Find where to hear live KMCO ATC and the Orlando frequencies for ATIS, clearance, ground and tower, plus fixes for silent or incomplete feeds.
You can hear live KMCO air traffic control through a public aviation-radio streaming service when an Orlando receiver feed is online, or locally with an AM air-band scanner. Monitor arrival ATIS on 121.250, departure ATIS on 120.525, clearance on 134.700, ground on 121.800/126.400 and tower on 118.450/124.300 MHz.
Where can you hear Orlando International ATC live?
The simplest option is a public internet aviation-radio feed; near Orlando, the direct option is a receiver covering the civil VHF air band. Online feeds depend on a local receiver, so KMCO coverage can go offline and may not include every channel.
- Online stream: Select a feed labelled for Orlando International, KMCO tower and ground, or Orlando Approach. A combined feed may scan several channels rather than playing each one continuously.
- Local air-band scanner: Programme the KMCO frequencies into a receiver capable of aviation-band AM. Reception is line-of-sight, so aircraft may be clearer than the controller from some locations. Never transmit on an aviation frequency.
Live radio is separate from the ATC generated by Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, FSX or Prepar3D. Our explanation of setting up genuine ATC audio beside a flight simulator covers that distinction.
Which KMCO frequencies should you monitor?
The main published KMCO frequencies cover separate arrival and departure information broadcasts, clearance delivery, two ground positions and two tower positions.
| Service | Frequency | What you will hear |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival ATIS | 121.250 MHz | Weather, approaches, landing runways and notices for arriving aircraft |
| Departure ATIS | 120.525 MHz | Weather, departure runways and relevant airport information |
| Clearance delivery | 134.700 MHz | IFR clearances and initial departure instructions |
| Ground control | 121.800 and 126.400 MHz | Taxi instructions on separately controlled parts of the airfield |
| Tower | 118.450 and 124.300 MHz | Runway crossings, take-off clearances and landing clearances |
| Approach and departure | Sector-dependent | Arrival sequencing, vectors, climbs and route hand-offs |
Check our KMCO chart and radio-frequency page before relying on the list operationally, because published frequencies and assignments can be amended. During quieter periods, controllers may combine positions; at busier times, both tower or ground frequencies may be active.
Orlando Approach and Departure are sectorised rather than tied to one universal KMCO frequency. The assigned channel depends on an aircraft’s direction, route and altitude, and an online approach feed may scan several sectors. See our explanation of how ground, tower and departure channels divide ATC duties for the normal hand-off sequence.
Why does KMCO have separate arrival and departure ATIS?
Separate ATIS channels let Orlando broadcast information tailored to inbound and outbound traffic. Arrivals need the landing runways and approaches in use, while departures need the active take-off runways and departure-specific restrictions.
Monitor 121.250 MHz when following arrivals and 120.525 MHz for departures. Our guide to reading and using an ATIS broadcast explains information codes, runway details and when a pilot must obtain a new recording.
Why might a live KMCO feed be silent or incomplete?
A silent or fragmented feed usually means the receiver is scanning several channels, the active position has been combined, or traffic has moved to another sector.
- Only half a conversation is audible: The receiver may hear nearby aircraft but lack a clear path to the controller’s transmitter, or the reverse.
- The beginning of calls is missing: A scanning receiver was listening to another programmed channel when the transmission started.
- One tower frequency is quiet: Tower positions may be combined onto the other published channel.
- Approach suddenly disappears: The aircraft was handed to another Orlando sector that the feed does not cover.
- All channels are silent: The volunteer receiver or internet connection may be unavailable; silence does not prove the airport is closed.
Ramp control can also be separate from FAA ground control. A stream covering tower and ground therefore may not carry every pushback or gate-area instruction heard at the airport.
How do you use live KMCO ATC with a flight simulator?
Run the live stream outside the simulator and treat it as receive-only background audio, because tuning a simulator COM radio does not connect it to the real KMCO broadcast.
- Open the KMCO feed in a browser or audio application before loading the flight.
- Match real conditions if possible, including the time, weather and active runway configuration.
- Reduce or disable simulated ATC so generated instructions do not overlap the real controllers.
- Expect traffic differences because real aircraft, callsigns and clearances will not correspond to simulator AI or multiplayer traffic.
A live feed is useful for learning phraseology and hearing Orlando’s traffic flow, but it is not interactive ATC. Do not answer the calls or transmit on the listed frequencies.