NewsMeter
20 minutes of flight time against a 45-minute drive: that is the time-cost gap Dennis Pipping closed on Saturday evening when he flew his helicopter from Rosendale, Wisconsin to the Cabela's in Richfield, roughly 50 road miles away.
The 69-year-old licensed pilot brought a neighbor along, called the store before departure, circled the parking lot to confirm clearance, and landed in a far, mostly empty section without incident.
His stated purpose: bowhunting supplies. The efficiency case The flight trimmed 25 minutes each way compared to the surface route, cutting transit time by roughly 56% per leg.
Pipping's own framing was direct: he answered a question about the decision with a question of his own, asking why anyone would drive if they could fly. He has decades of flying experience.
Keep reading