O'Hare is ORD, Why?

[resq swimmer]

I would appreciate it if anyone could tell me why that O'hare's identifier is ORD.

Thanks in advance.

 

[bigboy]

ORD

I'm almost positive that before it was named after O'hare.
It used to be called Orchard Feild.
and thats where the ORD came from.

 

[enigma]

Bigboy is correct.

enigma

 

[Saluki Dawg]

I believe that the original site of O'Hare was built on an old Apple Orchard, thus the name Orchard Field. I think that O'Hare was a local WWII flying ace from Chicago, and Orchard was renamed after him years later. I used to live in Illinois, so I think I'm pretty close on my facts, but I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Pilotadjuster]

O'hare

I believe that was Butch O'Hare and he was a WWII pilot.

 

[mobs]

Re: ORD

I'm almost positive that before it was named after O'hare.
It used to be called Orchard Feild.
and thats where the ORD came from.

To change Orchard to a three letter code start from the right keep the last letter then from right to left remove vowels then the other letters until you are down to three,same way to get a fix name down to five letters. Mobs

 

[Av8trxx]

Yes, it's true Orchard Field was renamed O'Hare after native Chicagoan and naval pilot Lt. Cmdr. Edward "Butch" O'Hare in 1949. Kept the 3 letter code. Colonel Robert McCormick, the editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune, suggested the name change as a tribute.

Nice link about it here-
http://www.ohare.com/ohare/about/timeline/ohare_timeline.shtm

Here's also an interesting link for a popular story about Butch -

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/butchandeddie.htm

Nothing like useless knowledge! I love 3 letter code trivia....

 

[Long Time Gone]

While we're on the subject

As long as airport IDs and trivia are the topic, who knows why Orlando International Airport is ID'd as MCO and not ORL?

The answer in an hour or two.........

 

[Av8trxx]

One of my favorites! (Along with MSY & GEG)

Until 1974 it was McCoy Air Force base.

Here's a pic of ol' Mike.....http://www.orlandoairports.net/goaa/marketing/diduno.htm

 

[Long Time Gone]

Congrads.

Orlando Executive was the primary airport up until that time (ORL) until the city realized that it needed something bigger. McCoy is named after the former base commander at the Army Air Field (now Orlando Exec) who crashed and died in College Park.

 

[KINGAIR PIC]

MCO is news to me. I was told from a buddy of mine that it meant Mickey & Company (after Disney World).

And by the way, MSY stands for Moisant Stock Yard, as this is what it used to be a long time ago.

 

[Av8trxx]

Why MSY?

Yes, true.

"John Bevins Moisant was a daring young French-Canadian aviator who raced planes in competitions and won international recognition. However, on December 31, 1910, he was catapulted from his plane and killed while preparing for a competition to set a new world’s record for sustained flight – 362.66 miles. Not long after the crash, the site of his death was converted to stock yards for cattle and named Moisant Stock Yards in his memory.

When the airport was built, it was first called Moisant Field, and since many people knew the location of the stock yards, the name and letters were kept to identify the airport."

So now ya know.....

 

[AZaviator]

While we're on the subject....

What about:

Nashville- BNA??

 

[Long Time Gone]

don't know that one.......

SDF = Standiford Field (Did I spell that right?)
Louisville, KY

PHF = Patrick Henry Field
Newport News, VA

 

[NEDude]

Kansas City - MCI

Originally named Mid-Continent International.

 

[Av8trxx]

BNA

Berry Field, Nashville

 

[SDF2BUF2MCO]

SDF Standiford (now Louisville International, International if you're a package anyway)

You spelled it right Long Time.

Standiford was named after a local businessman and politician who just so happened to own the land where the airport was built. How convenient.

 

[Typhoon1244]

Re: BNA

Berry Field, Nashville

Aha! Thanks, that's been bugging me for years now.

Does anybody know if there's any rhyme or reason to some of the NAS's identifiers? How does NAS Key West become NQX, for example?

 

[Skygod]

http://www.skygod.com/asstd/abc.html

This little article was published in Air Line Pilot magazine (December 1994) and has the history of a bunch of airport codes. MCO as Micky and Co is however easier to remember than the real reason.

 

[AZaviator]

Yea, the Nashville airport code has been a mystery for me for a long time.

Here's another one. What about:

SNA - John Wayne/Orange County, CA

Where did that come from???