If you live near Lake Nokomis in the Wenonah or Keewaydin Neighborhoods, you might have noticed a low flying plane early the morning of Wednesday, May 20^th. This flight was part of a mitigation effort sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) to eradicate a reproducing gypsy moth population. A high number of moths were found in this area in 2019 as part of the state monitoring program.

The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) owns and operates a permanent system of 39 sound monitoring sites around Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP). Aircraft and community sounds are collected, with a goal to capture as much aircraft sound as possible from airplanes flying to and from MSP.

Many day to day activities, including airplane activity, have changed abruptly over the last few weeks, leaving some wondering why planes are continuing to fly despite current events. When Governor Walz issued Executive Order 20-20 directing Minnesotans to stay at home to slow the spread of COVID-19, he stipulated that transportation activities, like aviation, are approved and allowable to continue.