Control Cities

[SkyPesos]

Just by force of habit, I have tried to book a flight from DIA, then realizing I have to use DEN.

I typed "PTI" in the search box for Greensboro's Piedmont Triad International Airport when searching for flights once, then realized that it isn't the airport code and GSO is. Signs on I-73 sign it as "PTI-GSO Airport", which I'm currently undecided whether if I like it or not.

[ilpt4u]

Pensecola Int'l Airport should certainly be signed "PNS Airport"  - so perfect

In the real world, the exit off FL's I-110 is signed "Airport Blvd - Pensacola Airport"

I am not sure signing O'Hare as "ORD"  would be better or worse than just signing O'Hare, as is signed today on the Tri-State, Kennedy, and Addams to get to the Airport

[US 89]

Are there any airports with confusing codes, such as CVS, MLB, CNN, CDC, FBI, ETC, etc. in the United States?

I would consider Denver (DEN) as confusing to many, only because most people (at least the locals) calls the 25-year old airport by the three-letter DIA. 

Just by force of habit, I have tried to book a flight from DIA, then realizing I have to use DEN.

Just sign "Denver airport"

Which... is what they already do?

[Roadgeekteen]

Are there any airports with confusing codes, such as CVS, MLB, CNN, CDC, FBI, ETC, etc. in the United States?

I would consider Denver (DEN) as confusing to many, only because most people (at least the locals) calls the 25-year old airport by the three-letter DIA. 

Just by force of habit, I have tried to book a flight from DIA, then realizing I have to use DEN.

Just sign "Denver airport"

Which... is what they already do?

Ok that works

[hobsini2]

Are there any airports with confusing codes, such as CVS, MLB, CNN, CDC, FBI, ETC, etc. in the United States?

LONG is that list. A few highlights.
MCO Orlando
BNA Nashville
SMF Sacramento
IAD Washington Dulles
RSW Ft Myers
SDF Louisville
MSY New Orleans
MCI Kansas City
PDX Portland, OR
MDT Harrisburg
AVP Scranton
TYS Knoxville
IAH Houston Bush Intercontinental
GEG Spokane

[Roadgeekteen]

Are there any airports with confusing codes, such as CVS, MLB, CNN, CDC, FBI, ETC, etc. in the United States?

LONG is that list. A few highlights.
MCO Orlando
BNA Nashville
SMF Sacramento
IAD Washington Dulles
RSW Ft Myers
SDF Louisville
MSY New Orleans
MCI Kansas City
PDX Portland, OR
MDT Harrisburg
AVP Scranton
TYS Knoxville
IAH Houston Bush Intercontinental
GEG Spokane

I know most of these but only because I'm an aviation geek.

[hotdogPi]

Are there any airports with confusing codes, such as CVS, MLB, CNN, CDC, FBI, ETC, etc. in the United States?

LONG is that list. A few highlights.
MCO Orlando
BNA Nashville
SMF Sacramento
IAD Washington Dulles
RSW Ft Myers
SDF Louisville
MSY New Orleans
MCI Kansas City
PDX Portland, OR
MDT Harrisburg
AVP Scranton
TYS Knoxville
IAH Houston Bush Intercontinental
GEG Spokane

SMF is the software that this forum runs on, but it's not something absolutely everyone knows. MDT is Mountain Daylight Time, but you have to think about it for a bit. I don't know the alternative meanings of any of the other three-letter acronyms/initialisms.

[Flint1979]

For the airport near me it's called MBS so that's what the three letters are for the airport code. It use to be called Tri-City Airport but was switched to MBS in the 90's to ease confusion with other airports using the name Tri-City. It was switched to MBS because that's what the airport code was and still is.

Bishop International Airport in Flint uses FNT.

Gerald Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids uses GRR.

Capital Region International Airport in Lansing uses LAN.

[Scott5114]

Are there any airports with confusing codes, such as CVS, MLB, CNN, CDC, FBI, ETC, etc. in the United States?

LONG is that list. A few highlights.
MCO Orlando
BNA Nashville
SMF Sacramento
IAD Washington Dulles
RSW Ft Myers
SDF Louisville
MSY New Orleans
MCI Kansas City
PDX Portland, OR
MDT Harrisburg
AVP Scranton
TYS Knoxville
IAH Houston Bush Intercontinental
GEG Spokane

SMF is the software that this forum runs on, but it's not something absolutely everyone knows. MDT is Mountain Daylight Time, but you have to think about it for a bit. I don't know the alternative meanings of any of the other three-letter acronyms/initialisms.

MCI used to be a phone company.

But I think the point of this list is simply that none of those codes are what you would "expect" the local airport code to be.

[kkt]

I would stay away from the airport codes on road signs.  Many of them are cryptic and you don't want drivers to stop and think about the signs too much.  Maybe a few cases where the code is best known name of the airport would be okay - JFK, LAX.

[ilpt4u]

Are there any airports with confusing codes, such as CVS, MLB, CNN, CDC, FBI, ETC, etc. in the United States?

LONG is that list. A few highlights.
MCO Orlando
BNA Nashville
SMF Sacramento
IAD Washington Dulles
RSW Ft Myers
SDF Louisville
MSY New Orleans
MCI Kansas City
PDX Portland, OR
MDT Harrisburg
AVP Scranton
TYS Knoxville
IAH Houston Bush Intercontinental
GEG Spokane

SMF is the software that this forum runs on, but it's not something absolutely everyone knows. MDT is Mountain Daylight Time, but you have to think about it for a bit. I don't know the alternative meanings of any of the other three-letter acronyms/initialisms.

MCI used to be a phone company.

But I think the point of this list is simply that none of those codes are what you would "expect" the local airport code to be.

MCI is still a thing, but it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Verizon. The Verizon Business part of Verizon, and especially its national and global fiber transit networks, are the direct descendants of MCI within Verizon

Often those long-haul fiber routes are still marked with "MCI"  Utility Locate flags when the cable routes are located for digging projects in the area

[rarnold]

Are there any airports with confusing codes, such as CVS, MLB, CNN, CDC, FBI, ETC, etc. in the United States?

LONG is that list. A few highlights.
MCO Orlando
BNA Nashville
SMF Sacramento
IAD Washington Dulles
RSW Ft Myers
SDF Louisville
MSY New Orleans
MCI Kansas City
PDX Portland, OR
MDT Harrisburg
AVP Scranton
TYS Knoxville
IAH Houston Bush Intercontinental
GEG Spokane

SMF is the software that this forum runs on, but it's not something absolutely everyone knows. MDT is Mountain Daylight Time, but you have to think about it for a bit. I don't know the alternative meanings of any of the other three-letter acronyms/initialisms.

MCI used to be a phone company.

But I think the point of this list is simply that none of those codes are what you would "expect" the local airport code to be.

The reason KCI uses the call sign MCI is because Mid-Continent Airlines was using it (and TWA) were using Downtown Airport and Fairfax Airport at overhaul bases. The city was going to name the new airport as Mid-Continent Airport, but Mid-Continent merged with Braniff and the name was changed to Kansas City International Airport, or KCI. Attempts to change the call sign to KCI won't happen becuase MCI has appeared on nav charts.

[ilpt4u]

I didn't think any US airports were allowed to have a 3-letter airport code that starts with a "K"  - since the IATA prefix for US Airports is "K"  ie KJFK and KORD and KLAX

[SkyPesos]

I didn't think any US airports were allowed to have a 3-letter airport code that starts with a "K"  - since the IATA prefix for US Airports is "K"  ie KJFK and KORD and KLAX

There's KOA, though it's in Hawaii and uses a different ICAO prefix (P instead of K) than the mainland airports.

[hotdogPi]

I didn't think any US airports were allowed to have a 3-letter airport code that starts with a "K"  - since the IATA prefix for US Airports is "K"  ie KJFK and KORD and KLAX

It was actually to avoid confusion with radio stations. W wasn't used, either.

[Flint1979]

I didn't think any US airports were allowed to have a 3-letter airport code that starts with a "K"  - since the IATA prefix for US Airports is "K"  ie KJFK and KORD and KLAX

There's KOA, though it's in Hawaii and uses a different ICAO prefix (P instead of K) than the mainland airports.

KOA is also a 50,000 watt AM radio station in Denver.

[dvferyance]

I didn't think any US airports were allowed to have a 3-letter airport code that starts with a "K"  - since the IATA prefix for US Airports is "K"  ie KJFK and KORD and KLAX

There's KOA, though it's in Hawaii and uses a different ICAO prefix (P instead of K) than the mainland airports.

KOA is also a 50,000 watt AM radio station in Denver.

As well as a campgrounds.

[Flint1979]

I didn't think any US airports were allowed to have a 3-letter airport code that starts with a "K"  - since the IATA prefix for US Airports is "K"  ie KJFK and KORD and KLAX

There's KOA, though it's in Hawaii and uses a different ICAO prefix (P instead of K) than the mainland airports.

KOA is also a 50,000 watt AM radio station in Denver.

As well as a campgrounds.

Yep standing for Kampgrounds Of America.

[SkyPesos]

For anyone interested in finding the origin of an airport's three letter code: there's this site called airportcod.es that have most of the at least medium sized airports with passenger service on there with an explanation of their code.

[SkyPesos]

PDX Portland, OR

PDX isn't that out of the ordinary. 'PD' are the first and last letter of Portland, and X is a common filler letter for airport codes, like also in LAX.

[hobsini2]

I didn't think any US airports were allowed to have a 3-letter airport code that starts with a "K"  - since the IATA prefix for US Airports is "K"  ie KJFK and KORD and KLAX

It was actually to avoid confusion with radio stations. W wasn't used, either.

That's about 95% true. Alaska has a number of airport codes with a K to start. just glancing at wiki, there are a few in the lower 48, Kelso WA (KSO) and King City CA (KIC) for example, that use a K to start.

[US 89]

I didn’t think any US airports were allowed to have a 3-letter airport code that starts with a “K” - since the IATA ICAO prefix for US Airports is “K” ie KJFK and KORD and KLAX

It was actually to avoid confusion with radio stations. W wasn't used, either.

That's about 95% true. Alaska has a number of airport codes with a K to start. just glancing at wiki, there are a few in the lower 48, Kelso WA (KSO) and King City CA (KIC) for example, that use a K to start.

Add Kanab, UT (FAA/IATA KNB, ICAO KKNB) to that list, too.

At least in Alaska, using K to start a 3-letter code would not cause any confusion with 4-letter K--- format ICAO codes because the prefix for airports there is PA (K is just for the continental US). The Fairbanks airport ICAO code is PAFA, for example.

[Roadgeekteen]

This is getting off topic. I think we need a new thread for airport codes.

[hobsini2]

Back to the topic at hand, using certain 3 letter airport codes that are obvious for "airport" control cities is perfectly fine with me. 

[hbelkins]

SDF is entirely logical if you know that Louisville's airport was known as Standiford Field for decades. I think it's now called Muhammad Ali International Airport, but I'm not sure, as all the signage on the interstates just says "Airport."

CVG makes little sense since the airport isn't located in Covington.