE SLI | Jet | all |
| FALCC# | Falcon | SXC SLI | Jet | all |
| MMOTO# RNAV | Moto | DINTY MALIT | Jet | all |
| PADRZ# RNAV | Padrez | CHKNN DINTY IKAYE MALIT OROSZ EHF | Turbojet/Turboprop | 27 |
| PEBLE# | Pebble | SXC SLI | Jet | 27 |
| SAYOW# RNAV | Say Ow | IPL MTBAL | Turbojet/Turboprop | 09 |
| ZZOOO# RNAV | Zoo | CENZA IPL MTBAL | Turbojet/Turboprop | 27 |
¶ IFR Altitude Assignment
Expect final altitude 5 minutes after departure.
| Operations | Departure | Altitude |
|---|---|---|
| West | CWARD | Climb vi SID Except maintain (Cruising Alt below FL180) |
| West | ECHHO PADRZ ZZOO | Climb via SID expect (cruising altitude) |
| West | FALC MMOTO PEBLE | Climb via SID except maintain 6000, expect... |
| West | BRDR | Maintain 6000, expect... |
| East | ECHHO SAYOW | Climb via SID, expect... |
| East | FALCC MMOTO | Climb via SID except maintain 6000, expect... |
| East | BRDR | Maintain 6000, expect... |
¶ KSAN->KLAS and KLAS->KHND Required Routes
Southern California TRACON and Las Vegas (L30) TRACON have a Letter of Agreement detailing required routes between SOCAL and L30:
Maximum altitude FL280, lower is acceptable. Higher available only on pilot request Enroute. These are not to be confused with tech routes
| Operations | Type | Class | Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| West | RNAV | J | PADRZ#.CHKNN.SEBBY.YELAH.MISEN.RNDRZ# |
| West | Non-RNAV | J | PADRZ#.CHKNN… |
| West | all | P/Q | BRDR#.JLI.V514.GFS.LARKK# |
¶ Tower Enroute Control (TEC) Routes
The FAA has created a set of routes used for aircraft flying between most Southern California Airports. These are called Tower Enroute Control (TEC) Routes. If a TEC route is available between two airports, aircraft are required to be routed via that TEC route for the given airport configuration, altitude, and aircraft type.
Appropriate TEC routes should always be filed unless in conflict with this document. Only clear the pilot using the name of the TEC route if a TEC route (not necessarily the same one) was filed/requested, otherwise expand the TEC route and issue it as a full-route clearance.
An example clearance for a J-CLASS RNAV capable aircraft using the named TEC route "SANP4R" (KSAN->KLAX ) would be:
Cleared to the Los Angeles International airport, via the SAN DIEGO PAPA FOUR ROMEO routing, maintain 10,000 ft ...
The pilot would then fly the route: CWARD# SLI
TEC routes are available at FAA NFDC Preferred Routes Database
San Diego International airport is surrounded by class B airspace. Aircraft entering class B airspace VFR require a clearance in accordance with 7110.65 Chapter 7, section 9.
All VFR aircraft departing San Diego Class B airspace shall be issued the appropriate clearance for direction of flight:
¶ Fixed Wing Aircraft
Issue a squawk code for all J-Class and M-Class Aircraft
| Operations | Direction | Scratchpad | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| West | North | BN | Cleared out of the San Diego Class Bravo to the North. On departure, turn right to remain east of the Mission Bay VOR. Maintain VFR at or below 3000 feet until clear of Bravo airspace. Departure frequency xxx, Squawk (1200) |
| West | South | BS | Cleared out of the San Diego Class Bravo to the South. On departure, turn left and climb in VFR conditions to join the VFR corridor southbound. Departure frequency xxx, Squawk (1200) |
| East | North | BN | Cleared out of the San Diego Class Bravo to the North. On departure, fly heading 330. Maintain VFR at or below 3000 feet until clear of Bravo airspace. Departure frequency xxx, Squawk (1200) |
| East | South | BS | Cleared out of the San Diego Class Bravo to the South. On departure, turn right and climb in VFR conditions to join the VFR corridor southbound. Departure frequency xxx, Squawk (1200) |
¶ Helicopters
When (per the current ATIS) the cloud ceiling is at least 2000ft AND the visibility is at least 3nmi, issue the appropriate clearance for direction of flight.
| Operations | Direction | Scratchpad | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any | North | BNH | Cleared out of the San Diego Class Bravo to the North. Maintain VFR at or below 2000 feet while in Bravo airspace. Departure frequency xxx, squawk 1200 |
| Any | South | BSH | Cleared out of the San Diego Class Bravo to the South. Maintain VFR at or below 2000 feet while in Bravo airspace. Departure frequency xxx, squawk 1200 |
When (per the current ATIS) the weather is VFR but doesn’t meet the conditions above, all
helicopters must depart under a preemptive SVFR clearance if unable to accept an IFR clearance.
¶ VFR Traffic Pattern
If a ground or tower controller is online, coordinate with them before issuing a VFR pattern clearance to ascertain which runway is in use and any additional requirements they may have (such as squawk codes or position reporting requirements).
- The traffic pattern altitude (TPA) is 600ft for helicopters and 1100ft for all other aircraft.
- Runways 27 amd 09 are both left traffic
- Aircraft should be instructed to squawk 1200 and maintain VFR at or below 1000ft (helicopters) or 1500ft (other aircraft) North or South of the assigned runway as appropriate (unless otherwise instructed by the ground, tower, approach, or center controller)
An example traffic pattern clearance for fixed-wing class-P aircraft on runway 27 may read:
Cleared to operate within the San Diego class Bravo airspace. Maintain VFR South of the airport at or below 1500ft. Pattern altitude 1100ft, left traffic. Squawk 1200.
¶ Special VFR
Special VFR operations are prohibited at San Diego International Airport.
¶ Non-engine aircraft
Non-engine aircraft (gliders, sailplanes, etc.) are prohibited at San Diego International Airport.
Control positions
| Position | Frequency | FRA |
|---|---|---|
| KSAN_GND | 123.9 MHz | |
¶ Jurisdiction Area
Ground control owns all movement areas other than runways.
¶ Taxi Instructions
- The ground controller must make sure that an aircraft has received an IFR or VFR clearance and has reported receipt of current weather information before taxi instructions may be issued.
- Aircraft must operate their transponder in altitude reporting mode (mode S/C) whenever the transponder is enabled. This includes all movement areas, all non-movement areas, and all airspace at or below FL600 within thirty (30) nautical miles of the San Diego or Miramar airports (the “Mode C Veil”, marked on the Los Angeles Sectional and San Diego Terminal Area Chart(TAC).
¶ Closed Traffic
If closed traffic/pattern work is requested, coordinate with the Tower controller (if online) before issuing taxi instructions. If no tower/approach controller is online, then after taxi and before takeoff issue the following:
Tower control services unavailable. Report pattern legs on UNICOM 122.8. Takeoff at own risk. Good day.
Control positions
| Position | Frequency | FRA |
|---|---|---|
| KSAN_TWR | 120.950 MHz |  |
Airport
¶ Airspace and Jurisdiction
Local Control owns all active runways. The airspace ceiling is 2500ft MSL over the airport.
¶ Runway configuration
Select the most suitable runway configuration based on prevailing weather conditions. During wind conditions less than 10kt Tailwind, West operations shall be used.
- West operations (Tailwind up-to 10kts): Departures and Arrivals Rwy 27 (Preferred operation)
- East operations: Departures and Arrivals Rwy 09 (Tailwind component exceeds 10 kts)
- Opposite Direction: Arrival: 09, Departure 27 (Weather conditions prohibit instrument approaches to Runway 27
- Rwy 27/09 dimensions: 9401 x 200
¶ Go-around Procedures
Climb and maintain 5000ft, maintain runway heading...
¶ VFR Closed Traffic Operations
- VFR pattern work is authorized on an individual basis, workload depending. Tower has the ultimate authority to allow or deny any patterm requests.
¶ VFR transitions
There is only 1 option VFR aircraft wishing to transition from one side of the San Diego Bravo airspace to the other. This route does not require a clearance or any other communications with ATC and is defined as follows:
- VFR Corridor (clearance not required): When transiting the VFR Corridor overlying San Diego International above 3,300ft and below 4,700, pilots are encouraged to remain right of a Northwest/Southwest line extending across the San Diego International Runway 27 approach end. No communications or clearances with ATC are required while transiting the VFR corridor; however, frequency 126.050 is provided for exchange of information between those pilots using the corridor. Heavy traffic south at 3,000 ft and below inbound to North Island NAS (Halsey Fld), pilots transiting the VFR Corridor are cautioned against premature descent.
¶ Southern California TRACON (San Diego)
Control position
| Position | Frequency | FRA |
|---|---|---|
| KSAN_APP | 119.600 MHz |  |
Southern California TRACON (San Diego) is a TRACON responsible for the airspace from the surface to 13,000 feet.
KSAN_APP is referred to either as “SoCal” or as the “Southern California TRACON” and the position as a whole should not be referred to by controllers as “SoCal Approach” as this would (incorrectly) imply the existence of a KLAX_DEP position.
“SoCal Approach” or “SoCal Departure” may be used by pilots to refer to a SoCal controller while radar approach or departure services (as appropriate) are being provided, but these labels are not intrinsic to the position and (for example) the same controller may be referred to by three different pilots on the same frequency as “SoCal”, “SoCal Approach”, and “SoCal Departure” depending on the services being received and the personal preferences of the pilots.
Pilots should endeavor to use “SoCal” as the radiotelephony callsign for the station whenever possible.
Typical departure clearance after takeoff:
Radar Contact, Climb and maintain One-Five Thousand Feet
KSAN_APP will then hand off traffic no later than 13,000 feet to Los Angeles Center (KZLA) or UNICOM.
¶ Airports
KNRS KSDM KNZY KSAN KMYF KMKX KSEE KRNM KCRQ KOKB KNFG L18
¶ Procedures
San Diego International Airport --WIP--
¶ Standard Terminal Arrival (STAR) Procedures
| STAR name | Pronounciation | Transition | Approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| BARET# | Baret | IPL EED PKE TNP | RNAVZ 27 |
| COMIX# RNAV | Comics | HUULK LAX SXC | RNAVZ 27 |
| HUBRD# | Hubbard | LAX SXC | RV RNAVZ 27 |
| LUCKI# RNAV | Lucky | HOGGZ IPL LVELLMOMAR PKE TTRUE | RNAVZ 27 |
| PLYYA# RNAV | Playa | LAX SXC | ILSZ 09 |
| SHAMU# | Shamu | LAX | ILSZ 09 |
| TOPGN# RNAV | Top Gun | IPL MOMAR PKE TTRUE | RV ILSZ 09 |
¶ Instrument Approach Procedures (IAP) --WIP--
| Runway | IAP | IAF | IF | FAF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09 | ILS Y | GATTO | SARGS | |
| " | ILS Z | GATTO | SARGS | |
| " | RNAV Z | |||
| 27 | RNAV Z | |||
| " | RNAV Y | |||
| " | LOC | |||
| " | SWEETWATER VISUAL | |||
| Date | Changes | VID |
|---|---|---|
| March 8, 2022 | Original PDF | 644899 |
| June 2023 | Conversion from PDF to WIKI | 702252 |
| November 2023 | Added TRACON | 702252 |