Slayton Municipal Airport

Electrical Upgrades | Slayton, MN

The municipal airport in Slayton, Minnesota is not unlike many rural airfields in the Upper Midwest. The airport includes a 3,200 x 60-foot runway, which serves mostly agricultural sprayers and private pilots.

The bituminous runway includes lighting, but no instrument approach – which means it is strictly VFR (Visual Flight Rules). Pilots must rely on their interpretation of the runway to navigate, which makes systems like lighting, markers, and signage of critical importance to their safety.

In 2014, our electrical team worked to upgrade the electrical system at the Slayton Municipal Airport for this exact reason. We provided the electrical design to replace low-intensity runway lighting with a medium intensity system and new controls. We also replaced the Runway End Identifier Lights (REILs), and upgraded the existing Visual Approach Slope Indicators (VASIs) to 2-box Precision Approach Path Indicators (PAPIs) at the end of the runway. Lastly, we designed an upgrade to the existing electrical vault to accommodate the new equipment.

Ultimately, the end result was not only a more pilot-friendly runway for airport users but also a more efficient, reliable system for the City of Slayton.