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I leave for vacation on Sunday, so I’m a little preoccupied with getting the house in order, getting laundry done, printing confirmations, getting the dogs kennelled at the vet, etc. I’m explaining all of this just so you can tell where I’m coming from with today’s Q10. Enjoy!
1. LaGuardia, New York – It was originally Glenn H. Curtiss Airport, then North Beach Airport, and finally, Fiorello H. La Guardia Airport after the former mayor of New York.
2. JFK, New York – Originally Idlewild, Major General Alexander E. Anderson Airport, then New York International. Even though John F. Kennedy was assassinated in November of 1963, people scrambled to get the airport renamed in his honor – the task was completed by the end of the year.
3. LAX, L.A. – When it was just a dirt landing strip, it was Mines Field, and held that name even after it became an official airport. In 1941 it was renamed Los Angeles Airport, and then Los Angeles International Airport, AKA LAX, in 1949.
4. Logan, Boston – On opening day in 1923, it was called Boston Airport. Then, when the Massachusetts Air Guard and Army Air Corps were pretty much the only ones using it, it was called Jeffery Field. It was renamed after Bostonian and Spanish-American War hero General Edward Lawrence Logan in 1956.
5. Ronald Reagan National Airport, D.C. – Well, it used to be two airports that merged – Hoover Field, located close to where the Pentagon is today, and Washington Airport, pretty much right next door. They merged and became the creatively-named Washington-Hoover Airport. Then in 1941, it became Washington National Airport. President Clinton had it renamed in 1998 to commemorate Ronald Reagan’s 87th birthday. That decision wasn’t a popular one with the aviation industry – Reagan fired more than 11,000 air traffic controllers who went on strike in 1981. The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority at first refused to rename the metro station that went to the airport, but eventually gave in. I bet there are still ATCs who still refer to it only as Washington National or National.
6. Heathrow, London – The Great Western Aerodome (back when it was privately owned in the 1930s).
7. de Gaulle, Paris – Aéroport de Paris Nord, renamed after Charles de Gaulle in 1974. Random fact, ‘cause I’m a font nerd: the font Frutiger was created by Adrian Frutiger specifically for use at the airport, although it was called Roissy at the time. Frutiger designed Univers, too.
8. McCarran, Las Vegas – Davy Crockett descendant George Crockett established McCarren as Alamo Airport in 1942. Clark County bought it in 1948 and renamed it the Clark County Public Airport – briefly. That same year they named it after Nevada Senator Pat McCarran.
9. Orlando International, Orlando – Like a lot of other airports, this one started out as Air Force property. During WWII, it was called Pinecastle Army Airfield, then McCoy Air Force Base. When it was decided to make it a joint military/civilian airport in 1962, the civilian side was referred to as the Orlando Jetport at McCoy. The Air Force left that base in 1975, and in 1976, the airport became Orlando International Airport.
10. O’Hare, Chicago – Originally it was Orchard Place Airport/Douglas Field, which is why we call it ORD (where the “R” comes from, I don’t know). Douglas Aircraft Company’s contract was up in 1945, so the name changes to Orchard Field Airport. Then, in 1949, it was renamed O’Hare to honor Lt. Cmdr. Edward “Butch” O’Hare, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his flying in WWII.
Comments (20)
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I lived in DC for a few years, and I don’t know anyone who referred to the airport as Reagan – I always heard it referred to as National or DCA (its airport code). Most people I knew refused to call it Reagan, partly because of how Congress threatened to withhold money for the Metro because they didn’t want to have to change every map and sign (and probably partly because most of my friends are Democrats :))
posted by heather on 10-15-2008 at 3:12 pm
According to its website, DCA is actually Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Since the airport is in Virginia, and Mount Vernon is only a few miles away, IMHO the first President gets precedence. So I always call it National or Washington National. The only people I’ve ever heard call it “Reagan” were airline employees.
posted by Liza Jane on 10-15-2008 at 3:26 pm
Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems like the R in ORD could come from the second letter of Orchard.
posted by Bobby on 10-15-2008 at 3:28 pm
@Bobby – yes. That makes perfect sense. For some reason I was convinced it would have to stand for another word =)
posted by stacy on 10-15-2008 at 3:33 pm
I’m from the DC area … it’ll always be National to me.
posted by Alice on 10-15-2008 at 3:40 pm
Louis Armstrong International Airport, New Orleans – The airport was originally named Moisant Field after daredevil aviator John Moisant, who died in an airplane crash in 1910 just outside of New Orleans, on land devoted to farming at the time. The abbreviation MSY (which the airport still uses) was derived from “Moisant Stock Yards” the name given to the land, and upon which the airport was later built. It was pretty much always known locally as the New Orleans Airport (probably because Moisant (Mu-son) is hard to pronounce).
In 2001, it was renamed Louis Armstrong Airport to commemorate the famous jazz musician’s 100th birthday.
posted by Lindsey on 10-15-2008 at 4:01 pm
Hmmm, they should think about re-renaming the Amarillo, Texas, airport. Amarillo International became Rick Husband Amarillo International (after one of those who died on the Columbia shuttle) back in 2003. I’m not protesting naming it after a fallen astronaut, but rather that they’re still calling it “international.” The only destinations that aircraft fly to from AMA are Dallas, Houston, Denver, Albuquerque, and Las Vegas. Now I realize that Texas is sometimes thought of as a different country, but I really don’t think we need that “international” still tacked on to the end.
posted by nutmeag on 10-15-2008 at 4:16 pm
I second the comments regarding DCA. It’s National or Washington National to pretty much anyone whose lived in this area for more than six months. Even my Republican friends don’t call the place Reagan.
posted by Tim on 10-15-2008 at 4:39 pm
Sticking around for the big game on Saturday, hmmm? :) I’d say you have every reason to be optimistic this year, although we did play well last week.
I experienced the Des Moines International Airport last weekend for the first time. Is it really international? I find that hard to believe, although it is a pretty nice airport.
posted by kate on 10-15-2008 at 7:48 pm
Yet another person from DC who agrees with the airport not being named “Reagan”. That really pissed off lots of people, especially people like my mother, who was a federal worker at the time.
posted by NicoNico on 10-15-2008 at 8:04 pm
It seems like a lot of airports are called “international” when they seem to only serve domestic flights because they have the capability of accepting international flights Ex: Some will not have commercial international flights but will have charter international flights. (Like Club Med, Apple Vacations, etc)
posted by Pants on 10-16-2008 at 8:54 am
I used to live in the DC area, and we always called in National, never Regan. I now live near Chicago, and O’Hare has a memorial to the pilot O’Hare in one of the terminals, I think it’s the united terminal.
posted by Cheryl on 10-16-2008 at 9:15 am
From the other side of the pond: Franz-Josef Strauss Airport, Munich. Named after an ultra-conservative German politician whose career was tainted by many scandals (arresting journalists, allegedly taking bribes from Lockheed). Used to be Munich international.
posted by Philip on 10-16-2008 at 9:23 am
I can’t think of a single person who calls National anything other than National, DCA, or Washington National Airport…with the exception of metro announcers who passing through the station now call it Ronald Reagan National Airport.
I first moved to DC when the gov’t was threatening to withhold money from metro in order to have the signs changed…it infuriated many, many people. I actually correct people if they try to call in Reagan (ie, new residents.) Within a few months they seem to understand the metro ordeal and the fact that Reagan is not a man you name an airport after (above mentioned actions during the 1981 strike) as more than just cause that the airport will always be National.
Sidenote, to be technical, it is listed as Ronald Reagan National Airport, no international flights land or depart there, only domestic. The area’s international airports are Baltimore Washington International (BWI) and Dulles International Airport (located a little further into Virginia.)
posted by Lilly on 10-16-2008 at 9:35 am
Neat factoid on O’Hare. His father worked financial matters for Capone. He was the one who turned over evidence to Eliot Ness’s group to help them convict Capone for tax evasion. If I remember correctly, his father was later murdered…I wonder why? :)
posted by Marty on 10-16-2008 at 9:42 am
It occurs to me that the “correcting” people who’ve moved to the DC area and call it Reagan sounds bitter…sorry…it’s less about being bitter and more about very few, if any, locals call it Reagan. Some tourists call it Reagan and locals call it National. It’s more of a local colloquialism for many.
posted by Lilly on 10-16-2008 at 9:46 am
I always wanted them to rename Newark International Airport after Frank Sinatra. They could have a big “Come Fly with Me!” sign out in front. Alas, after 9/11, they changed the name to Newark Liberty Airport.
posted by Jim on 10-16-2008 at 11:27 am
In Houston, the Hobby airport was originally called the Howard R. Hughes Airport. But this was when Hughes was alive – and they wanted to name it after someone who had already died (William P. Hobby, for instance). So they changed the name.
Did it occur to no one that Howard Hughes might someday, you know, die???
posted by Sarah on 10-22-2008 at 7:32 am
Late to the post, but also lived in the DC area for many years…and yep, the airport was DCA or National. I actually forgot the “Ronald Reagan” part, and was always surprised to see the full name whenever I flew out of the airport (normally took the metro there).
As for Orlando – it’s airport code is MCO. Is that “Mickey and Company” or a remnant of the old name?
posted by Dawn on 11-13-2008 at 11:10 pm
Interesting, Ronald Reagan is one of the few people to have an airport named after him while he was still alive. I wonder if there would have been so much fuss if they had waited until he had died?
posted by Susan on 10-6-2009 at 7:21 am