I'd agree with trickster but I've done that once today already so it would be out of character for me to be so agreeable.
How do you know aircraft will make empires better. Just because you can fly doesn't mean the game will be fun. What if aircraft are hideously overpowered, or hideously hard to fly, or hideously nerfed?
It'll be hard to nerf aircraft, simply because they'll have a place in every map. Making them OP might be a bit easy. AFAIK, the SkyJeeps aren't that hideous to drive either. So, when they are overpowered, just keep smashig them with the nerf hammer till it's good.
i agree with axeman VTOL with nodes would work best for dedicated maps that allow aircraft. most of the current models (minus the BE fighter ) look like they would work with VTOL. i doubt the inclusion of aircraft to empires would improve the game, aircraft would simply add another layer of gameplay there is a lot of scripting for the weapons and research tree that needs to be done to make it less stupid than it right now and to make aircraft more viable