Logged: 1.1 hours
Fuel: 41.5 litres
After staying in downtown New York for two nights and being shown the sights by my sister (who now lives in New York), we returned to Westchester via the commuter train to White Plains and a pick-up by Million Air, our flight handling service.
I spoke to the Million Air reception about the bill and explained that I was going on a ‘local’ around the NY low-level route and would return to Westchester for a fuel top up and would prefer to pay then. They were fine with this and confirmed that it had already been fully refuelled.
I got some helpful advice on the route from a local pilot, who confirmed what I already knew. Basically not above 1500’, but with some sections not above 1100’ (so I decided to stick with 1100’ for the whole route). South down the Hudson river following the west (right) side of the river. Self announce position reports on the specific frequency for the low level route of 123.05. Then around Ellis and Liberty Islands, back over Governors Island, quick peek at the East River, then hard left around Battery Park and back up the Hudson on the east side (right) flying past Manhattan, Greenwich Village, Central Park etc and back up to the Tappensee Bridge, then inland back to Westchester.
We wandered out and Dan prepped and packed the aircraft. We were good to go so we mounted up and I called Westchester Ground for taxi. I was instructed to taxi to the hold for runway 16.
I did the power checks and switched to Tower and called ready. They gave me a right turnout departure not above 1500'. So off we went.
I had not programmed anything in on the GPS and there were no radio beacons of any use, so I flew by map, time and compass bearing direct to the Tappensee Bridge, some 30 nautical miles up the Hudson River from Manhattan. This was not much of a navigational challenge as I only had to head west for 10 nm before I picked up the Hudson running North / South and you can hardly mistake the Hudson!
We hit the Tappensee Bridge pretty much spot on and proceeded down the Hudson river on the right hand side (western side), but still over the river itself. I changed frequency to 123.05 and started self-announcing. The frequency seemed full of others doing the same. All of the other aircraft seemed very well versed and slick in their calls and used all sorts of locations not marked on the map, so I immediately realised I was dealing with the professional helicopter jocks who I saw plying the low level route in their droves while on the ground in NY.
We plodded along at our stately 105kts as the skyline of NY hove into view with the also imposing New Jersey skyline on the near shore I was flying. It looked far more impressive in the early morning haze than photographs can possibly do justice to. I turned on every light and beacon I had and hoped that ’see and avoid’ worked both ways!
I called over the Holland Tunnel, took a deep breath, and plunged into the really busy part of the pattern. I kept a sharp lookout for traffic and maintained situational awareness while Dan snapped happily away with the camera.
We passed very close to a particularly tall New Jersey skyscraper outbound to Ellis and Liberty Islands.
On the way to them, I came across two helicopters, one above me (surely in controlled airspace?) and one below. I was sure we saw each other, so continued and passed vertically between them like a sandwich – it probably sounds more dramatic than it was as there was always a couple of hundred feet between us. Any other day, I might have been worried, but I suspected that this was ‘just another Wednesday’ on the NY low level route.
I turned left around Liberty Island with the iconic status of liberty and headed for Governors Island on the way to the East River. I only went far enough up the East River to check out the Brooklyn Bridge, then hauled the plane around into moderate left-hander to pass in front of Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan. Now we got some really ‘up close and personal’ photos of skyscrapers!
I was now on the right hand side (east) of the Hudson, over water of course and headed back up north. This was still a busy stretch but the worst was passed. I was still very busy flying the plane and keeping a lookout, but did managed some glances at the scenery – this isn’t the place for a relaxed and carefree bimble I can tell you!
I called at the Holland Tunnel (clearly visible from the matching ventilation towers) and was past the worst of it. On the way passed, we spotted ‘Ground Zero’ between the buildings and of course Central Park. I spotted where my sister lives as she is virtually on the Hudson near Central Park.
I bumbled on, starting to relax a bit now as we headed up-river back towards the Tappensee Bridge. I called Westchester Tower when I got to Tappensee and they gave me a squawk. I orbited while they picked up the squawk and they gave me a direct to right base for 16. I headed inland towards White Plains and searched for the airfield. We spotted the dam, so I knew I was on the right track. The Dan spotted the airfield and I started to line up.
I was lining up from about 5 miles and seemed to be on a direct to long final, so I continued. It was only a confusing minute later when I realised that I was busy lining up on the out-of-use runway 11. Embarrassed, I quickly entered right base to XX and lined up on about a two mile final. I was cleared to land and put her down nicely and took a right exit back to the now familiar Million Air hangar.
On shutdown, I asked the marshaller to fill her up ASAP while we adjourned to the terminal to pay fees and make personal preparations for the next leg of our trip from Westchester to Niagara International.
It was only a short trip, but what a flight. Yes the airspace is busy and it is hardly a relaxing flight, but it is quite simply THE most awesome, non-aerobatic flight I have ever done. If you haven’t done this, then you must! I can believe that it can be surpassed by some of the awesome scenery flying in the Grand Canyon or, say Monument Valley, but you won’t beat this for a city flight! It is a rare privilege in this security-obsessed day and age to be allowed to make a flight like this, especially in a city that has suffered so much and so recently.
It is a tribute to America and the enlightened approach of the FAA that we can fly such routes and to me clearly marks out the difference in attitude between the US and Europe. To me the European view is that ‘unless it says you can then you can’t’, the American view seeming to me to be the opposite.
Now - if only Americans could get Homeland Security to smile a bit and use common sense, this would be a ‘helluva’ country (as they say over here)!
