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About Orlando Airport
Before 1974, the land the airport now sits on was largely owned by the United States Air Force, which operated an air force base there. The facility was originally constructed during World War II as Pinecastle Army Airfield, an auxiliary airfield to the then-Orlando Army Air Base, now known as Orlando Executive Airport. At the end of the war, Pinecastle was briefly used for unpowered glide tests of the Bell X-1 from B-29 aircraft before being relocated to Muroc Army Airfield, now Edwards AFB, California for the world's first supersonic flight. Briefly placed in caretaker status, the base was reactivated during the Korean War for development as a Strategic Air Command (SAC) facility for B-47 Stratojet and KC-97 Stratotanker aircraft. Renamed Pinecastle AFB, the base was later known as McCoy Air Force Base, operating B-52 Stratofortress bomber, KC-135 Stratotanker air refueling and EC-121 Warning Star airborne early warning aircraft aircraft.
During the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, McCoy became the primary forward operating base for both the U-2, as well as a forward operating base for over 120 F-100 Super Sabre and F-105 Thunderchief fighter bombers. Following the crisis, McCoy continued to host a permanent U-2 operating detachment until 1973.
With the arrival of the first generation commercial jetliners, the length and weight-bearing capability of the runways of the former Orlando Army Air Base, now Orlando's Herndon Airport, were inadequate for continuation of commercial airline service. With Herndon Airport hemmed in by lakes and commercial and residential development, further expansion was impractical, and an agreement was reached between the City of Orlando and the U.S. Air Force in 1962 for the use of McCoy AFB under a joint civil-military airport arrangement. The military would offer a large AGM-28 Hound Dog missile maintenance hangar and its associated flight line ramp area in the northeast corner of the installation for conversion into a civilian air terminal for the city. The city would then cover the cost of building a replacement missile maintenance hangar on the main base. Once executed, the new civilian facility would be known as the Orlando Jetport at McCoy and would operate alongside McCoy AFB. This agreement became a model for other joint civil-military airports in operation today.
Commercial airline service to the new Orlando Jetport at McCoy began in 1962, per the city and USAF agreement, as commercial flights were migrated from the old Herndon Airport, now the Orlando Executive Airport (ICAO Code KORL/FAA Code ORL). By 1971, regular scheduled airline operations were conducted by Delta Air Lines, and the former Eastern Air Lines, National Airlines and Southern Airways.
McCoy AFB was identified for closure in early 1973 as part of a post-Vietnam reduction in force. The following year, McCoy's 306th Bombardment Wing was inactivated, its B-52D Stratofortress and KC-135A Stratotanker aircraft reassigned to other SAC units and most of the McCoy facility turned over to the City of Orlando by the General Services Administration (GSA) in late 1974 and early 1975. A portion of the facility was retained under military control to support Naval Training Center Orlando and several Reserve and National Guard units.
In 1975, the final Air Force contingent departed McCoy and the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) was established as a state-chartered governmental agency and an enterprise fund of the City of Orlando. GOAA's mission was to operate, manage and oversee construction of expansions and improvements to both the Orlando International Airport and the Orlando Executive Airport.
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