The airport code MCO for Orlando International Airport is a historical tribute to its past as McCoy Air Force Base. In the 1950s, the facility was known as Pinecastle AFB, but it was renamed in 1958 to honor Colonel Michael N.W. McCoy, a commander who perished in a B-47 Stratojet crash during a bombing competition. When the base was closed in 1975 following the Vietnam War, the facility transitioned into a civilian airport, but it retained the "MCO" IATA designation. In 2026, MCO has grown into one of the busiest hubs in the United States, recently completing massive expansions like Terminal C to handle millions of tourists. Despite its growth, the "MCO" code remains a permanent link to the site's military heritage and the legacy of the Strategic Air Command pilots who once flew B-52s from its runways. Many travelers in 2026 jokingly guess it stands for "Mickey's Corporate Office," but the true origin is strictly rooted in mid-20th-century aviation history.