COLUMBUS – Parachutes will dot the sky over the Northwest Side Saturday as dozens of Army Reserve paratroopers practice drops on OSU’s Don Scott Field.
The public is welcome to watch the parachute drop between 12:00 and 3:30 p.m. from the parking lot or observation tower of The Ohio State University Airport (Don Scott Field) on W. Case Road.
Up to 60 U.S. Army Reserve paratroopers will take part in the airborne training operations as part of a partnership between OSU and the Reserves entered into in March 2013, which allows the Columbus-based 412th Civil Affairs Battalion to conduct the training at the airport.
The Army approached the university because of a loss of training sites across the state, which led to the battalion traveling out-of-state for exercises, which created logistical issues, according to and impacting effectiveness, Matt Schutte, communications director of the OSU College of Engineering, said.
The training exercises begin with a C-130 aircraft filled with reservist paratroopers taking off from Rickenbacker International Airport or Port Columbus International Airport.
In previous exercises, the plane has made up to six passes over Don Scott Field.
Airport and battalion officials have discussed plans to conduct the training drills every other month but, since they require complete closing of airspace, they have been scheduled to minimize disruption of normal airport activity, Schutte said.