Departure
96%
vs 95% ▲ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
General Mitchell International Airport (KMKE) is a civil-military field five miles south of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, sitting close to the western shore of Lake Michigan and sharing its ramp with an Air National Guard base. Named for Milwaukee-born air-power pioneer Billy Mitchell, it offers a full ILS-equipped runway complex and 24-hour tower control, making it a straightforward and well-served destination for simulator pilots flying into the upper Midwest.
General Mitchell International Airport lies on Milwaukee's south side and is operated by the Milwaukee County Aviation Department. It functions as a civil-military airport, sharing its runways with the General Mitchell Air National Guard Base, and is Wisconsin's busiest airport, handling everything from single-engine general aviation traffic to heavy military tankers. For a simulator pilot it offers an interesting mix of scheduled airline movements, military operations and a historic airfield layout with five distinct runway alignments.
The airport sits about five nautical miles south of downtown Milwaukee and close to the western shore of Lake Michigan. It carries Class C airspace, reflecting its status as a medium-hub commercial and military field, and lies within the surrounding Milwaukee terminal area alongside the General Mitchell Air National Guard Base on the airport's eastern side.
The airfield has five physical runways. The main parallel pair, 01L/19R, is the longest at up to 9,684 feet, hard-surfaced, lit and equipped with ILS at both ends. The second parallel pair, 07R/25L, runs up to 8,284 feet, also hard-surfaced, lit and ILS-equipped. Runway 13/31 is a shorter cross runway of up to 5,324 feet, hard-surfaced and lit but without ILS. Two further hard-surfaced, lit runways without ILS complete the layout: 07L/25R at 4,791 feet and 01R/19L at 4,175 feet. Field elevation is 679 feet.
Milwaukee Tower operates on 119.1 MHz, with Ground on 121.8 MHz and Clearance Delivery on 120.8 MHz. Milwaukee Approach works on 118 MHz and Milwaukee Departure on 119.65 MHz. ATIS broadcasts on 126.4 MHz, with an AWOS on 148.35 MHz, and UNICOM is available on 122.95 MHz. Green Bay Radio can be reached on 122.4 MHz. The airport is served by ILS approaches to its two main parallel runway pairs, 01L/19R and 07R/25L.
The airfield began life in 1920 as Hamilton Airport, established by local aviator and businessman Thomas F. Hamilton. Milwaukee County purchased the land in October 1926 and renamed it Milwaukee County Airport, with the first terminal, the Hirschbuehl Farmhouse, opening in July 1927, the same month Northwest Airlines began service to Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Charles Lindbergh visited the field in August 1927, and Kohler Aviation Corporation started cross-lake passenger service in 1929. A new WPA-built terminal was constructed between 1938 and 1940, and on 17 March 1941 the airport was renamed General Mitchell Field in honour of Milwaukee-born air-power advocate Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell. During the Second World War, from January 1945, the field was leased to the War Department as a prisoner-of-war camp holding over 3,000 prisoners. The present terminal opened in 1955 and was expanded in 1985 and 1990. The airport was renamed General Mitchell International Airport in 1986 and served as a hub for AirTran Airways, Frontier Airlines, Midwest Airlines and North Central Airlines. In February 2019 it was rebranded Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, though the earlier name remains in FAA and federal use. Following a runway excursion by Northwest Airlines Flight 1726 in January 2007, runway safety areas were expanded at the ends of the runways, with construction completed in 2012.
General Mitchell continues to operate as a civil-military airport, hosting the General Mitchell Air National Guard Base alongside scheduled commercial and cargo traffic, including service as a hub for Freight Runners Express. The tower operates around the clock. The airport has been recognised by Airports Council International as one of the world's best airports in both 2022 and 2023.
