The Milwaukee Mitchell Airport is named after an interesting man named Billy Mitchell. Within the Airport Terminal there is the Mitchell Gallery of Flight. A small air and space museum that displays Wisconsin related artifacts. The Mitchell Gallery of Flight is named after Brigadier General William “Billy” Mitchell.
I’ve done a few reports about my trips to various aviation museums(my favorite is the Udvar-Hazy Museum), I had some time and figured I’d show the Mitchell Gallery of Flight here at MKE. While not huge, there are some great models and pictures to check out. If you have a few minutes before a flight from MKE I would definitely recommend checking out the Mitchell Gallery of Flight.
Brigadier General William Mitchell
MKE airport and the Mitchell Gallery of flight both get their name from William Mitchell. Billy Mitchell was a member of the Army Air Service during World War One and a strong advocate for military air power. To put it mildly, Billy Mitchell constantly fought with military leadership about how a lack of investment in aircraft and an over investment in navy ships was a poor choice. He was so tenacious that he arranged a test where captured German ships were bombed and sunk by a few aircraft.
His criticism of the Navy and Army didn’t sit well with leadership and he was court marshaled and eventually resigned from the military. He died a few years later before even turning 30 years old. Turns out Mitchell was completely correct and his crazy idea of floating air bases(aircraft carriers) became the backbone of US Navy Doctrine. The B-25 Mitchell Bomber was named after him and there’s one on display at the MKE airport. After his death and World War Two he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Metal. While born in Nice France, Mitchell had deep roots in Wisconsin and is buried in the Historic Forest Home Cemetery in Milwaukee.
Mitchell Gallery of Flight Location
The Mitchell Gallery of Flight is located in the main terminal of the MKE airport. You don’t have to pass through security as the Gallery is airside, just next to Renaissance Books, another Milwaukee classic. If you’re waiting on someone to arrive or have a few minutes before a flight out of Milwaukee the Mitchell Gallery of flight is a no brainier to visit, of course it’s free.
Mitchell Gallery of Flight Exibits
Inside the gallery are all sorts of exhibits about Wisconsin aviation. Many have to do with Milwaukee including the airport and it’s historical service. Both military and civil aviation is featured here at the Gallery of Flight.
I love these old airline timetables. It’s hard to find this information sometimes, especially for airlines like Midwest Express.
Midwest Express is an interesting Milwaukee based airline that sadly doesn’t exist anymore. If you look closely around the airport, you can see little artifacts about Midwest.
MKE is a shared use airport and General Mitchell Air National Guard Base is located here.
I’ve ridden on N773NC when it was flying for Delta. It’s fun to see little thinks like this.
Mitchell Gallery Final Thoughts
The Mitchell Gallery here at MKE is a nice little history display. While not huge, it’s certainly worth the visit if you have a few extra minutes before heading out. The museum has lots of nice little features from Wisconsin’s aviation history. There are both military and civil aviation pieces.
The Milwaukee airport is really a nice airport to fly to and from. The Mitchell Gallery of Flight is classic Milwaukee and on the recommend list.