History and future of Orlando area airports (OIA, MCO, OEA, ORL)

[west point]

Trivia: When MCO was strictly a Strategic air base only the Sleepy town of Orlando had an airport ORL. It is about 4-1/2 miles north of MCO. It was served mainly by EAL, DAL and National airlines. Somehow EAL got the first approval to go to MCO in a hastily built wooden terminal. ORL at last check is still that original airport now called Orlando executive. The VOR at Executive is still identified as ORL frequency 112.2

https://www.orlandoairports.net/orlando-executive-airport/

 

[jis]

Orlando area airports went through three phase - Army Air Corp, US Air Force, Commercial. There is a very good discussion of how Orlando International developed in the Wikipedia article on McCoy Air Force Base:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCoy_Air_Force_Base
The post AFB development is discussed in greater detail in the article:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orlando_International_Airport
There is a nice little park with a B-52 plinthed in what is known as the B-52 Memorial Park, in recognition of the SAC role that was played by the air field, located near where the original passenger terminal building used to be.

 

[west point]

Do not forget the Navy air base that is now Sanford airport.