MnDot Aero Outreach

MnDOT Aero Outreach:

**Exciting Update!** ✈️📢

We’ve updated our **Airport Directory ** and **ForeFlight Content Packs** on our website! The 2025 updates ensure you have the most accurate and useful information for planning your flights across Minnesota.

📍 **What’s New?**

✅ Updated airport details & amenities

✅ Enhanced ForeFlight Content Packs for easier navigation

Visit our website to download the latest versions today! 🌍✈️ https://www.dot.state.mn.us/aero/index.html

The 2025 aviation calendar in Minnesota is jam-packed with activities for enthusiasts, professionals, and the general public.

Pilots will have the opportunity to get rid of winter rust and bond over a meal at the Aitkin Flyers' Ski Plane and Wheels Chili/Hotdog Fly-In on March 8 at Aitkin Municipal Airport.

The Annual Minnesota Aviation Maintenance Technician & IA Renewal Conference will be held at the Brooklyn Center Heritage Center from March 25 to 26. With more than 50 exhibitors planned, this event offers hours of instruction, including 8 hours of FAA-accredited seminars.

On April 12, the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame Banquet will honor significant achievements to the history of aviation in the state.

The Minnesota Airports Conference will take place at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato from April 23 to April 25. Through a variety of lectures and presentations, an industry trade fair, and an awards program, experts share their ideas at this yearly event.

Buffalo Municipal Airport will host the Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering on May 16 and 17. The Minnesota Pilots Association is hosting the event, which features instructional programs related to flying. Some topics of interest include flight operations, aviation medicine, and aircraft maintenance are among the subjects covered.

Younkin Twin Beech 18 will be among the acts at the Wings Over Alexandria Airshow, which will be held at Alexandria Regional Airport on June 14.

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will be the main attraction at the Duluth Airshow, which will take place at Duluth International Airport on July 5 and 6. Other top performers will also be on display.

The Office of Aeronautics at the Minnesota Department of Transportation keeps an up-to-date calendar of aviation events in Minnesota. Check out our webpage for updated aviation event information throughout the year. Aviation: Fly-ins and events - MnDOT

These events provide various ways to get involved, learn, and have fun in Minnesota's active flying community.

What to Expect When Piloting an Electric Aircraft

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Office of Aeronautics is exploring how Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft can support the Minnesota Aviation System and the potential benefits of operating these novel kinds of aircraft. AAM can be briefly defined as new and novel aircraft featuring either environmentally sustainable propulsion systems or with highly automated piloting systems. Many of the AAM aircraft feature fully electric propulsion systems with onboard batteries and electric motors that produce vertical and horizontal thrust through several distributed propellers.

There are a couple of key terms that need to be defined to understand electric propulsion systems and the batteries that provide energy to help make sense of the differences in piloting an electric aircraft.

Specific Energy: This is the most used battery performance parameter and is used in estimating electric vehicle endurance. It describes the amount of electrical energy stored per unit of battery mass (Wh/kg).

Specific power: This is the amount of power delivered per unit mass of the battery. This parameter can be used to describe how fast a battery can take in energy and release it (kW/kg).

State of charge: The measurement of how much energy is left in a battery (%).

Battery cycle life: The number of complete charge/discharge cycles that the battery can support before losing performance (# of cycles).

For electric aircraft, specific energy is the predominant driving force for any performance limitations and capabilities of the aircraft. The specific power is important to ensure the battery can meet the demands of the mission, an example being if the aircraft needs to take off and land vertically, significantly more power is needed than for conventional takeoff and landing.

For a pilot with a gasoline or kerosene-based fuel system, performance calculations are relatively straightforward with easy calculations for range and endurance based on estimated, or actual, fuel burn during phases of flight. The engine’s full capabilities are available during that time until nearly the last drop of fuel. For electric aircraft, pilots must consider a few more variables to ensure they have sufficient performance for the specific maneuver or phase of flight they wish to enter.

As batteries state of charge is reduced throughout the flight, the battery voltage drops until the state of charge hits zero. In addition, excessive power demands for takeoff, landing, or vertical lift further reduce the batteries usable energy (what is available to the pilot). This can be visualized in FIGURE #. Among other things, battery cycle life and the battery temperature also play a role in usable energy.

The good news is that the complexities discussed do not necessarily mean the piloting job will become more difficult, just different. With battery performance models provided by the manufacturer, pilots can safely plan flights with contingencies accounted for. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) is working with industry and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to further develop a performance-based reserve concept to replace the prescriptive time-based reserve standards in place today for this next generation of aircraft technology.

For more information on AAM technologies and aircraft electrification, please reach out to MnDOT Office of Aeronautics’ Advanced Air Mobility Program Manager Joseph Block, joseph.block@state.mn.us.