The Federal Aviation Administration has restricted the airspace to drones in several areas of Columbus in advance of FIFA World Cup.
Columbus will be the official “Base Camp” for Ecuador’s Men’s National Team during the multi-week tournament.
The Ecuadorian team will be training at the OhioHealth Performance Center where the Columbus Crew train. The facility is located near Historic Crew Stadium on the Northeast Side.
As part of the security efforts surrounding the event, the FAA has instituted temporary flight restrictions for unmanned aircraft systems, or drones.
The area of Historic Crew Stadium and the Downtown corridor are both part of the flight restrictions.
The restriction near Historic Crew Stadium extends north to East Weber Road, west to Tuttle Park, east to Cleveland Avenue and south to East 9th Avenue.
The Downtown restrictions include Italian Village, Victorian Village and portions of Milo-Grogan. The restrictions span west to east from Route 315 to Interstate 71 and north to south from East 8th Avenue to East Town Street.
The restrictions are in place from June 1 through July 21.
Violations of the flight restrictions could result in criminal charges, fines and the destruction of the aircraft.
The flight restrictions do not include common areas of Downtown where pilots commonly operate, including Goodale Park and portions of the Scioto Mile.
The World Cup begins June 11 and goes through July 19.
Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: FAA restricts Columbus airspace for drones ahead of FIFA World Cup
Reporting by Bethany Bruner, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
