Monterey Bay Academy Airport


Monterey Bay Academy Airport is a small daytime only airfield located near the city of Watsonville in Santa Cruz County, California, USA. This private use airport, is owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and is located on the campus of Monterey Bay Academy, previously the military installation Camp McQuaide. The grass airfield is currently managed by AirSpace Integration. Prior permission for use is required from the airport owner.

History

Improvements and management of the airstrip were previously directed by Ocean Shore Aviation. The group restored the dirt strip, converting it from dirt into a grass runway. In addition to fixing the runway, the group has secured a parking/tie-down area, and has added a picnic area situated within walking distance to the parking/tie-down area overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
In the 1940s, a small aircraft landing strip was built at Camp McQuaide so airplanes could drop targets into the ocean. After the end of the war, in 1948, it was converted to the private boarding school Monterey Bay Academy.
Between 1980 and 1984 the airport was home to Pterodactyl Limited, a company that manufactured ultralight aircraft.