- Message from MnDOT Aeronautics Director, Ryan Gaug, AICP
- Minnesota Council of Airports – 2026 Minnesota Airports Conference
- Share Your Aviation Events With the MnDOT Aeronautics Calendar!
- Airventure
- Celebrate Minnesota Aviation on National Aviation Day – August 19
Message from MnDOT Aeronautics Director, Ryan Gaug, AICP
I am honored to be writing to you all again as the MnDOT aeronautics director, and excited about the work we’ve done together over the past few years and the work yet to come. This year I am writing to you with the wonderful news that the MnDOT team is almost fully staffed and last year we secured an additional $30 million funding appropriation over the next four years. Because of this, we are in a strong position to continue doing some big things to benefit the Minnesota aviation community.
One such improvement is the forthcoming phased rollout of the Black Cat data and grant management system to apply for and manage the grants MnDOT awards to airports. Additionally, in future fiscal years FAA processes will be integrated with Black Cat to create a one-stop-shop for state and federal grant funding and management. This system will streamline the application, reimbursement, and closeout process, with the goal of substantially reducing the administrative burden for everyone involved. In a similar way, we have seen marked improvements in aircraft registration and renewal processes with the move to an online registration and payment system, Salesforce, and are excited to start the transition of commercial operator license applications to the same system.
We are also working to update important resources, the Airport Economic Impact Study and the Airport Land Use Compatibility Manual. Our team is refining the Economic Impact Study process, to improve usability, reduce the resources needed to produce it, and extend its shelf-life. One aspect of this will be to do the analysis on a rolling basis to ensure the constant integration of current data to inform the study. The goal with the Airport Land Use Compatibility Manual is to provide additional guidance for the updated airport zoning statutes and rules that are now in effect. Additionally, the planning team is conducting an Approach Optimization and Airspace Analysis to understand if there are targeted modifications airports can make (e.g., Approach Lighting Systems) to reduce approach visibility minimums to enhance safety.
While we were pleased with the new funding budget resolution referenced above, we proposed a bond measure fund the impactful and meaningful Minnesota Rural Airport Program (MRAP) and Hangar Loan Program, neither which can operate without an influx of cash.
In even more positive funding news, during fiscal year 26 we granted $6.4 million in capital improvement projects at 30 airports, $682,000 in planning grants at 26 airports, and $7.1 in aviation fuel system grants at 27 airports. Our fiscal year 27 grant solicitation just closed and we will soon be announcing the projects selected. Dozens MnDOT-supported projects recently took off this year.
On the topic of airport enhancements and striving for excellence, I had the immense honor of presenting the 2026 MnDOT Office of Aeronautics Award of Excellence to Elbow Lake Municipal Airport at this year’s Minnesota Airport Conference in Nisswa. The team at Elbow Lake goes above and beyond with the combined impact of many thoughtful, strategic decisions creating meaningful, lasting benefits to aviation, the public, their region, and Minnesota.
Last, but not least, I will share an additional legislative update of note to the Minnesota aviation community. A bill to support the adoption of a new Minnesota aviation-themed license plate is now being considered in the State House. Now we’ll have to wait and see what happens. Stay tuned!
My sincere thanks to Minnesota’s incredible airports, pilots, and aviation enthusiasts, and to my amazing team. Together you make the work I do worth doing. Here’s to another incredible year!
Minnesota Council of Airports – 2026 Minnesota Airports Conference
by Steph Chernitskiy, MA, MnDOT Aeronautics Communications Coordinator
I must admit that I was slightly nervous at the prospect of attending the Minnesota Airports Conference as someone new to both the world of aviation and MnDOT Aeronautics, having started in my position as the Communications Coordinator only the week before. However, I soon learned that there was absolutely no reason to be. Held in beautiful Nisswa at the Grand View Lodge April 22nd – 24th, the conference brought together a wonderful group of knowledgeable and friendly people more than willing to welcome and share their insights and experience with me. This group included individuals from across the Minnesota aviation community, including airport managers, FAA representatives, exhibitors from the aviation industry, MnDOT Aeronautics staff, and many others, from whom I learned a great deal.
From the very beginning of the conference, I had the chance to meet new colleagues and friends during the Opening and Attendee Welcome. I was able to continue building off these new connections throughout the conference with the social mixer, exhibit hall events and meals, and bingo night. I’m excited to see what innovations and partnerships will result from the connections formed and strengthened during these sessions, both personally and across the Minnesota aviation community.
MCOA also offered several impactful and practical learning opportunities, including updates from MnDOT and the FAA, introductions to the Black Cat grant management system, and sessions on safety and best practices, such as obstruction removal, airfield lighting hazards, and above-ground storage tanks and spill preparedness. Additionally, there were panels and other sessions that featured individuals with real world examples and scenarios for how to handle things like hosting airport events, creating a welcoming airport for a wide variety of clientele and situations, and communicating with the myriad stakeholders involved in regional airports. I was particularly struck by how participant engagement and insights shared during these sessions were an amazing value-add, providing additional perspectives, experiences, and recommendations to all participants.
Two things I want to highlight were the Keynote Speech by Eric “Perk” Perkins and the Award Luncheon. During both, I learned from the first-hand experience of others the value of overcoming both real and perceived obstacles to achieve success. Both sessions provided numerous shining examples of the potential positive outcomes for those that work hard, take a chance, and collaborate with partners.
Thanks to everyone at the Minnesota Airports Conference for being so welcoming and sharing their knowledge and experience with me. I look forward to attending in future years to get to know you all better and expand my knowledge of Minnesota aviation!
Share Your Aviation Events With the MnDOT Aeronautics Calendar!
Summer in Minnesota means blue skies, warm runways, and a calendar full of aviation fun—and the MnDOT Office of Aeronautics wants to help you share it all. Our Aviation Events Calendar is your go‑to place to find (and promote!) the fly‑ins, open houses, pancake breakfasts, airshows, safety seminars, and aviation celebrations happening across Minnesota… plus a few favorites just over the border in northern Iowa and western Wisconsin.
Whether you’re planning a long‑running community fly‑in or launching a brand‑new aviation event, adding it to our calendar is a great way to reach pilots, families, students, and aviation fans statewide. Events are added all summer long, so we encourage you to keep checking back—there’s always something new preparing for takeoff.
The calendar isn’t just for pilots, either. It’s one of the easiest ways to introduce kids (or curious adults!) to the magic of aviation. Bring them to a fly‑in and watch their eyes light up at the sound of an engine start, the chance to sit in a cockpit, or the excitement of seeing aircraft up close. These community events often include food, activities, and friendly conversations with local aviators—making them welcoming and memorable entry points into Minnesota’s aviation community.
So if your airport, organization, EAA chapter, or community group has an aviation happening on the horizon, share it with us! Together, we can help Minnesotans discover the joy of flight and keep our aviation spirit soaring all season long.
Ready to add your event? Visit the MnDOT Aeronautics website and get it on the calendar today.
Airventure
AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 is almost here, bringing together aviation enthusiasts from around the world for a week of innovation, inspiration, and pure aviation energy. As the aviation community gathers once again, the MnDOT Office of Aeronautics is proud to be part of this celebrated event, representing the strength and ingenuity of Minnesota’s aviation system.
From community airports and educational programs to safety initiatives and future-focused technologies, Minnesota’s aviation community has a great story to tell—and AirVenture is the perfect place to share it. Whether you’re a pilot, student, mechanic, or simply love the sound of an engine starting up, we invite you to stop by our booth and learn more about what makes aviation thrive in the North Star State.
For full event details, schedules, and updates, visit eaa.org. And while you’re there, come check us out—we’d love to connect with you and celebrate all things aviation, Minnesota style.
Celebrate Minnesota Aviation on National Aviation Day – August 19
Each August, National Aviation Day invites us to look up, explore, and celebrate the remarkable world of flight. Here in Minnesota, the MnDOT Office of Aeronautics encourages residents and visitors alike to take this opportunity to discover the aviation experiences woven into our state’s landscape.
From local airports that connect communities, to flight museums preserving our rich heritage, to the skies that welcome pilots, students, and travelers—aviation plays a vital role in keeping Minnesota moving. National Aviation Day is a perfect moment to step into that world, whether you’re a seasoned flyer, a STEM‑minded student, or simply someone who loves watching contrails stretch across a blue summer sky.
Across Minnesota, you’ll find opportunities to engage, tour an aviation museum, visit your nearby public airport, explore educational programs, or attend one of the many community fly‑ins that bring neighbors together around aircraft, food, and conversation.
On National Aviation Day, get out, explore, and enjoy the uniquely Minnesotan spirit of flight.