Heli sightseeing NYC

Our flight today starts at Linden Municipal Airport in Linden, New Jersey. The airfield is one of few uncontrolled general aviation airports in the NYC metro area and is home to approximately 90 light aircraft. It also serves as a helicopter base for many of the news choppers that operate in the busy airspace above NYC. There’s only one runway at Linden, designated 9/27, and is 4,137 ft in length. If you’re an avid fan of the Red Bull Air Races, then you might recall the world championships were hosted from Linden in 2010.

Robinson R44 N441EK inside the hangar.


Several Bell news choppers


A look at our ride for today, Robinson R22 Beta II N778MR. This machine is powered by a four-cylinder Lycoming OV-360, delivering a whopping total of 145 horsepower. Which isn’t that much more than a lawnmower, when you think about it. Is it too late to kiss the ground?





Now that we’ve squeezed inside and strapped in, let’s get comfortable! The bubble canopy on the R22 offers excellent all-around vision. If you’re used to flying in a traditional fixed-wing airplane like a Cessna 172, one of the first things you notice is the absolute bare minimum of instrumentation. This is truly a VFR machine.


A few minutes later and we’re off! One unmistakable feature of the landscape around Linden is the huge number of distinct white storage tanks. These tanks are part of the Bayway Refinery, which is the second largest oil refinery on the east coast producing approximately 230,000 barrels of oil every day.





Overhead the New Jersey Turnpike. Flying any lower and you could recreate the opening credits of The Sopranos.


As we fly towards Manhattan, we cross a number of major waterways including the Kill Van Kull, a major shipping channel which separates New York and New Jersey. Looking north offers a view of the Port of Bayonne.


Various boats





The ‘Teardrop Memorial’ in Bayonne, New Jersey. This ten storey sculpture was a gift from Russia to the United States following the September 11 attacks.


Lady Liberty in the early morning hours. The first boatload of tourists doesn’t depart the mainland until 08:30 AM and we’ve managed to sneak into the air just in time to beat them.





The Staten Island Ferry passes in the opposite direction. Did you know that riding on the ferry is free? Now you’ve ran out of excuses for not visiting your friend Eric Long!


Lower Manhattan. The rather-bizarre reddish-brown water was the result of sediment run-off from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.


Downtown Manhattan Heliport, aka Wall Street Heliport.


Pier 11 / Wall St, a seaport which is used by four different ferry companies. Plenty of commuters heading to work on this particular Monday morning.


The South Street Seaport, looking a little more intact than depicted in a Crysis 2 multiplayer map.


Passing over the Brooklyn Bridge





A little farther up the East River, past the Williamsburg Bridge





#1 United Stations Plaza


The iconic art-deco styled Chrysler Building





Wall to wall skyscrapers.





Guggenheim Museum


Cleopatra’s Needle, a granite Egyptian obelisk which dates to 1450 BC. It was first installed in Central Park in 1881.


More to follow?

You should have taken me with you dude! I'm currently on vacation in NJ/NY

Thanks for all the likes so far. I’m told that you guys might enjoy airplanes, so I’ve tried my best to keep that in mind in the second part.

Belvedere Castle, situated in Central Park and built way back in 1869.


The R22 might not be powerful, but we seem to be moving quicker than most ground traffic in Manhattan.


Times Square


The upper floors of the Empire State Building, including the observation deck


Columbus Circle


The Dakota, a historic apartment building situated near Central Park. It is perhaps most widely known for being the former residence of John Lennon and the location of his murder.


Couldn’t resist this shot, which seemed aptly fitting. The New Yorker Hotel. Wonder what the nightly rate is for a room with one of those balconies.


MSG. No, not the delectable ingredient found in chinese food, but rather Madison Square Garden. It’s seen here undergoing significant roof work as part of a $1 billion renovation.


Intrepid Museum





Concorde G-BOAD


Some interesting traffic flying down the Hudson VFR corridor. N3193G “Yankee Lady” was in town attending the Wings & Wheels Expo at Teterboro.


A backlit Lower Manhattan


Jersey City, New Jersey – a stone’s throw across the Hudson River


A dizzying perspective of new cars awaiting shipment from the Port of Newark.


Speaking of Newark … We’ve called EWR TWR and been approved to cross the airfield as we make our way south back towards Linden.






































Anyone call for a cab?

Edited by Cactus, 06 April 2013 - 10:31 AM.

Having passed EWR, it’s a quick five mile trip south and the airfield is quickly in sight.





Back on solid ground, alive and without having dropped any cameras!

I did not know that your helicopter has such long and enough range to cover all tourist spots plus KEWR airport spotting!!

Great photos  Superb camera!!

Aharon

Fantastic pictures right there, thanks for sharing them. I love the boat shots in the first set.

Thanks for the post, alot of awesome shots in there, very cool.

Thanks for your comments, gents. In case any fellow photogs were wondering, these were captured by a Canon 7D + 70-200mm f/4.0L and Canon 400D + 17-85mm f/4-5.6. Not exactly professional grade gear.

Aharon, on 06 April 2013 - 12:02 PM, said:

The entire flight was around one hour in total. The R22's endurance is around three hours at 80 knots cruise, though your comfort inside its small cockpit might last considerably less. What you lose in comfort, you gain in affordability and pure enjoyment. It's literally a personalized tour - just you and the pilot, seeing exactly what you've asked to see. There's also the thrill and adrenaline from not having any doors to separate you and the outside world!

Thanks for interesting explanations, Cactus!!!

Regards,

Aharon

Thanks for sharing these pictures! They are fantastic!

NYC is quite awesome. However, I never toured it via helicopter. After seeing these pics, I would love to find a way to do so!

Absolutely awesome. Must of been a great ride! Love the shots.

Awesome shots my friend!

I wish my FSX scenery would look like that ! haha

Really nice photos, great captures! NY is beautiful!

Tiger7881, on 11 April 2013 - 12:43 AM, said:

Have a look at the Aerosoft Manhattan X add-on. If you're looking for a detailed and accurate NYC, I'd highly recommend it.

Cactus, on 11 April 2013 - 10:21 PM, said:

Will do thanks !

Amazing shots!

Went to New York on new years eve and going next week... will try to  get that tour as well

Brilliant shots -- thankis for taking the time to snap all of those beautiful pictures. Definitely an awesome experience I'm sure...