Aerial Imaging Services in Mansfield, OH

FAA Part 107 Requirements

All commercial drone operations in Ohio require the pilot to hold an active FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. Our network operators are verified Part 107 holders.

State Drone Laws

Ohio does not have a comprehensive state-level drone law regulating commercial UAS operations. The state enacted HB 292 (2018) establishing the Ohio Aerospace and Aviation Technology Committee to study UAS integration, and the Ohio Department of Transportation hosts the Ohio UAS Center which promotes safe drone integration into the national airspace system. Ohio does not require a separate state-level drone license or registration for commercial operators beyond FAA requirements. All commercial drone pilots in Ohio must hold a valid FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate and follow federal regulations including airspace authorization via LAANC for operations in controlled airspace. Ohio state parks managed by the Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) require a special use permit for commercial drone operations — contact the individual park office for application. Ohio does not have an explicit state preemption clause for local drone regulations, meaning municipalities may enact their own ordinances regulating takeoff and landing on public property. Operators near military installations (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Camp James A. Garfield Joint Military Training Center in northeast Ohio) must coordinate with base operations and check for active TFRs. The Ohio General Assembly has introduced several UAS-related bills over the years (including SB 255 addressing drone surveillance privacy) but none have been enacted into comprehensive UAS legislation. The FAA controls all airspace above 400 feet AGL. Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland metropolitan areas have extensive Class B and Class C airspace requiring LAANC authorization.

Local Ordinances

The City of Mansfield does not have a specific municipal drone ordinance beyond state and federal requirements. Commercial drone operators conducting business within city limits must hold a valid City of Mansfield business license. Drone takeoff and landing in Mansfield city parks requires coordination with the Mansfield Parks and Recreation Department, which manages North Lake Park, South Park, and the Richland County B&O Bike Trail. The Richland County Park District manages additional county parks with potentially separate permitting requirements. Operations within MFD Class D airspace require LAANC authorization. Operations near the Mansfield Correctional Institution and Ohio State Reformatory are restricted — do not fly drones over correctional facilities. Operations near the 179th Airlift Wing military facility should check for TFRs. Commercial operators should carry minimum $1M liability insurance.

Restricted Airspace

• Class D: Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport (MFD) Surface Area. MFD Class D airspace extends approximately 4.4 NM from the airport up to 2,800 ft MSL. The airport is located approximately 5 NM north of downtown Mansfield and shares facilities with the Ohio Air National Guard 179th Airlift Wing, which operates C-130H Hercules cargo aircraft. Northern Mansfield and the US-42 corridor must check LAANC grid squares before flight. Military aircraft operations, including C-130 training flights and airlift missions, may create additional airspace complexity. The 179th Airlift Wing has a federal homeland defense mission and has been considered for conversion to other aircraft types.
• Special Use: Ohio State Reformatory / Mansfield Correctional Institution. The Ohio State Reformatory (the historic prison made famous by The Shawshank Redemption film) and the adjacent Mansfield Correctional Institution are located on the north side of Mansfield. Correctional facilities have security airspace considerations, and drone operations near prisons may be restricted under state and federal law. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction prohibits drone flights over correctional facilities. Commercial drone operators should maintain a safe distance from the correctional complex and coordinate with facility security for any data collection projects in the area. The historic reformatory is also a major tourist attraction.
• Infrastructure: I-71 / US-30 / SR-13 Highway Infrastructure. Mansfield sits at the intersection of I-71 (running north-south connecting Columbus to Cleveland) and US-30 (running east-west connecting to Canton and Fort Wayne). SR-13 is the primary north-south route through the city. The I-71/US-30 interchange is a major freight corridor junction. ODOT has an active drone bridge inspection program for I-71 crossings over the Rocky Fork, Black Fork, and Mohican River tributaries. The CSX and Norfolk Southern railway lines through Mansfield have grade crossings and bridge infrastructure requiring periodic aerial inspection. Mansfield is a freight rail crossroads with significant rail infrastructure.
• Infrastructure: General Motors Mansfield Assembly Site / Industrial Corridor. The former General Motors Mansfield Assembly plant site has been redeveloped as the Mansfield Industrial Park, a 4-million-square-foot logistics and manufacturing facility. The site conversion from automotive manufacturing to logistics warehousing represents one of the largest industrial redevelopment projects in north-central Ohio. The industrial corridor along the US-42/Park Avenue West corridor has multiple manufacturing facilities including metalworking, plastics, and automotive supply companies requiring industrial inspection and infrastructure documentation. The AK Steel (now Cleveland-Cliffs) Mansfield steel plant is located nearby.