Imperial Beach Outlying Landing Airport (Ream Airport) — Imperial Beach, California

Situated at the southwestern tip of San Diego County, Imperial Beach Outlying Landing Airport, commonly known as Ream Airport or Ream Field, is a military auxiliary airfield that has served as a critical aviation asset for the greater San Diego metropolitan region. With FAA Identifier 27660, this facility is nestled within the coastal jurisdiction of Imperial Beach, California, a city of approximately 26,000 residents bordered by the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The airport's proximity to Naval Air Station North Island and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar positions it as a strategically vital outlying landing field within one of the most active military aviation corridors in the United States.

Ream Airport's runway infrastructure supports touch-and-go training operations, emergency landing contingencies, and auxiliary flight exercises for military and government aviation units operating throughout Southern California. The airfield occupies a flat coastal plain characteristic of the South Bay area, with the Tijuana Estuary wetlands forming a natural buffer to the south. Prevailing onshore Pacific breezes from the west-southwest create consistent crosswind conditions that pilots must account for during approach and departure sequences, making Ream a practical training environment for aviators refining crosswind landing proficiency.

The surrounding Imperial Beach community has long coexisted with military aviation activity, a relationship that stretches back to World War II-era naval expansion across San Diego County. Ream Field's historical roots are intertwined with the broader development of coastal defense infrastructure during the mid-20th century, and the site continues to reflect that legacy through its operational posture as an auxiliary rather than a primary commercial or general aviation facility. Civilian access is restricted, and flight operations are coordinated through Naval Air Station North Island's airspace management framework, which oversees the dense military flight corridors blanketing coastal San Diego.

From a geographic standpoint, Ream Airport is positioned approximately 15 miles south of downtown San Diego and roughly 1.5 miles north of the U.S.–Mexico border at San Ysidro. This border-adjacent location places the airport within a complex airspace environment that intersects with Tijuana International Airport's (TIJ) Class C airspace to the south and San Diego International Airport's (SAN) Class B airspace to the north. Pilots and aviation planners operating in this corridor must maintain precise communication with San Diego TRACON (SOCAL Approach) to ensure safe separation across one of the most geographically constrained aviation corridors in North America.

Imperial Beach itself is accessible via Interstate 5 and California State Route 75 (Palm Avenue), with the airport grounds positioned off Ream Field Road near the Silver Strand peninsula. The nearby Silver Strand State Beach and Coronado Islands provide visual landmarks frequently referenced in VFR navigation briefings for pilots conducting local area familiarization flights. The coastal elevation at Ream sits at approximately 18 feet above mean sea level, and the site's flat terrain provides unobstructed approaches from the ocean, a characteristic valued for emergency divert scenarios when primary naval airfields experience congestion or weather closures.

For residents of Imperial Beach and the broader South Bay region, Ream Airport represents a largely background presence — operationally active but not integrated into commercial travel infrastructure. The airport does not offer scheduled passenger service, commercial cargo operations, or public fueling facilities. Its role is exclusively auxiliary and governmental, supporting the operational readiness of military aviation assets assigned to Naval Base Coronado and affiliated tenant commands. Community engagement with the airport is primarily limited to periodic noise notifications and coordination through the City of Imperial Beach's planning department during review of adjacent development proposals.

Aviation enthusiasts and researchers interested in Ream Airport's operational history will find the facility documented in FAA aeronautical charts as a restricted military airport, with NOTAMs (Notices to Air Missions) issued through the FAA's official distribution channels when activity levels change or temporary flight restrictions are imposed in connection with regional security or training exercises. The airport's identifier 27660 appears in FAA airport data records maintained by the Air Traffic Organization, and its geographic coordinates place it within the Pacific Standard Time zone at approximately 32.57°N, 117.10°W.

Imperial Beach Outlying Landing Airport - Ream Airport Contact Information

Address, Phone Number, and Hours for an Airports in Imperial Beach, California.

Name Imperial Beach Outlying Landing Airport - Ream Airport
Address 1498 13th Street, Imperial Beach CA 91932 Map
Phone
Website
Hours

Map of Imperial Beach Outlying Landing Airport - Ream Airport

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Frequently Asked Questions — Imperial Beach Outlying Landing Airport (Ream Airport, ID: 27660)

No. Ream Airport (FAA ID: 27660) is a military auxiliary airfield associated with Naval Base Coronado and is not open to civilian or general aviation traffic. The facility supports military flight training and emergency landing operations for naval and government aviation units based in the San Diego region. Civilian pilots should not attempt to land at this facility without prior authorization from Naval Air Station North Island's airspace management authority. For general aviation access in the South Bay area, pilots are directed to Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM), located approximately 10 miles east in Otay Mesa.

Ream Airport operates within one of the most complex airspace environments in Southern California. To the north, San Diego International Airport (SAN/KSAN) operates Class B airspace that extends southward over much of the South Bay. To the south, Tijuana International Airport (TIJ/MMTJ) in Mexico maintains its own Class C airspace within approximately 5 miles of Ream Field. All flights in this corridor are managed under the jurisdiction of Southern California TRACON (SCT), which coordinates military and civilian traffic separation across the San Diego basin. Ream Airport itself is depicted on VFR sectional charts as a restricted military airport, and its traffic pattern is coordinated through NAS North Island operations.

Ream Field has its origins in the World War II-era expansion of naval aviation infrastructure along the Southern California coast. The site was developed as an auxiliary landing field to support the high volume of naval aviator training conducted from NAS North Island on Coronado Island. Named in honor of a naval officer, the field became a component of the extensive military aviation network that transformed San Diego County into one of the nation's premier naval aviation centers during the 1940s. Post-war, Ream Field continued in an auxiliary capacity, serving as a training annex and emergency divert field. Today it remains an active military asset under the operational authority of Naval Base Coronado, one of the largest naval installations on the West Coast.

Ream Airport in Imperial Beach is located approximately 15 miles south-southwest of San Diego International Airport (SAN), which handles the region's commercial passenger and cargo traffic. Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM) in Otay Mesa is approximately 10 miles to the east and serves as the primary general aviation facility for South San Diego County. Naval Air Station North Island on Coronado Island lies roughly 8 miles to the northwest and serves as the primary naval air installation in the region. Tijuana International Airport in Baja California is approximately 5 miles to the southeast across the U.S.–Mexico border. For travelers seeking commercial flights, San Diego International Airport remains the sole major commercial hub serving the Imperial Beach area.

Military flight operations at Ream Airport and the broader Naval Base Coronado complex do contribute to ambient aircraft noise levels in Imperial Beach. The City of Imperial Beach participates in the San Diego AICUZ (Air Installations Compatible Use Zones) program, a Department of Defense initiative that maps noise contours around military airfields and guides local land use planning to minimize conflicts between aviation operations and residential development. Residents near Ream Field may periodically experience noise from touch-and-go training exercises, helicopter operations, and military aircraft transiting the coastal corridor. Noise-related inquiries can be directed to the Naval Base Coronado Public Affairs Office, which maintains community liaison programs for South Bay municipalities affected by military aviation activity.

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