Departure
96%
vs 95% ▲ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Orlando International Airport (KMCO) is a major Class B commercial hub in central Florida, lying some six miles southeast of Downtown Orlando, and is the busiest airport in the state. For the visiting simulator pilot it offers four long, ILS-equipped hard runways, full radar and tower control, and a rich history rooted in wartime military aviation.
Orlando International Airport is a large, heavily used civil airport serving Orlando, Florida, and the wider Central Florida region, operated by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. It is one of the busiest airports in the United States and the busiest in Florida, handling well over a thousand daily movements across more than forty airlines. For a simulator pilot it is a demanding but rewarding destination: a Class B commercial field with long precision-approach runways, full ATC services, and a genuine wartime pedigree as a former US military airfield.
KMCO sits within Class B controlled airspace and lies approximately six miles (about ten kilometres) southeast of Downtown Orlando, Florida. It shares its origins and airspace neighbourhood with Orlando Executive Airport, which began as the parent Orlando Army Air Base during the Second World War, with KMCO originally built as an auxiliary field to it.
Orlando International has four parallel hard-surfaced runways, all lit. The longest pair, 18L/36R, is 12,019 feet long, with an ILS served from the 36R end. The adjacent pair, 18R/36L, is 12,015 feet long, with an ILS on the 18R end. A second, shorter pair, 17R/35L, measures 10,011 feet and has ILS approaches available from both ends. The shortest pair, 17L/35R, is 9,011 feet long and likewise offers ILS approaches from both directions. Field elevation is 89 feet.
Orlando International is a fully controlled field. Tower operates on 118.45 MHz and Ground on 121.8 MHz, with ATIS broadcast on 121.25 MHz. Approach and Departure control is provided on 119.4 MHz, and Clearance Delivery on 134.7 MHz. Unicom is available on 122.95 MHz. St Petersburg Radio provides additional flight information and radio services on 122.1 MHz and 122.2 MHz. Multiple ILS approaches are available, as detailed in the runway information above.
Downtown Orlando lies roughly six miles to the northwest of the airport and serves as a useful general landmark for orientation when approaching from that side of the city.
The airfield was originally constructed as Orlando Army Air Field #2, an auxiliary facility to Orlando Army Air Base (today's Orlando Executive Airport), with military flying operations beginning in 1942. The site later became McCoy Air Force Base. Following the departure of the final Air Force contingent in 1975, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority was established as a state-chartered local government agency to operate and develop both Orlando International and Orlando Executive airports. The airport has also served as a designated emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle.
Orlando International is today a major commercial hub, serving as a primary base for Silver Airways and a focus city for several large carriers including Southwest, JetBlue, Spirit, Delta, Frontier and American Airlines. It is also home to a maintenance base for United Airlines. Covering some 11,605 acres, it is one of the largest commercial airports in the United States by land area, and its control tower, at 345 feet, is the fourth tallest in North America.
