my flight tours milwaukee reviews

• Add a Listing

Press Releases

Political contributions tracker.

• Bruce Murphy
• Food & Drink
• Become a Member

Buy a Gift Membership

• Giveaways + Events

New Helicopter Tours Spark Frustration, New Flight Path

Ald. Scott Spiker negotiates new flight path. Company offers unique way to see city.

MyFlight Tours helicopter at AvFlight in Milwaukee. Photo by Scott Spiker.

The late January launch of helicopter tours over Milwaukee wasn’t met with universal support. A number of residents that live near Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport were concerned about a sudden increase in noise.

Michigan-based MyFlight Tours quietly entered the market with three trip options, offered only on weekends until May. A 10-mile, 5-to-7-minute tour starts at $55, while a 35-mile, 15-20-minute skyline tour starts at $150.

The company’s website says the flights take place 1,000 feet off the ground and head straight north from the airport. It’s those two points that drew concern from area residents.

“Helicopter owners should have a heart on Valentine’s Day,” wrote area Alderman Scott Spiker in a particularly humorous press release issued Feb. 14.

“Residents of the 13th District near the airport have bought the flowers; they’ve bought the chocolate; they’ve written out their cards. They have a special night booked with their beloved,” said the alderman. “Unfortunately, so do the helicopter tours at the airport. Imagine yelling to your sweetheart that you love them over the whomp, whomp of rotating blades above your house. You don’t have to imagine if you live in one of the neighborhoods north of the airport. You can experience it first-hand!”

Spiker said the new service flew in under the radar, surprising city and county officials in addition to residents. Comments on social media from area residents expressed frustration with the frequency and proximity to the ground compared to the existing plane traffic.

“I demand a meeting with the airport representatives, the helicopter owners, and the businesses that supply the pit crew for the choppers on airport grounds. For those who would say I am making a federal case out of ‘a little noise,’ I invite you to come and listen for yourselves,” said Spiker.

While pledging to work with the tour company and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the airport noted it doesn’t have much control of the situation. “The Airport has limited authority because the FAA regulates and controls the use of airspace. As a public use airport, MKE does not have the legal authority to prevent or restrict any aircraft – including helicopters – from operating here,” said the county-owned Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport in a Facebook post .

Spiker got his meeting on Feb. 18 and was pleased to report a compromise was found.

“Instead of heading due north low and over the houses of residents, they are going to head due west over closed (on the weekend) commercial properties then north crossing the freeway by which point they should be at full altitude (1500 feet),” announced the alderman. He said the helicopters would stay north of W. Edgerton Ave. and east of S. 13th St., placing their ascent and descent over a commercial and industrial area instead of the Town of Lake neighborhood.

MyFlight Tour’s Milwaukee flights take off from AvFlight, 401 E. Layton Ave., at the northwest corner of the airport grounds.

You can see the company’s actual Milwaukee flight paths on FlightAware. Photos indicate the company is using a Robinson R44 helicopter with the tail number N676MS.

The company, launched in 2019 by husband-and-wife team Sergio and Cassandra Troiani , started in Grand Rapids and quickly added Detroit. In addition to expanding to Milwaukee, the company also added Knoxville, TN and the neighboring Great Smoky Mountains to its tour lineup. It is also adding Mackinac Island and St. Ignace in Michigan later this spring.

The company offers a variety of configurable options, including $100 to remove the doors, for each flight.

Have another need for a helicopter? MyFlight Tours has special packages for gender reveals (pink or blue smoke), petal drops, proposals, photoshoots or custom tours.

Those with continuing concerns about noise can submit a report via the airport’s noise complaint form .

If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits .

Displaying political contributions between people mentioned in this story. Learn more .

Leave a Reply

You must be an Urban Milwaukee member to leave a comment. Membership, which includes a host of perks, including an ad-free website, tickets to marquee events like Summerfest, the Wisconsin State Fair and the Florentine Opera, a better photo browser and access to members-only, behind-the-scenes tours, starts at $9/month . Learn more .

Join now and cancel anytime .

If you are an existing member, sign-in to leave a comment.

Have questions? Need to report an error? Contact Us

Latest Articles & Columns

• Help assure the future of city’s fastest growing publication.

Read more Press Releases

3 Most Popular

More New Faces

Information

• Privacy Policy
• Submit a Press Release

Daily Email Update

Take the next step, become a member. Ditch the ads, get free stuff

Urban Milwaukee: The Store

This ad will close automatically in 15 seconds.

Tired of seeing banner ads on Urban Milwaukee? Become a member for $9/month .

Your browser is not supported for this experience. We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.

E-news Sign up

Stay up-to-date and in-the-know with everything MKE

Partner Portal

Login to manage your partnership account

Visitors Guide

Read great stories and find insider tips about Milwaukee

Milwaukee area residents and visitors can now enjoy helicopter tours of the city and lakefront. Why are some residents complaining?

Two weeks after a private helicopter tour business made its debut in Milwaukee, there is backlash from residents and elected officials about noise from the choppers when they leave the airport.

Mitchell International Airport and the business have responded to the complaints and vowed to minimize the noise made by the helicopter tours.

MyFlight Tours only recently landed in Milwaukee 

Started in Michigan, MyFlight Tours is a private helicopter tour company run by husband and wife, Sergio and Cassandra Troiani. 

Initially focused on flights in Detroit and Grand Rapids, the addition of service in Milwaukee represented the company’s first flight service outside of Michigan.

Milwaukee flights started Jan. 29 and are offered on the weekends, although, MyFlight Tours does have plans to offer flights Wednesday through Sunday in the future.

Neighbors are complaining about the noise

On Valentine’s Day, Ald. Scott Spiker, who represents many residents who live near the airport, issued a statement noting that some residents have complained about helicopter noise.

“I demand a meeting with the airport representatives, the helicopter owners, and the businesses that supply the pit crew for the choppers on airport grounds. For those who would say I am making a federal case out of ‘a little noise,’ I invite you to come and listen for yourselves,” the statement read.

Spiker said that when setting up business in Milwaukee MyFlight Tours did not contact his office or notify residents about the company’s plans.

The tour company was not required to notify local officials about its plans because the Federal Aviation Administration regulates the flights.

Patrick Lopeman, a Milwaukee resident who lives on Jasper street near the airport, said he wasn't aware that MyFlight Tours had started service until he heard the sound of a helicopter leaving and approaching on Saturday.

"At first I thought there was a training of some sort but the helicopter came and left more than 10 times and we didn't know what was going on," Lopeman said.

He learned that MyFlight Tours was the source of the noise when he saw Spiker's statement.

Mitchell and My Flight Tours both responded to the complaints

The airport acknowledged the complaints, and in a statement said it is working with My Flight Tours and the FAA see if changes that can be made to minimize the noise.

“The Airport has limited authority because the FAA regulates and controls the use of airspace. As a public-use airport, MKE does not have the legal authority to prevent or restrict any aircraft – including helicopters – from operating here.”

MyFlight Tours said it was not aware of any complains until it saw the statement from Spiker. The company said it instructed their pilot to flight higher on tours to try and minimize noise.

The company has also set up a meeting with the airport to further discuss what it can do, and has been in contact with individual residents to get a better idea of who is being affected and what can be done.

"We know we can fly quietly, but we have just moved into the Milwaukee area so there is still a learning curve on how to best run flights here," Cassandra Troiani said. "We know we can get it figured with time."

She said MyFlight welcomes the opportunity to talk with residents and encouraged those with concerns to give the company a call.

• SUBSCRIBE TO EMAIL
•   Weather

Search location by ZIP code

Myflight tours to change flight patterns after noise complaints.

Helicopter tour company landed in Milwaukee three weeks ago

• Copy Link Copy {copyShortcut} to copy Link copied!

GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS

The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox.

A helicopter tour company landed in Milwaukee three weeks ago and immediately made its presence known to those living beneath the flight path.

MyFlight Tours tested a new flight pattern Saturday, with hopes of appeasing nearby residents complaining about the noise the helicopter made above their homes.

MyFlight Tours shows its passengers Milwaukee from a new perspective.

"It was good to see it from this point. This is the first time I've ever been in a helicopter, you know what I'm saying?" said Nia Bradley, after riding in the helicopter over downtown Milwaukee.

"That's my first flight! It was awesome though, I really liked it," said Kelly Bradley, a MyFlight Tours passenger.

"Sharing flight with people like that, if you've never done it before, it's like the most amazing thing. Especially communities like Milwaukee. It shows them how cool their city actually is and they have a lot of pride in seeing it," said MyFlight Tours owner, Sergio Troiani.

The feeling customers got up above, was not echoed by those living along the helicopter's route, beneath the whirring rotors. Alderman Scott Spiker told WISN 12 News he received tens of complaints from his constituents.

"When they first started, they were not happy. These are battle-tested folks who have lived close to an airport for years, and they said, 'Scott I've never heard anything like it in my life,'" Spiker said.

The helicopter takes off anywhere from 10 to 15 times each Saturday and Sunday. The constant trips prompted complaints.

Troiani said they immediately adjusted where and how they fly.

"The biggest issue was overflying residential areas. I understand, you know, obviously, we're flying overhead houses. Regardless, I mean, we were over certain altitudes, but now we're completely avoiding residential areas," Troiani said.

Troiani said now they will fly over commercial areas instead of residential and increase the altitudes they fly at. Instead of traveling north over houses, the helicopter will fly west over commercial properties that are closed when the helicopter runs tours.

Spiker told WISN 12 News he hopes the changes reduce the helicopter noise for the District 13 residents he represents.

"They expect when they come home, they can relax, and they couldn't with that noise. Now, hopefully, we're on a brighter path ahead, excuse the pun," Spiker said.

MyFlight Tours currently flies over Milwaukee on weekends. According to their website, their schedule expands to include weekdays in May.

• Business Aviation
• General Aviation
• FutureFlight
• Maintenance
• Charter & Fractional
• All Categories
• News Archive
• Newsletter Archive
• Print Archives
• Expert Opinion
• In-Depth Reports
• Airshows & Conventions
• Aviation Events
• Whitepapers
• Our Writers

HAI Convention News 2023

More In Rotorcraft

Uk government to scrap contract for helicopter flights, new contract will not be signed at the end of 2024.

Massive Maldives AAM Project Planned

Network of 100 vertiports and 500 drone ports anticipated, unither bioelectronics plans hydrogen-powered helicopters, hydrogen fuel cells could power organ delivery flights.

Light Jet Broker Aerocor Adds Helo Sales Division

Company is providing free information for potential light helicopter buyers.

Saudi National Guard Signs for MD 530F Helo Support

In-country factory maintenance support will help improve efficiency and availability.

Australian Fire Service Selects GPMS Foresight HUMS

Fleet of black hawk helicopters is being equipped with health and usage monitoring systems.

LCI Places Two H145D3 Helos in Papua New Guinea 

Pacific helicopters will operate the helicopters on behalf of santos' oil search (png) subsidiary.

Rotortrade Earns Approval for EC120, H125 Helo Mx

Company is adding more helicopter types to its part 145 certificate.

AIN Products

• Aviation International News (AIN)
• Business Jet Traveler
• Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit (CALS)

SUBSCRIPTIONS

• Customer Service

Reach out to us

Questions, comments, concerns? Fill out the contact form below and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours.

• [email protected]
• (844) 644-3541
• 844-644-3541
• Tour Locations
• Gender Reveals
• Petal Drops
• Photoshoots
• Custom Tour

Useful Links

• In the News
• Terms and Conditions
• What to Expect
• Affiliate Program

Valentines Day

Fly now. pay later..

Select Klarna, Afterpay, or Affirm as your payment method at checkout to pay in installments.

4 payments of

every 2 weeks, interest-free

1st payment

2 weeks later

3 weeks later

4 weeks later

Total: $0.00

The overall price remains the same.

4 payments of $24.75

Total: $99.00