Hey Everyone,
I live in Columbus OH and we have a great Metro Park system here. Until recently the rule has been that no drone flying is allowed in the Metro Park system. As of May 1st they have revised the rules governing the use of recreational drones in Metro Parks. Link to PDF below, if I am allowed, not use to posting in forums. Either way, the relevant portion is below. "4.7 Recreational Activities All recreational activities undertaken by visitors shall be done so in appropriate and/or areas designated by the Executive Director or Park Manager and with due regard to the safety of themselves and others and shall not disrupt the good order of the park, natural environment, and enjoyment of other visitors. Other considerations may include weather conditions, impact on wildlife, park attendance, and other factors. Such recreational activities include, but are not limited to, practice golf, use of toys, athletic activities, use of recreational drones and other aerial toys, and jogging on trails." There is a fair bit of wiggle room in that so I then contacted the Metro Park Facebook Group and received the following reply......."Josh Good snag on the rules. Rather than outright forbid certain activities at all times, we rewrote the rules to apply a "common sense" standard for both the public and our rangers. So, to answer your question, if you have a "recreational drone" (i.e. meets the criteria established by the FAA and others) you can use it in a Metro Park as long as there is no safety issue nor are you disrupting wildlife. A couple of scenarios: no other visitors are in the picnic area and there are no osprey nests or a flock of wild turkeys in the picnic area--it would be ok to fly your recreational drone. Same picnic area on a busy Saturday afternoon with large groups of visitors picnicking, lots of kids running around, etc.--can't fly your drone then or there because of safety. Same picnic area with an active osprey nest--can't fly your drone there because that would be disruptive to the ospreys. I hope that answers the intent of the rule change--we think this will make our parks more accessible than an outright ban on recreational drones at all times. A side note--we have a drone field at Scioto Grove that is always available for drones. Hoover is not a Metro Park but is rather a City of Columbus facility. Please feel free to reach out again if this does not make sense. " I personally really like the attitude of the rule as it seems to give the rangers authority to stop you if you are being a jerk with your drone, and also gives you the pilot more options as to where to fly in the park. A good blend of protection for people and pilots. Now, with that said there is a separate section in regards to commercial drone pilots......"19.0 Aircraft Any aircraft, airship, hot-air balloon, ultra-light aircraft, hang glider, commercial drone, rocket, or other structure or machine designed to travel through the air may not ascend or descend in or pass through the Park except in an emergency or with the prior written permission of the Executive Director. "
I am posting this in the hopes it helps someone else in the future who does a search on where to fly in Columbus and Central Ohio. I'll try and post the link to the pdf version on the metro park's website in a post just below this as I am not sure if posting links is allowed in this forum.
