Department of Public Safety

Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Parameters

Any Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) flight in or near Ohio Stadium or any other campus venue, regardless of event type, crowd size, or any other factors, must adhere to a core set of rules. Event type, crowd size, level of media exposure (this increases the level of interest/risk), and other factors may result in additional requirements/restrictions.

Ohio State reserves the right to decline any request, at our discretion. While our goal is to closely adhere to the below rules, each request will be evaluated independently.
 

Core set of rules for all UAS flight requests at Ohio Stadium or any other venue on campus:

  • No flights over people, at any time
  • All pictures / video must be approved by the Office of Marketing and Communications and the Department of Athletics (or appropriate venue "owner")
  • Approval for all flights must be received from the Office of Marketing and Communications, Public Safety, Export Control, and the building “owner (Athletics, Business Advancement, Student Life, FOD, etc).
  • For Ohio Stadium - no flights in the concourse, in the suite areas (including Huntington Club), or in the press box
  • No payloads are permitted at any time

 

Submit UAS Flight Approval Request

To report a UAS accident or adverse effect

Immediately Contact:

  • The Ohio State University Police Division (OSUPD) – Telephone:  614-292-2121 or the appropriate law enforcement agency
  • Within 24 hours or as soon as possible contact OSU Risk Management.
UAS Flight Request and Approval Timeline, Resources

All requests must be submitted at least 14 days in advance of the event and will be reviewed for approval by the Office of Marketing and Communications, Export Control, Department of Public Safety and impacted venue representatives. 

Please review Ohio State’s UAS Policy  and UAS Frequently Asked Questions for additional information. 

Sporting Competitions and Concerts – All Venues
  • No flights inside the venue
    • For Ohio Stadium, this includes the bowl
  • Any approved flights outside the venue will be limited to a specific location, determined by Public Safety, and must be vertical only – no horizontal flight paths will be permitted unless an acceptable pedestrian-free buffer zone can be established. Public Safety will determine the necessary buffer zone parameters based on location, event, and size.
    • Ohio Stadium predesignated flight location is:
      • Tennis courts on south side of the stadium
        • Limited horizontal flights may be approved if the flight path remains inside the footprint of the tennis courts
    • Any approved flight during a sporting competition or concert will require at least one Public Safety official to be present with the flight operator during all flights. This will be at the expense of the event organizers.
    • Additional public safety may be required (at the expense of event organizers) to provide a safe and secure buffer zone
Special Events (fundraisers, receptions, other non-sporting competitions/non-concert events)
  • Flights inside the bowl may be permitted based on several factors which include (but are not limited to):
    • Event size
    • Event type
    • Number of participants expected on the field
    • Number of participants expected in the bowl
    • Media coverage 
    • Ability to isolate a safe, pedestrian-free buffer zone 
    • Operational need
  • Any approved flight during a special event may require at least one Public Safety official to be present with the flight operator during all flights. This will be at the expense of the event organizers.
    • Additional public safety may be required (at the expense of event organizers) to provide a safe and secure buffer zone
Non-Event Related Requests (All Venues)
  • Core set of rules apply, including Ohio Stadium restricted locations
  • Venue must be empty and not hosting any event
UAS Shows
  • Core set of rules, outlined above, will be enforced for all UAS shows
  • Each request will be evaluated independently, and any approval will be based on the ability to provide an area clear of pedestrians for the UAS to fly over
  • For Ohio Stadium, the launch area should be from the tennis courts on the south, with a flight path not to exceed outside the bounds of the south practice fields. 
  • Additional security staff will be required, at the expense of event organizers