Story and photos by Scott Jankowski
My hometown airport of General Mitchell International does see a good number of military movements with the FBO (Fixed Base Operator) Avflight handling the majority of traffic. Milwaukee is also home to the 128th Aerial Refueling Wing which is located on the East side of the airport seeing a fair amount of transient traffic as well. Avflight is located on the Northwest corner of the airport in the old Skyway Airlines hangar, they share space with Cessna Beechcraft by Textron Aviation INC, they provide maintenance services for the Cessna Citation primarily. Avflight will utilize the ramp in front of the hanger, the west ramp, which is across from maintenance bases for Air Wisconsin and Air Cargo Carriers, as well as the space between Air Wisconsin and Menzies Ground handling to park aircraft. The main parking garage specifically the North end of levels 5 and 6 offer a great view of these ramps as well as the taxiway’s the all aircraft will use to access the Avflight Ramp. The South side of these levels will also allow a great view of the runways as well.
The collection of images in this article were taken from these locations and include the 2 “official” observation areas on the North and West ends of the field. They show the wide variety of aircraft that can we see here. While these are not everyday occurrences it is still a welcome change from the usual commercial and bizjet/prop traffic we see. A good portion of the traffic see are trainers from the United States Air Force and Navy and included A Northrop T-38C from the 309th Bomb Wing based at Whitman Air Force Base Missouri. From Vance Air Force Base’s 25th Flying Training squadron we have a trio of Northrop T-38C’s including one in a special heritage color scheme. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) will stop from time to time with their T-38A Talons as well.
The United States Navy brought this Beechcraft T-44C Pegasus which flies with TAW-4 (Training Air Wing) based at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi Texas.
ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) and Maritime Patrol aircraft will utilize Milwaukee for touch and go landings. We have a pair of Boeing P-8A Poseidon’s both based at Naval Air Station Jacksonville Florida, one from VP-26 (Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron) and the other from VPU-2 (Special Projects Patrol Squadron) known as the Wizards. The squadron focuses on testing of new sensors and providing data to national intelligence agencies.
Tankers make frequent visits to Milwaukee with aircraft from the United States Air Force and United States Marine Corps. From the New Hampshire Air National Guard’s Portsmouth New Hampshire based 157th Aerial Refueling Wing we have a Boeing KC-46A Pegasus.
Boeing KC-135R’s from the Alabama Air National Guard’s 117th Aerial Refueling Wing based at the Birmingham Alabama International Airport dropped in. We were also visited by a KC-135R from the Utah Air National Guard’s 151st Wing based at the Salt Lake City International Airport. The locally based 128th Aerial Refueling Wing’s Heritage Tanker also makes frequent appearances including a series of low approaches and fly-bys down Runway 1 Left.
The United States Marine Corp’s Lockheed Martin KC-130J Hercules are frequent visitors. One such visitor was from VMGR-252 (Marine Aerial Refueler Squadron) based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point North Carolina.
Quite a few transports will routinely visit Milwaukee and included several examples of the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules. First to be seen is C-130H3 Hercules from the United States Air Force Reserve Command’s 302nd Airlift Wing based at Peterson Space Force Base Colorado. The other from the Illinois Air National Guard’s 182nd Wing based out of Peoria Illinois Airport.
Another variant of the C-130 is the “J” model Super Hercules, the first two we have are from the California Air National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing based at Channel Island California. The next two came to us from the Little Rock Arkansas based 41ST Airlift Squadron part of Air Mobility Command.
The United States Navy’s Flight Demonstration Team better known as the Blue Angels were the headline act of the 2025 Milwaukee Air and Water show and had “Fat Albert” their support Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules at Milwaukee.
Welcome visitor in 2024 was a Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules serves with the Italian Air Force carrying support equipment for a visit to Milwaukee by the Freece Tricolori, the Italian Aerobatic Team.
Boeing C-17A Globemaster III’s are frequent visitors to Milwaukee especially to carry support equipment for Presidential visits. Here we have some Boeing C-17As from the Charleston South Carolina based 437TH Airlift Wing which is part of Air Mobility Command.
All though very infrequent we do get visits from the Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy. Seen taxiing into the 128th ramp is a Super Galaxy from the 60th Air Mobility Wing based at Travis Air Force Base California which is also part of Air Mobility Command.
Reconnaissance and Surveillance aircraft that have visited including the following from the United States Army a Beechcraft MC-12S Huron wearing an all-white color scheme.
Shooting touch and go’s on Runway 25 Left is a Boeing WC-135W Constant Phoenix which is assigned to Air Combat Command’s 55th Wing based at Offutt Air Force Base Nebraska.
Fighters and attack aircraft make routine stops into Milwaukee. In town for the 2025 Milwaukee Air and Water Show we have four Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II’s from the 175th Wing based at Martin State Airport Maryland and is part of the Maryland Air National Guard.
From the Colorado Air National Guard, we have a trio of Lockheed Martin F-16C Fighting Falcons from the 120th Fighter Squadron based at Buckley Space Force Base Colorado. Seen departing Milwaukee after the 2025 Open House at the 128th Air Refueling Wing is a Duluth Minnesota based Lockheed Martin F-16DJ which serves with the 148th Fighter Wing and is part of the Minnesota Air National Guard.
Located a short 15 minutes flying time away from Milwaukee is the 115th Fighter Wing located at Truax Air National Guard Base, they are part of the Wisconsin Air National Guard and they fly the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II. They are frequent visitors and routinely practice touch and go’s here.
The United States Navy’s VAQ-131 flying the Boeing EA-18G Growler from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Washington made a fuel stop in April of 2025.
Helicopters will stop from time to time, recovering at Avflight after an overflight of American Family Field prior to a Milwaukee Brewers game are 4 Sikorsky UH-60M Blackhawk’s. These Blackhawk’s are assigned to the 1-147th Aviation Battalion located at the Truax Air National Guard Base.
VIP Transports and Government operated aircraft are also frequent visitors to Milwaukee. Here we have a Boeing VC-32A flown by the 89th Airlift Wing based at Joint Base Andrews Maryland. This aircraft is frequently used by the President and Vice President.
N847TW, a Boeing 757-223 is operated by the Department of Justice and typically flies high profile law enforcement missions. This aircraft was used to transport Federal Agents to Milwaukee for the 2024 Republican National Convention.
Another Boeing product to be seen was the Boeing C-40 Clipper, modeled after the Boeing 737-700. The first we see is a Boeing C-40B Clipper assigned to the 113th Wing District of Columbia Air National Guard based at Joint Base Andrews Maryland. The other 2 C-40B Clippers are also based at Joint Base Andrews and are assigned to the 89th Airlift Wing. Both of these units fly high profile government and military officials.
The Lear C-21A’s from the 458th Airlift Squadron based at Scott Air Force Base Illinois are frequent visitors. The other C-21 is a bit rarer as it belongs to the 76th Airlift Squadron based at Ramstein Air Force Base Germany and is part of the United States Air Forces in Europe. It is seen here departing off Runway 19 Right.
The C-37B built by Gulfstream Aerospace were frequent visitors last year with no less than three different aircraft visiting. All three aircraft are assigned to the 89th Airlift Wing based to Joint Base Andrews Air Force Base Maryland. Several of these aircraft wear no markings or serial numbers at all.
The United States Marine Cessna UC-35D Citation Encore based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar California and is assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron or HQHQSQDN visited last year.
A very unexpected and rare visitor which made one missed approach on Runway 19 Right was a German Luftwaffe Airbus A350-941 flown by the 2nd Air Transport Squadron based at Cologne Bonn Germany.
Warbirds are not very common here at MKE but we did see a handful in town for the 2025 Air and Water Show. All of these shots were taken on the Friday before the airshow. Here we have a 1955 built North American T-28D Trojan, the world’s only flyable Consolidated PBY-2 Privateer flown by Gosshawk Limited. The final is a beautifully and meticulously restored North American P-51D Mustang named “Happy Jack’s Go Buggy” flown by Doc Winters.
Milwaukee sees a wide variety of interesting military and government aircraft traffic with plenty of great spots in which to photograph these movements. In part 2 of this series, we will a look at some of the more interesting commercial aircraft and airlines that have recently visited. Until next time, “Blue Skies To All!”
