Fly Past Central Park to the George Washington Bridge
It runs to the northern tip of Manhattan and back, with Yankee Stadium and the Harlem River at the far end of the loop.
Everyone books this for the harbor. Liberty from above, Ellis Island behind her, the downtown towers rising as the aircraft lifts off the East River.
The part worth watching for starts after Central Park, when the route keeps going north to the top of the island, above the George Washington Bridge and around Yankee Stadium. Upper Manhattan and the Bronx are hard to read from street level. Seen in one pass, the island finally has a top to it.
Flights leave through the day from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport at 6 East River Piers, on the Financial District waterfront, Monday to Saturday. The booking calendar carries no Sunday flights at all. The cabin holds six and the flight is shared. Unless your group fills it, you will be flying with other travelers.
Heliport landing and facility fees and the fuel surcharge are included, and there is nothing further to pay at check-in. Booking closes four hours before departure.
NY Helicopter Tour: Ultimate NYC SightseeingHeliNY · 17 to 20 minutes · Shared flight, six seatswww.viator.comThe northern half of the route
Takeoff crosses the East River with the Brooklyn Bridge and Governors Island below, then swings out over New York Harbor. Liberty and Ellis Island come next. From there the route runs up the Hudson past One World Trade Center, the 9/11 memorial, Little Island, Chelsea Piers, the Intrepid, Hudson Yards and the Vessel.
Midtown arrives in a single block: Empire State, Chrysler, Rockefeller Center, One Vanderbilt, Madison Square Garden, Times Square. Central Park Tower marks the top of that run.
Then the aircraft keeps going. The George Washington Bridge goes by underneath and Yankee Stadium appears across the Harlem River in the Bronx. The itinerary also lists Columbia University on the way north and the Palisades, the cliff wall on the New Jersey side of the Hudson, on the way home.
The operator counts 23 landmarks on the route.
Inside the cabin
The aircraft is a Bell 407 carrying six passengers and one pilot. One seat is up front beside the pilot, three face forward, and two face backward. Every seat gets a Bose noise-cancelling headset, which is what makes the pilot's live narration audible over the rotor. The cabin has floor to ceiling windows and climate control.
Six seats, six people, one set of windows. Everyone is looking at the same landmarks in the same twenty minutes. Decide before takeoff whether you want the camera up the whole time or your own eyes on the city.
Souvenir photos are sold separately and are not included in the fare.
Getting to the heliport
The heliport is a large gray concrete building with a big clock on the front. Tell security you are flying with Helicopter Flight Services and they will point you to the staff.
The 1 train ends at South Ferry, a five minute walk away. From Times Square, allow about thirty minutes by subway or taxi, and longer after 4:00 PM when commuter traffic builds. There is no parking at the heliport. The nearest garages sit at South Street and Whitehall Street, at South Street and Old Slip Road, and at South Street Seaport.
Check-in is thirty minutes before departure, or forty-five minutes if your flight leaves after 3:30 PM. The booking instructions also ask travelers to confirm the flight by phone twenty-four hours ahead.
Who can fly
Everyone flying carries a current government issued photo ID on the day, and everyone signs a waiver before boarding.
- Passengers over 275 pounds may be unable to fly, and anyone who needs a seat belt extender cannot board. Weight and balance on the aircraft are fixed.
- Children under 2 ride free on an adult's lap. Call the operator after booking if you are travelling with an infant. It changes the weight and balance calculation.
- Children have to be accompanied by an adult.
- The heliport, the transport options and the surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and service animals are allowed.
- Bags are inspected on arrival. Lockers are provided at no charge while you fly.
The flight itself suits all fitness levels.
Cancel at least twenty-four hours before departure for a full refund. Weather moves flights here more than anything else. The operator's own advice is to put the flight early in your trip and to keep it off arrival and departure days.
The flight lands where it took off. From the heliport it is a five minute walk back to South Ferry and the Battery, with the rest of the day still ahead of you.