McCoy Air Force Base
Former US Air Force base 10 miles SE of Orlando, FL, later became Orlando International Airport / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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McCoy AFB (1940–1947, 1951–1975) is a former U.S. Air Force installation located 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Orlando, Florida. It was a training base during World War II. From 1951 to 1975, it was a frontline Strategic Air Command (SAC) base during the Cold War and Vietnam War. It was Orlando's biggest employer and economic backbone prior to the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971.
McCoy Air Force Base | |
---|---|
Part of Strategic Air Command | |
Orlando, Florida | |
Coordinates | 28°25′46″N 081°18′32″W |
Type | Air Force Base |
Site history | |
Built | 1940 |
In use | 1940–1975 |
With McCoy's closure as an active USAF facility in 1975, the site was redeveloped and is known today as Orlando International Airport, which continues to carry the base's original FAA LID airport code of MCO (i.e., McCoy) and ICAO airport code of KMCO.
Over the course of its existence the installation had several names, including Orlando Army Air Field #2, Pinecastle Army Airfield, and Pinecastle Air Force Base.