Wisconsin Man Skips Traffic by Flying His Helicopter to Cabela’s

If you've ever driven from Illinois to Wisconsin, you know there are two things you can count on experiencing during your travels: seeing a lot of Kwik Trips and dealing with traffic.

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As someone from Northern Illinois who heads into Wisconsin all the time, I have definitely joked about wishing I could just fly over the traffic instead. Apparently, one Wisconsin man decided to stop joking and actually did it.

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Wisconsin Man Flies Helicopter to Cabela's

It's no secret that Wisconsin takes its outdoor activities very seriously, and Cabela's is a popular spot to get the best gear for hunting, fishing, camping, and beyond. But what happens if you lose your favorite fishing lure in the lake and you don't have the time to drive to Cabela's to get a new one? Just hop in your helicopter and fly there instead.

Seriously.

On Saturday, August 1, 2026, around 6 p.m. the Washington County Sheriff's Office received a call about a helicopter landing in the parking lot of Cabela's in Richfield, Wisconsin, and when deputies arrived, that's exactly what they saw.

CBS 58 News in Milwaukee reports the pilot, 69-year-old Dennis Pipping of Rosendale, told deputies that he flew his personal helicopter to Cabela's because "the drive was too long," and honestly, I totally get it.

We may not know exactly why Pipping needed to get to Cabela's so quickly, but we do know that his trip was perfectly legal.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office said in a statement:

The pilot was properly licensed, landed safely, complied with all applicable FAA regulations, and took the time to answer the deputy's questions regarding helicopter landing requirements.

The outcome? No violations. No arrests. Just a unique way to make a shopping trip to avoid all the roundabouts in front of Cabela's.

Since I won't have money for my own helicopter any time soon, I'll have to keep making the drive from Illinois to Wisconsin, but if anyone invents a way to skip Wisconsin traffic without buying an aircraft, I'm all ears.