Orlando Army Air Base (1940–1947) Orlando Air Force Base (1947–1968) Naval Training Center Orlando (1968–1999) |
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Part of Military Air Transport Service (MATS) Military Airlift Command (MAC) Tactical Air Command (TAC) Chief of Naval Education and Training (CNET) |
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Located near: Orlando, Florida | |
Orlando Air Force Base – 1954
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Coordinates | Base: 28°34′3.40″N 81°19′50.13″W / 28.5676111°N 81.3305917°WCoordinates: 28°34′3.40″N 81°19′50.13″W / 28.5676111°N 81.3305917°W Airfield: 28°32′43″N 081°20′12″W / 28.54528°N 81.33667°W |
Site information | |
Controlled by | United States Navy |
Open to the public |
Yes |
Site history | |
Built | 1940 |
Built by | United States Army Air Corps |
In use | 1940–1967 |
Battles/wars |
World War II Korean War Vietnam War Cold War |
Garrison information | |
Garrison | Orlando, Florida |
Occupants |
Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics 1306th Air Base Group Air Rescue Service 4504th Missile Training Wing |
Naval Training Center Orlando is a former United States Navy training installation located in Orlando, Florida. It was originally established in 1940 as Orlando Army Air Base, a World War II advanced flight training base for the United States Army Air Corps, later United States Army Air Forces, that was also used earlier in the war for coastal patrols until the turnover of the coastal patrol mission to maritime patrol aircraft of the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard and civilian aircraft of the Civil Air Patrol. Prior to 1940, the airport was used as the Orlando Municipal Airport, and served primarily commercial flights from its construction in 1929 to 1940. When acquired by the Army Air Corps, multiple new landing strips were built to control the demand created by the many aircraft stationed at the base.
Its airfield, the present day Orlando Executive Airport, was returned to the control of the City of Orlando at the end of World War II while the remaining base infrastructure located north of Florida Highway 50 was later used after 1947 as Orlando Air Force Base, a United States Air Force installation conducting ground technical training and ground-launched missile training for a number of USAF specialities, and headquarters facilities for various USAF commands and agencies until the base was transferred to the U.S. Navy in late 1968.
Orlando AFB-cum-NTC Orlando was located just north of Florida Highway 50, directly north of the present day Orlando Executive Airport. Access through the main gate was on Corrine Drive at the intersection with Bennett Drive. An additional gate was located in the northeast corner of the base on Lakemont Avenue and provided access to the cantonment area containing USAF Hospital Orlando (until 1968)-cum-Naval Hospital Orlando (until 1999), as well as access to and from the adjacent city of Winter Park. Orlando AFB was located approximately eight miles north of McCoy Air Force Base (formerly Pinecastle AFB), a second USAF installation that was also located in Orlando.