Coast Guard Air Station San Diego U . S . Coast Guard Air Station San Diego ( CGAS San Diego ) is a Coast Guard Air Station based in San Diego , California , United States , across the street from San Diego International Airport . CGAS San Diego operates three HH - 60J Jayhawk helicopters off the Coast Guard ramp . CGAS San Diego is also adjacent to Small Boat Station San Diego which houses two 41 - foot Utility Boats , two USCG rigid hull inflatable boats ( RHIB ' s ) , one RB - HS and three RB - S . Being implemented are two Special Purpose Craft - Law Enforcement ( SPC - LE ) , which are USCG vessels used for maritime Law Enforcement . The SPC - LE ' s have three Mercury Marine engines along with some of the most advanced electronics systems in existence . Also at the station are two USCG Coastal Patrol Boat s . The air station is physically separated from the rest of the airfield , such that USCG fixed - wing aircraft must cross a busy , 6 - lane city street to reach the runway ; street light activation opens the locked gates to the airfield and the air station , and also stops traffic while aircraft are traversing the street . History . Lindbergh Field opened on October 16 , 1934 on the Pacific Highway . The San Diego International Airport East Terminal opened on March 6 , 1967 , and the West Terminal opened July 11 , 1979 . A new Commuter Terminal opened July 23 , 1996 . It is self - contained , full service facility with four gates used by seven commuter airlines to handle 25 , 000 passengers each day . Construction of the expansion of the West Terminal ended in November , 1997 . Almost 14 million passengers travel through Lindbergh Field each year . The 27 passenger and cargo airlines operate more than 500 flights each day from the runways . On December 11 , 1935 negotiations between the City of San Diego and the U . S . Government were concluded which provided of tideland for the construction of a Coast Guard Air Station adjacent to Lindbergh Field , the Municipal Airport . This project had the strong support of many people and agencies , and particularly the Harbor Commission and Department of San Diego and the Chamber of Commerce . The area for this station was deeded to the Coast Guard at no cost , after approval by citizens of San Diego , at a municipal election held in April 1935 . Construction of the Air Station was undertaken in 1936 with funds provided by the Federal Public Works Administration . The M . H . Golden Co . was the contractor . The area had to be dredged from the bay and filled and brought up to grade level . Long piles were driven in the soil at the building sites for stabilization . The contract called for one hangar with lean - to , a mess hall , a barracks building , two aprons , a runway to the field , and a small wooden seaplane ramp . During and prior to this time a Coast Guard Air Detachment was maintained on Lindbergh Field in one - half of a commercial hangar . This detachment was led by Elmer F . Stone after May 21 , 1935 . Stone is one of Coast Guard Aviation ’ s most colorful figures . In April 1937 , the Air Station was commissioned . The first commanding officer was LT S . C . Linholm , who later became Commander of Eleventh Coast Guard District . There had , however , been an Air Patrol Detachment active in San Diego between 1934 and 1937 . At the time this was the only Coast Guard air base in California . Coast Guard Air Station San Diego saw no radical changes as a result of the declaration of war in 1941 . The unit continued to watch and report the activities of fishing boats in the area , to provide assistance in cases of distress , and to provide transportation by air for other government departments . Air Sea Rescue operations were given primary focus from October 1943 on . Between January 1 and December 1 , 1944 , a total of 124 aircraft went down in waters covered by this unit . Of the 201 pilots and crewmen involved , 137 were saved , 59 were killed outright by mid - air collisions or impact with the water , two are missing , and three who might have been saved were lost because of improper equipment or the failure to locate them promptly . In June 1972 a major rebuilding plan was proposed . On January 26 , 1983 , a ceremony was held signaling the completion of the project . In April 1997 , the Port of San Diego began a master plan for San Diego International Airport . The goal of the plan is to provide incremental , cost - effective improvements to SDIA to meet the region ' s near - term demand for air service while a long - term regional air transportation strategy is developed in collaboration with the San Diego Association of Governments ( SANDAG ) and other transportation agencies .