Albert Lea Municipal Airport

Albert Lea Municipal Airport (IATA: AEL, ICAO: KAEL, FAA LID: AEL) is a city-owned, public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) north of the central business district of the city of Albert Lea, in Freeborn County, Minnesota, United States.[1]

For information on the city, see Albert Lea, Minnesota.
Albert Lea Municipal Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCity of Albert Lea
ServesAlbert Lea, Minnesota
Elevation AMSL1,261 ft / 384 m
Coordinates43°40′52″N 093°22′05″W
Websitewww.cityofalbertlea.org
Map
AEL
Location of airport in Minnesota / United States
AEL
AEL (the United States)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
17/35 5,000 1,524 Asphalt
5/23 2,898 883 Asphalt
Statistics (2011)
Aircraft operations26,175
Based aircraft52

Albert Lea Municipal Airport was recently granted over $3 million in federal economic stimulus funds to relocate the main runway, which followed another announcement about a recent grant to rehabilitate the airport's crosswind runway. Work began in 2011 and was completed within one year. The old runway which parallels the new runway was converted to serve as the new runway's taxiway.

Facilities and aircraft

Albert Lea Municipal Airport covers an area of 273 acres (110 ha) at an elevation of 1,261 feet (384 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt paved runways: 17/35 is 5,000 by 100 feet (1,524 x 30 m) and 5/23 is 2,898 by 75 feet (883 x 23 m).[1]

For the 12-month period ending September 30, 2011, the airport had 26,175 aircraft operations, an average of 71 per day: 91% general aviation, 8% air taxi and 1% military. At that time there were 52 aircraft based at this airport: 75% single-engine, 5% multi-engine, 5% glider and 15% ultralight.[1]

Soaring contests

Albert Lea Airport hosts a variety of major soaring contests, usually the week after Mother's Day in May. The airport is the only site in the United States to have hosted all seven classes of glider competition.

  • 1992 U.S. Region 7 Contest
  • 1993 1-26 Championships
  • 1995 U.S. Sports Class Nationals
  • 1997 U.S. 15 meter Nationals
  • 1999 U.S. World Class Nationals and Region 7 Contest
  • 2002 U.S. Region 7 Contest
  • 2005 U.S. Region 7 Contest
  • 2007 U.S. Open Class Nationals, 18 meter Nationals, and Region 7 Sport Class Contest
  • 2015 U.S. Region 7 Contest
  • 2016 U.S. Region 7 Contest
  • 2018 U.S. Region 7 Contest
  • 2019 U.S. 20 meter Multi-place Nationals and Region 7 Contest

From 1990-2008 Albert Lea was the host site for the International Aerobatic Club[2] Doug Yost Challenge Aerobatic Competition. This contest was moved to Spencer, Iowa due to construction in the area needed for the contest.

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References
  1. FAA Airport Master Record for AEL (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2014-02-06.
  2. International Aerobatic Club Chapter 78
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