Kake Helistop

The closure was due to economic reasons. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, many local television stations across the United States began eliminating their helicopter news programs due to the extremely high costs associated with operating and maintaining an aircraft, including fuel, insurance, pilots, and mechanics. KAKE-TV likely determined that the expense of its news chopper was no longer financially viable.

The site at 37.7103, -97.388397 is still the active location of the KAKE-TV broadcast studios and offices at 1500 N West St, Wichita. There is no longer a functional or marked helipad on the property. The area that may have been used for landings and takeoffs is now part of the station's grounds and parking lot.

Kake Helistop (9KS3) was the private heliport for the KAKE-TV television station, the ABC affiliate in Wichita, Kansas. Its sole purpose was to support Electronic News Gathering (ENG) operations. The helistop was the base for the station's news helicopter, which was a vital tool for covering breaking news, tracking severe weather (a critical function in 'Tornado Alley'), reporting on traffic, and capturing aerial footage for various stories. The helicopter, often branded as 'KAKE-copter' or 'Chopper 10', was a familiar sight over Wichita and a symbol of the station's news-gathering capabilities during its years of operation.

There are no known plans or prospects to reopen the helistop. The broadcast industry's shift towards more cost-effective technologies, such as high-definition drones for aerial footage, has made dedicated, station-owned helicopters largely obsolete for daily news operations. The financial barriers that led to the original closure still exist, making a reopening highly improbable.