Definition
A military airfield owned and operated by the United States Marine Corps, used for fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and tiltrotor aviation operations in support of Marine Corps missions.
Plain English
An airbase run by the U.S. Marine Corps where their aircraft are based, maintained, and flown from.
Context Anchor
You may see MCAS on aeronautical charts, in flight planning material, airport information, or flight notices for areas near military aviation facilities.
Why Pilots Care
Civil pilots may need to coordinate with or transit near an MCAS, and these fields often have restricted access, special procedures, or military-only services. Knowing it's a Marine Corps facility tells you what to expect for traffic, hours, and approval requirements.
Intuition Check
Do not assume MCAS always means an aircraft control system. In this FAA acronym context, MCAS means a Marine Corps air station.
Example Sentence 1
The flight plan routed us well clear of MCAS Yuma's restricted airspace.
Example Sentence 2
NOTAMs for MCAS Beaufort warned of active military training in the area.