Helicopter flight over New York – prices, companies, how to book?

A helicopter flight over Manhattan always seemed out of our reach – mainly because of the price. However, being there and looking up into the sky at the machines flying over New York, we became more and more anxious to see this impressive agglomeration from a bird’s eye view.

The decision-making process was long and complicated, but in the end we came to the conclusion that it is unclear whether we will ever return here. That’s why we decided not to postpone this dream! In the following post you will read how we organized such a flight what is the helicopter flight time, where the helicopters take off from, how much it costs and how to do it cheaper.

Once we decided that I was going to fly (because it was only going to be me, Kamila), all that was left was to choose the date, time, route and type of helicopter. With the latter there was no problem, I knew it was to be a helicopter without doors, and such flies only one company in New York – FlyNYON. This made the choice of date, route and time a little narrower. And although I was still accompanied by a lot of apprehension, I knew it was an experience I would certainly not forget for the rest of my life. In order to allay these fears and make the flight as safe as possible, I did quite a bit of research, of course, I compared the offers of companies offering helicopter tours, and finally the choice fell on the company mentioned above.

The helicopter flight offers fantastic views: passing tall skyscrapers, glimpsing yellow cabs flashing below, seeing two rivers wrapping around Manhattan…. There are no views like this from any vantage point!

Experiencing the helicopter tour was a fantastic experience and if we return I will urge Paweł to try it as well. At no stage did I feel uncomfortable, and the company made every effort to dispel doubts, patiently answer every question, and, of course, ensure safety (although this has varied throughout the company’s history, which you will read about below).

In this article, I’ll tell you how we organized this extraordinary flight over the most popular city in the United States, what sights captivated me, and share practical tips on how to make this dream come true without ruining your budget.

A helicopter flight over Manhattan

Want to see New York City from above? You’ll find many vantage points in the city, including those with 360-degree views, but in our opinion, nothing beats the views afforded by even a helicopter flight of a few minutes!

New York delights at every turn, but a bird’s eye view of the city is a whole different level of experience. Iconic skyscrapers, the Hudson and East Rivers, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, and even New Jersey or Brooklyn – it all looks like a movie from above. The helicopter tour provides extraordinary views, allowing you to see the scale of the city and its contrasts: from concrete jungles to green oases. Of course, not every flight will be packed with views of each of these destinations: both shorter and longer flights are on offer, but about that in a moment.

The most popular helicopter flight is the so-called ” doors off,” i.e. helicopter flights that have no doors and allow you to put your legs, arms, any equipment outside, allowing you to take, for example, a photo of your stretched legs with Manhattan in the background! Of course, each passenger is safely belted throughout the flight.

Security

Exciting helicopter tours over New York City are relatively safe, but like any form of transportation, there are some risks involved. We will not assure you that it is always safe, nothing will happen to you, etc. I had a lot of doubts myself, especially when I learned about the helicopter accident without doors, during which there were casualties, and I really explored the topic (I was especially interested in what happened and what steps were taken to avoid such accidents in the future). Because fact, a helicopter tour provides a unique experience, but it is more important to feel safe and have confidence in both the company and the pilot.

Companies that organize sightseeing flights operate under strict regulations and are regularly inspected by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The pilots are highly qualified, and the helicopters are properly serviced. Safety is taken care of on many levels, without, of course, overlooking the most important one: passengers receive brief training on safety rules, including the use of life jackets, before the flight.

The last accident occurred in 2018, and it was a doors-off (no doors) flight accident that killed five people (only the pilot survived). What was the cause? The straps from the safety harness snagged on some sort of shackle in the helicopter, which caused the helicopter to fall into the river. The passengers were unable to free themselves from their harnesses quickly enough and did not survive the accident. Then the decision was made to stop such flights over NYC (with the doors open, other helicopters could continue to fly).

Nowadays, doors-off flights are taking place again, after meeting new safety requirements, of course, and such a helicopter flight is being offered by FlyNYON. All helicopter flights are preceded by training and a demonstration on how to safely fasten and unfasten seat belts and what to do in case of an accident.

How to choose a company and a helicopter flight in NYC?

The most popular helicopter flight over Manhattan is an itinerary that includes views of the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, all the way to Central Park – a true New York classic! But how do you organize a helicopter flight over Manhattan? First of all, you need to choose a company that has flights that will allow you to see New York from a bird’s eye view.

Companies offering exciting helicopter tours

There are many companies on the market offering helicopter tours. For the most part, the offer revolves around standard flights, but if your funds allow you, a customized helicopter tour awaits you as well. Then both the helicopter flight time and the route can be customized and will allow you to see New York in comfort. In the rest of this post, however, we will focus on these more traditional flights.

In New York, helicopter flight is offered by several companies, these include:

• HeliNY
• FlyNYON
• Liberty Helicopters
• Charm Aviation

Each has different routes, flight times, prices, but also different machines. When it comes to popular out-of-door flights, only one option remains – FlyNYON.

But before you decide to fly, check helicopter tour companies carefully for reviews and safety.

You can see various offers for helicopter flights to New York here »

Where do helicopters take off from? Helicopter airports in New York City

Where are the heliports (helipads, helipads)? There are plenty of places in New York where helicopters can land, but when it comes to helicopter tours, many flights take off from a heliport in lower Manhattan (Pier 6), near Battery Park. It’s a great location – it’s easy to get there by subway, and the area itself is worth seeing. However, if you’re interested in a helicopter flight without doors to you’ll have to get to a more remote location, the Kearny Heliport in New Jersey.

Getting here is difficult because you won’t get here easily enough by public transportation – we took the Journal Sq station and then an Uber to FlyNYON headquarters.

Flight route and helicopter flight time

In fact, there is no single designated flight path here. I was under the impression that it is really up to the pilot to decide where he will fly at any given time, and what limits him is more the flight time, or zone. Helicopter flight hours often depend on weather conditions and equipment availability, but most companies offer flights from morning to evening.

How long does a typical helicopter tour over Manhattan last? The duration of the helicopter flight depends on the option chosen, most often ranging from 12 to 30 minutes. Importantly, the duration of the helicopter tour does not include pre-flight preparation, only the time spent in the air.

I will continue to write on the example of the company FlyNYON how it looks like in practice. Once you have chosen a company, you should choose the date, time and length of the flight. The duration of the helicopter flight depends on the company. FlyNYON has two options: 16-19 minutes or 30 minutes. All helicopter flights arrive over Manhattan, but as you can easily guess, you will see less during the short flight – the helicopter tour offers views of Lower Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Center or the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

If you choose the longer option, you will probably fly all the way to Central Park and look at Manhattan from different perspectives. Such a helicopter tour definitely provides more views and experiences. I chose the longer option which was a 30-minute helicopter flight but even that was not enough ;)

By comparison, Liberty Helicopter and HeliNY companies offer 12-15 minute, 17-20 minute or 25-30 minute flights. However, it’s worth checking where these companies’ machines take off from, as you may find that while the flight is shorter, it doesn’t waste any time getting to Manhattan.

FlyNYON doorless helicopter flight – what place?

In addition to the safety aspect itself, one more thing was important to me: will I sit from the shore? Yes, yes, it is not so obvious. In the helicopter I flew in, 5 people can enter from the back and one person near the pilot. As you can guess, one of these people will be sitting in the middle seat and then there is nothing to stretch your legs for photos.

How are people selected for the flight and how are seats assigned? Well, at the beginning, everyone gets on the scale and the people are selected so that the helicopter is properly balanced, and from what I’ve learned, simply the heaviest person is seated in the middle.

If you are worried that they might put you in that least interesting seat, you can of course buy an option with a guaranteed seat at the door for, bagatelle, about $172!

When and how to book a helicopter tour?

You are probably wondering if you need to book a helicopter tour in advance? It is definitely recommended! This way you have a greater choice of hours and can hit additional promotions (how to hunt for them I write later in the text).

Using FlyNYON as an example: when booking, you choose the length of the flight, the day and a specific time. It’s worth noting that prices vary depending on the day and time of the flight, and by expanding the list of hours it is also indicated which exact helicopter tour offers the opportunity to see the sunset over Manhattan. And this is the most popular helicopter flight, at this time, and it is these flights that are the most expensive, so if you are preparing for them it is worth booking in advance. It’s also worth booking in advance if you’re interested in a personalized helicopter tour.

Generally, it is a good idea to buy such a flight in advance, but there is still the question of weather. I, for one, made no secret of the fact that I booked the flight at the last minute to be sure that the weather on a given day would be fine and the flight would go off without a hitch.

What is the preparation and flight like?

The flight lasts a dozen or so minutes, but it takes more to do all the preparation for the flight. When you get there, you have to complete the formalities, get weighed (!), and then in groups watch a short instructional video. All helicopter flights are preceded by this, and it is recommended to be on site about 75 minutes before the flight time.

The next step is to put on your harness, securely fasten your photo-video equipment and have a short training session with a FlyNYON employee. Smartphone, camera, sports camera – such equipment can be brought along, but each item must be strapped down using the available holders on the ropes.

Then everyone heads for the helicopters. Yes, there are several of them taking off at the same hour, however, they do not take off all at once, but one by one. Each passenger gets soundproofing headphones, in which you should be able to hear the pilot (I admit, I heard quite poorly).

I chose the longer flight and the duration of the helicopter flight was actually 30 minutes, but it flew by too quickly. The helicopter easily took to the air and flew over Manhattan. We flew close to the Statue of Liberty and then over the Hudson and East Rivers so we could see Manhattan from two sides and the famous Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge.

Wondering what language the employees and the pilot will communicate in during the helicopter flight around New York? Only English is involved, so you’ll need to know it on a basic level, though. Many things are shown, but nevertheless you need to understand basic commands.

How much does a helicopter flight over New York City cost?

Flying over Manhattan is not a cheap attraction and the question we most often got was what is the cost of a helicopter tour? Prices for helicopter flights vary depending on the company, the length of the flight and the route chosen. Standard prices for out-of-door flights range from $550 to $1,800 per person, depending on the length and route of the flight. On top of that, there are often additional fees depending on the carriers, such as seat fee (about $40) or booking fee (about $113 per person).

However, I will emphasize, these are list price amounts, for which it is hard to buy a flight, and they are probably just to make promotional prices, because in practice you will pay much less, that is, $150-300 per flight + booking fee.

And how much does an individual helicopter tour without doors cost? Here prices start at $1,000 for a 16-minute helicopter flight.

In comparison, a helicopter tour with doors costs about $300 plus $60 in additional fees.

If you want to save money:

• Hunt for promotions. Follow operator websites and discount portals. We especially recommend looking at FlyNyon ‘s site for discounts and discount codes, as this can help you buy tickets much cheaper (even if they’re not available now, check back in a few days).
• Share the cost with others. Sometimes you can buy an entire helicopter exclusive and invite friends, which will lower the price per person.
• Consider a doors-off flight. The doors-off option offers an amazing experience and is sometimes available at a lower price, but still involves a longer trip to the heliport.

Helicopter flight with children

Is it possible to take children in a helicopter? Of course you can, however, you have to ask yourself if it’s worth it and if it’s a good idea?

Companies offering helicopter tours with doors are unlikely to give any age restrictions, which means that even a baby of several months can fly such a helicopter. Admittedly, you always need to read the rules and regulations carefully, because there are some where the child must be at least 3 years old, but in others there is only a provision that a child under 2. year old must sit on the lap of a caregiver, while the standard amount is paid for older ones.

Personally, however, we’re in favor of more restrictions when it comes to children’s travel – but it’s a noisy place, there’s no space to walk or play, and it’s the kind of experience you want to get the most out of and remember. Even during a few minutes of a helicopter flight with headphones, you can hear the noise, so you would definitely need to get soundproofing headphones for your child.

For older children, this will be a fantastic adventure! Of course, you need to choose your helicopter flight times well, and make sure that the companies offering helicopter tours agree with your child’s trip.

Is it worth the temptation to take a helicopter flight over New York City? Our opinion

The sensation of floating above the city was unearthly. Central Park from above looks like a perfectly drawn rectangle of green amidst a concrete jungle. The view of the Statue of Liberty in the distance and the majestic skyscrapers of Manhattan are breathtaking. The 30-minute helicopter flight allows you to look at the metropolis from multiple perspectives, making it easier to embrace everything with your eyes.

This is not a cheap event, but definitely worth every dollar spent. Anyone who dreams of an unforgettable experience should consider NYC’s most popular helicopter flight – it’s a way to experience the city from a completely different perspective! Such a helicopter tour offers truly unforgettable memories.

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