Rules for flying near Columbus airports, parks, Ohio State
Spring is drawing nearer and with that, hopefully, better weather to get outside. Perhaps you received a drone for Christmas but haven’t had a chance yet to really try it out.
Before you do so, it’s best to know the rules of where to fly in Greater Columbus. (And maybe more importantly, where not to fly.)
For starters, the key is to understand that the Federal Aviation Administration controls all the airspace in the United States. So it regulates the airspace over your home just as it does over the Ohio State University Oval or at John Glenn Columbus International Airport.
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Much of Columbus is covered by the FAA’s Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability, or LAANC. That regulates if you can fly and how high you can fly around John Glenn International, Don Scott or Bolton Field airports. Smaller no-fly zones, such as one extending northeast from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, protect helipads.
But institutions also have an obligation to keep their property and visitors safe. They can control what happens on their property, and many have rules on the launching and landing of drones. Make sure you know what those rules are before you just place your drone somewhere and send it into flight.
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As for flying in your own neighborhood, you’ll probably be OK. Just fly under 400 feet, lower if you are in specific LAANC zones. AirMap is a good app to check locations for drone flights.
And finally: No matter where you fly, the FAA says you can’t fly over people without a special waiver only they can issue. You also cannot fly at night without a similar waiver. And stay under 400 feet.
For drone pilots, here’s a rundown of several Greater Columbus sites that might be on your video and photo list:
Ohio State University
With thousands of people walking the campus every day, the university has a drone policy and flight approval process that applies to all drone operators. Individuals interested in flying a drone on the university’s 1,674-acre campus must complete the online Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Request Form and submit it at least two weeks in advance of a planned flight. The application process is open to anyone, but applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and not all are approved. FAA rules prohibit flights during football games.
Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks
With the exception of Scioto Grove Metro Park, be aware that Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks has a “no-drone” policy for its 20 parks in Greater Columbus. Scioto Grove has a 12-acre field specifically for droning for which no permits are needed. Flights in any other park must have a drone permit granted from the park’s central office staff. To begin the permitting process, email [email protected].
The Dawes Arboretum
Before you decide to fly over the trees at the nearly 2,000-acre Dawes Arboretum near Newark, be aware there is a “no-drone” policy. Exceptions are made for flights that have a specific target. Any flight must have a drone permit granted from the arboretum staff. To begin the permitting process, email [email protected] or call 740-323-2355 and ask for the marketing department. If a permit is issued, a staff member will be with the pilot during the flight.
National parks
Although Columbus lacks national parks, there is the Hopewell Culture National Historic Park near Chillicothe. As with all national parks, recreational drones are prohibited unless a special-use permit is granted. To learn more, call the National Special Park Uses Program at (202) 513-7092 or visit https://bit.ly/368ebPr.
Ohio state nature preserves
Just like you can’t take your dog to the state’s 140 nature preserves, you can’t take your drone either. There are exceptions for special activities and research.
Ohio state parks and state forests
Drones are not permitted within the parks and forests without special permission from the park managers. Spokeswoman Stephanie O’Grady said the park managers are helpful with site-specific questions about where and how to get permission.
Wayne National Forest
Spokesperson Zachary Frank says there are no restrictions for flights at the extensive forest lands that are mainly in three parts of southeastern Ohio. Frank said there are restrictions around the forest service’s “wilderness areas,” but there are no wilderness areas in Ohio. Frank said there are temporary flight restrictions around prescribed burns and other events. Frank also advised not flying near wildlife, including bald eagle nests.
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds
Spokesperson Jen Fields said there is a strict no-drone policy at the zoo’s 622-acre facility near Powell and the 10,000-acre Wilds conservation area near Zanesville. On the rare instances when a drone is permitted, staff members are with the pilot to ensure the safety of the animals.
Columbus Recreation and Parks
There are no specific regulations covering drone flights in city parks, but the city defaults to FAA regulations. Pilots should be aware many parks are within five miles of an airport, so they should get clearance from the LAANC, the FAA’s web-based program that grants real-time authorizations for flights in controlled airspace. For example, Whetstone Park falls into Don Scott Airport airspace, but anybody can launch in Berliner Park.
National Veteran’s Memorial and Museum
With its circular design, the National Veteran’s Memorial and Museum forms a striking presence in almost any drone photograph of the Downtown Columbus skyline. Spokesperson Tammy Brown says don’t take off or land from the lawn, Memorial Grove, and certainly not from the rooftop event space. But like most buildings on the Scioto Mile, there are plenty of parking lots and green spaces nearby from which to launch a drone. From there, a photographer could incorporate the memorial and museum into their shots.
John F. Wolfe Columbus Commons
Although it looks like a normal city park, the six-acre Downtown site of the old City Center Mall-turned-park is actually private property controlled by the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation. It prohibits drone flights over the park and adjoining 5,000-car parking garage. To learn more about the general photography rules there, visit https://bit.ly/34wz4TY.
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