Liberty Helicopters, New York

Liberty Helicopter tour of Manhattan.

We had booked a flight to leave at 10:00 and took a cab down to the offices on the East river. We showed the lady our booking form but then she asked for ID.....I was mortified as I had left my Passport in the safe at the hotel not thinking that I would need it while out and about. Since 9/11 America has gone security mad and they needed some form of identification to enable us to fly. She reassured us not to worry as I could fill out a form as I had my photo driving license with me.

Security.

We were then told that no belongings are allowed on the helicopters apart from a camera. You can rent a locker to store your belongings for $2.50 leaving all mobile phones, bags, lighters, keys and rucksacks or handbags must be stored inside the locker for collection on your return. You then pass through a metal detector to make sure that you are not carrying any metal objects and have to remove all belts etc just as you would do at any major airport.

Safety

After those formalities we were shown a short safety demonstration about how to board the helicopter and wearing the life vest which you wear on a belt in front of you just in case of an emergency. (There is no need to worry they have a 25 years safety record but it is good to know about what to know just in case of an emergency).

You then sit in the waiting area until the call your name and then queue up near the door. All the time there are helicopters landing and taking off and you can see markings on the heliport where you can and cannot walk. A dispatcher will walk you out to the helicopter and tell you where you are going to sit. Depending on your weight will determine where you sit in the helicopter. The heavier you are you sit near the back of the helicopter in order to balance the weight. Once in the helicopter he will ensure that your safety belt is secure then shut the door. All the time the rotor blades are whirling above your head. You then put on a pair of earphones which enable the pilot to talk to you and point out places of interest.

The flight.

The helicopter rotors started to get faster and faster and gently the helicopter hovered above the landing pontoon and eventually flew off over the East River rising up giving you a bird’s eye view of the Brooklyn Bridge and as it got higher you could see the Brooklyn area it then turned and headed out towards Governors Island, Ellis Island where the immigrants first arrived in the USA, the statue of liberty and Liberty Island. We then turned and started to fly towards the Hudson River noticing all the massive sky towers that adorn the sky line of Manhattan.

Flying over Battery Park below us and the Staten Island ferry terminal we then passed the site of the Twin towers. You could quite clearly see the Empire State Building and the Chrysler building and the Top of the Rock at the Rockefeller centre. There were lots of other helicopters in the air ahead of us and I dare say some behind us. To the left of us was New Jersey which seemed out of place against the towering buildings of Manhattan Island. Looking back towards Manhattan you could see Central Park which appeared to be an oasis of green in an otherwise concrete and glass world of these monstrous sky scrapers.

We continued up the Hudson River passing the George Washington Bridge until we reached the Yankee Stadium and the Cathedral of St. John the divine cathedral. We then turned at this point and headed back along the Hudson River retracing out flight back to the Heliport. Coming into land was quite an experience and the pilot put the helicopter down without so much as a bump it was really a smooth and fantastic experience.

Although the flight only took about 20 minutes it seemed much longer. It really was a superb way of seeing Manhattan below you from way above the sky scrapers and the madness and hustle and Bustle of New York. The pilot gave a running commentary during the flight pointing out places of interest and things we might have missed had he not done so he was a very pleasant man who was an ex army pilot as are most of the pilots who are either ex military or ex police pilots.

Would I recommend the New York New York Helicopter flight?

Yes absolutely as it is an exhilarating way of seeing New York from a different angle as opposed to stretching your neck looking up at these massive buildings from the ground.

There are a variety of flight tours you can take lasting from 12 minutes to 20 minutes or so for example we took the New York New York Tour which lasted 20 minutes and cost approximately $200 + $30 airport Tax. They also offer a variety of combination tickets including Helicopter flight and hop on hop off bus tour, helicopter flight and cruise etc etc.

It is easy to get to either by cab, bus or underground.

Address:
Manhattan Heliport.
6, East River Piers,
New York 10004
Telephone 212 967 6464

Web site:
http://www.libertyhelicopter.com/index.p​hp