by Ryan E. Gaug, Director
Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine June/July 2024 Digital Issue
It is truly an honor to be writing my second annual MnDOT update from the aeronautics director’s “seat.” I’m also excited to share that in April 2023, I was offered the director position permanently, thus removing the “interim” from my title. After immediately accepting, our team has been going full throttle ever since (and to be fair, our great team was in that mode well before I was offered the job).
Like last year, MnDOT Aeronautics remains very focused on our workforce transition. One major update from this time last year – for the first time our office leadership team is fully staffed and in permanent positions. We now have full-time, permanent assistant directors and a dedicated supervisor for each of our work sections. This is a major milestone in our transition. If you’re ever wondering whom to contact about what, visit our MnDOT Aeronautics contacts page: mndot.gov/aero/contacts.
As I write this update, the 2024 legislative session is in full swing and several interesting aviation-related bills have been introduced to date. Those bills cover topics ranging from a bonding program for airports not eligible for federal funding to roadable aircraft (a.k.a. “flying cars”), and we are eagerly tracking these and many other proposals. The flying car concept, while fascinating, is not new. Yet it does represent the tip of the iceberg in terms of potential new aircraft we may see in the National Airspace System in the next 5 to 10 years. To that end, we’re looking to get more engaged in the conversations surrounding these and other new aircraft types in the coming year.
Speaking of legislative sessions, last year’s legislature provided historic levels of new funding for our aviation priorities. In addition to our annual $25 million appropriation, the legislature provided an additional $36 million to leverage additional federal aviation funding, $15 million to modernize Minnesota’s system of Automated Weather Observation Systems (AWOS), and $7 million to modernize MnDOT’s fleet of utility aircraft. The $7 million allocation towards the upgrade of MnDOT’s fleet of utility aircraft is crucial for transporting maintenance personnel, and essential parts, and facilitating the modernization of aviation equipment and infrastructure across Minnesota’s airports.
Nationally, much of the legislative focus remains on the increasingly overdue FAA reauthorization and funding needs of the nation’s airports, including Minnesota’s. At a recent conference hosted by the National Association of State Aviation Officials, I had the opportunity to hear directly from the new FAA Administrator, Michael Whitaker. While he’s got a lot on his plate, it was a welcomed gesture that he spent time with Aeronautics Directors from across the country to understand our priorities and share some of his. With any luck, by the time this goes to print, we’ll have a new five-year authorization in our hands.
Closer to home, the Minnesota State Aviation System Plan is now fully adopted and we’re proud of the progress we’re making in replacing some antiquated IT systems that are customer-focused, including our aircraft registration system. Minnesota is also now home to five FAA-approved weather camera locations across the state with the possibility of more to come. You can find the five locations on the FAA’s website here: https://weathercams.faa.gov/. Finally, it is worth highlighting some important work being done by an ad hoc group that is focused on transitioning Minnesota to PFAS-free firefighting foams at our airports, in accordance with state law. I’m grateful for the broad participation from the many individuals and entities working on this complicated transition.
Thank you all for taking some time to read this annual update, and for everything you do for aviation. I look forward to strengthening our partnerships with all of you – and throughout the industry in the coming years.
