Ohio State University Airport

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Ohio State University Airport (OSU) is a public airport owned and operated by Ohio State University, located about six miles northwest of downtown Columbus in Franklin County, Ohio. Also known as the OSU Don Scott Airport, it is named after an OSU alumnus who died while training as a pilot in World War II. The main entrance is on Case Road, with easy access from OH-315 and Interstate 270. The airport serves the university and general aviation and is one of only a few university-owned airports, largely tax-exempt.

History and role
OSU opened its first airport in 1917 to train cadets for World War I, but that site was replaced when Ohio Stadium was built. The current OSU Airport began in 1943 as a flight-training facility for military and civilian pilots and later hosted crop-dusting research. It became a public-use airport in 1959 with federal funding for runway improvements. Jets first arrived in 1962. The university partnered with the National Intercollegiate Flying Association in the 1960s, and NIFA’s headquarters have been at OSU since 2015. In the 1970s the airport also hosted DC-3 flights for university teams and officials. Today the airport is a self-supporting part of the university under the Department of Aerospace Engineering & Aviation and hosts facilities for aviation research, teaching, and several external organizations. The airport is also home to the OSU Center for Aviation Studies, funded in part through a NetJets partnership.

Facilities and operations
OSU Airport is a Part 139 certified general aviation airport and acts as a reliever for John Glenn Columbus International Airport. It houses the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Aviation Section and the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Office of Aviation.

The airfield has three runways:
- Runway 9R/27L: 5,004 by 100 feet (asphalt)
- Runway 9L/27R: 2,994 by 100 feet (asphalt)
- Runway 5/23: 3,562 by 100 feet (asphalt)

There is also a 40 by 40 feet asphalt helipad (H1).

In 2020, the main runway was rehabilitated to ensure safe operations. The master plan includes expanding Runway 9R/27L to 6,000 feet to support longer non-stop corporate flights. The Fixed-Base Operator (FBO) provides avgas and Jet A, along with maintenance, catering, a crew lounge, showers, and other services. A new $15 million terminal building opened in 2018, funded in part by a large donation, and dozens of new hangars were added, with plans for a 50-acre corporate airpark.

Usage
For the 12 months ending December 31, 2021, OSU Airport recorded 77,745 aircraft operations (about 213 per day): roughly 79% general aviation, 21% air taxi, and less than 1% military. There were 143 aircraft based at the airport: 118 single-engine, 10 multi-engine, 11 jets, and 4 helicopters.