New York City VFR

[Scouter]

Thinking about heading to FL in a week or so to visit my folks in Sarasotsa for a bit. Anybody fly the NYC Corridor lately? Looks like on the TAC chart you have to be on with ATC? Last time we did it (pre 911) we just poked on thru at 1000 ft and didnt talk with ATC. Gotta study the chart some more

Jim

[Tim]

Jim, I always went west of NY and DC airspace, as Chuck Berry said To much monkey business for me to involved in.

Tim

[dplunkt]

Hi Jim,
I haven't flown it but I work in White Plains and considered flying from my home base southeast of Philladelphia to Westchester County airport. Two things, first, like Washington DC, I believe you need to get on the FAA site and take a knowledge course to get an on-line certificate before you fly in the NY area. Having said that, I would make a loop around and to the west of Newark and then if you want to move back toward the coast remembering that you have restricted airspace for military bases in central Jersey, Maryland, DC and Norfork/Virginia Beach. You can fly down Jersey, Delaware (you can fly over Dover AFB) and Maryland east of the Chesapeake, but you have to avoid some special use airspace. I've flown from Atlantic City down to Ocean City MD and its a nice flight. Hope this helps.

[Richgj3]

It's not like DC. Just get a class B chart and do what it says. Self announce on certain CTAF at certain points. Only thing that is different now than before 9/11 is separate altitudes for helicopters and fixed wing due to a mid air a couple of years ago, which BTW had to do more with ATC than it did with the pilots. Also you can't fly as far up the East River, but you're not going to do that anyway. That had to do with Cory Lidle flying his Cirrus into a building on a severe clear VFR day. I guess it just popped up.

No problem going down the coast. Just check the charts. Restricted areas are few, but there are a lot of MOA's but an MOA is not restricted. I have flown that route tens of times in everything from a Comanche to a Stearman, a WACO UBA and two different SC.

Fuel stops I have used, not all on the same flight, were Cape May, NJ, Edonton,NC, Accomack Cty,VA, Newbern,NC, North Myrtle Beach, Georgetown, SC, Hilton Head, Charleston Exec, ST. Simons Island, Ocala,FL.

No need to avoid the Hudson corridor if it saves you time.

Rich G

[cruiser]

https://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/ALC/course_catalog.aspx Scroll down for the NY course. My VFR TAC expired in May 2011 so things may have changed but, my chart shows a VFR corridor down the Hudson and if below 1300 feet just a few mandatory CTAF reporting points. Taking the course may clear it up. Jim

[dplunkt]

Thanks Cruiser, thats what I meant. After I took the DC course it was recommended that I take that one too which outlines some new special flight restrictions as well as info. about the redesign.

Dan

[cruiser]

Jim, If you decide to fly it I can recommend 44N, Sky Acres, as a good food and fuel stop. They also have a pilot shop at the restaurant for a fresh chart. Jim

[Rob Murray]

I was about to say, the procedures are pretty well described on the back of a NY chart, but someone beat me to it. Stay on the 'right' side of the river, use the recommended frequencies, stay at altitude and watch out for helicopters. Oh yeah, and enjoy the view.

[Ron B.]

We flew the Hudson corridor last year going to Sun N Fun. I had to take the on-line course before hand. I don't recall a different alt than the helicopters as we were one mile directly behind one and he checked with us to make sure we had him visual ( I think he could tell it was our first time). We chose to be under 1300 ft and uncontrolled. It was fairly turbulant that day and we had just departed White Plains. I would not use White Plains again as it was too close to the corridor and made entering too complicated in getting vectored there by White Plains. I also would not chose to be under 1300 ft, just above 1300 ft would have allowed us to remain on flight following and made the transitioning much simpler. For newbies we didn't see much scenery as we were all busy looking out for land marks to announce our location and for other aircraft. Luckly there were few aircraft that day.
We also had the worst experience of our trip at the departure end of the Hudson. Turns out we did not have the proper frequency for a clearance thru the airspace just south of the corridor. We stayed below 3000 ft for quite some time trying to get the proper center for flight following. While at Sun N Fun we talked to some FAA guy's and they said we should have gone on 121.5 and asked for help, sounds easy now but that option did not come to our minds while flying.
Ron

[U-7]

Hi Jim,

Here is a video, I made sometime back. I think it will give you a idea of a flight along the Hudson River corridor . This flight is from South toNorth starting at the Verrazano Bridgeand exiting at the Alpine Tower... I hope you will do the flight because it agreat ride to experience. http://youtu.be/AgKHAO3u5OE

Alex D

[180Marty]

Alex, that was a great video.

[SJ]

Thinking about heading to FL in a week or so to visit my folks in Sarasotsa for a bit. Anybody fly the NYC Corridor lately? Looks like on the TAC chart you have to be on with ATC? Last time we did it (pre 911) we just poked on thru at 1000 ft and didnt talk with ATC. Gotta study the chart some more

Jim

Jim nothing to it. The FAA has a set of procedures and charts for it and there are really good online resources to help you get the gist. Laura and I did it a couple years aback and although it was a very windy and turbulent day at the end of seven hours of flying, it was worth it!

When i am at a computer I will post a link.


sj

[WhiskeyMike]

There are a few minor, but important, inaccuracies here. Please go on line and take the required FAA course. Carry a copy of the certificate in your pocket in case of the rare chance of getting ramped. It has a quiz and will walk you through until you get it exactly right. Also have a current Terminal chart. We fly this frequently, and be VERY careful about helicopters climbing up up under you. There is a heliport at 23rd street on the Manhattan side of the river which is extremely active with multiple choppers operating. I note that the last time I flew this, a twin called the same position and altitude as me and a few minutes later he passed me, which means he saw his reporting point out the windshield but wasn't at it or over it yet-not by a long shot. Watch out for Sunday flyers. Other than my griping, it's actually easy and a fantastic view. You get a fabulous view of the Carrier Enterprise too. While I'm at it, a lot of people (including me till a briefer told me bluntly) don;t know that if you fly outside the Washington SFRA, but within 60 miles of DC. you must have taken the SFRA online course as well. Clear of the red line on the chart isn't quite the whole story. There's another ten miles outside that. All of these online courses are good for the brain. Besides, they're FREE!

[Scouter]

Thanks everybody for the ideas. I have flown the corridor twice, but not since 911. Last night I took the FAA online course for NY SFRA. Takes about 15 mins, with a test at the end. It was very helpful. The rule changes are really very minor:

There are 3 "zones": surface to 999 ft are for local ops, ie helos local, 1000 ft to 1299 ft transient vfr traffic, ie doing the whole route both ways,the hudson exclusion and 1300 ft and above the Skyline route. The only one requiring ATC contact is the Skyline Route above 1300 ft, as that is Bravo airspace.
Max airspeed is 140 knot in Hudson Exclusion
Current TAC chart must be on board
No fixed wing ops in East River without ATC control
Must report position at 5 geographical reporting points

Not a lot of difference from the past. Looks like most of the minor airspace changes were driven by the helo midair a few yrs ago to more clearly define the airspace.

19 below zero here this am, my plan is to leave wed morning to the warm sun


Thanks again
JIm

[SJ]

Here is the link to the FAA site, the on-line course is a link at the bottom: http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=10943

[SJ]

P.S. Laura says you should stop by here and pick her up :)

sj

[SteveE]

I cant go there,,, would be hard for me to stay in that 300 foot window of a Transient passerby.... Too much stuff to see down low....:) Then I would get in trouble and blame it on Tim.

[Richgj3]

Whiskey mike

Thanks for that info. I did not remember the course was required, but if it was I probably did it when the rules first changed. I don't recall having anything to print out to carry with me, although I do have that for the DC course.

I took a quick look at the course and didn't see the requirement, but that doesn't mean it isn't there. Curiosity has the best of me. Where does it say it is required, so I don't make that mistake again.

Thanks

Rich G

[FdxLou]

I cant go there,,, would be hard for me to stay in that 300 foot window of a Transient passerby.... Too much stuff to see down low....:) Then I would get in trouble and blame it on Tim.

Steve

That's what altitude hold on your A/P is for....:lol:

Lou

[Scouter]

Not sure what the folks in FL would say if i showed up with a smokin hot girl from CT.

Jim

[JP]

Scouter, Cliff flew it a few years back. Ask him about it sometime.....

[Scouter]

There are a couple high bridges...

[Tim]

I cant go there,,, would be hard for me to stay in that 300 foot window of a Transient passerby.... Too much stuff to see down low....:) Then I would get in trouble and blame it on Tim.

Last time I went down there I got in trouble. The controller wanted my name and phone number. I told him my name was Cliff

[Christina Young]

I just flew the Hudson Corridor yesterday in my cub with Gary Green. This time there was almost no traffic, except for a few helicopters.... on a sunny summer day it is usually packed and you really need to keep your eyes and ears peeled. Also, before you go be sure to check for any TFRs, and also check the NY Yankees schedule (www.yankees.com (http://www.yankees.com)). Make sure they aren't playing any home games the time you plan to go, because if they are the corridor is shut down due to the blanket national security TFR (it passes within 3 miles of Yankee Stadium, which you will see when you're flying past upper Manhattan and the Bronx). Flight Service will NOT tell you about this! Also, the CTAF for the Hudson Corridor is 123.05. Make sure you monitor it before you enter - it is always good to hear other radio chatter to verify that you didn't miss a TFR.

The easy way to do it is just enter the Hudson north of the Alpine Tower, which is kind of the start of the Hudson Corridor, and the first official reporting point (it is a large red and white TV transmission tower on the NJ side, and also where the 2nd outermost ring of NYC class B starts). Get to 1000 feet, stay on the right (Jersey side down the Hudson, NY side coming back), announce "northbound" or "southbound", and just stay at 1000 the whole way. The designated reporting points are Alpine tower, George Washington Bridge, the Intrepid, the Holland Tunnel ventilation towers, Goldman Sacks (that huge, ugly building in Jersey City), the Statue of Liberty, and the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. If you are just flying through, just keep going over the Verrazano and head south, otherwise turn around out in the bay.

That's the easy way, anyway...

[skywagon8a]

I haven't been there since 911. Though before that, I used to just call ATC for clearance into the bravo airspace and they always cleared me direct to JFK at 2000 feet. Straight through and out the other side, no problems.

[cafi19]

HA. Funny Scouter!

Fly as low as allowed and have the camera ready for passing the lady! My only advice! It is a must for anyone. It really is a fun flight....even with turbulence.

cafi

[OldCuby]

Jim, if you are headed south but west of the Washington SFRA, and need to overnight in that area for any reason, just give me a buzz.
Jim N.

[Flying Miss Daisy]

Years ago I was shown a way into Linden NJ where we called it the Central Park Approach. Contact LaGuardia tower at 1000 feet at 15 miles north just near Bridgeport and they cleared me over the top to Wards Island then up the East River to Central Park where I crossed to the Hudson down the Jersey side to Lady Liberty and then into Linden just below Newark. Reversed the process on my way north and was one of the greatest flights I ever made. Do NOT contact Westchester/White Plains Tower way too unfriendly of a bunch and love to vector you into NJ.
Probably no good anymore.
John

[U-7]

5168 View of the Lady

[Pokette]

Will Foreflight show you the corridor and give the requirements?

[Scouter]

Thanks all for the ideas, and thanks much OldCuby for the invite, I am going to try to take you up on that on the way home. I have to delay the trip for a few days, we have had a terrible accident in the family. My wifes parents were hit head on by a careless driver Sun morning on their way to church, put them both in the hospital. We almost lost Brendas mom, ride in the LifeFlight helo for emergency surgury to remove her spleen that wouldnt stop bleeding. Her dad is banged up but allright. The other driver is still unconsious and may not make it, his daughter has 2 broken legs. He hit my inlaws at 50 mph on the wrong side of the road. Looks like everything is working out. Like most of us in Maine, a pickup truck is a way of life and Brendas dad is really mad that his baby will never drive again. PLenty more of those made every day. If you dont believe in the power of seatbelts and airbags, let me send you some pix

Thanks again for the ideas

Diana: Foreflight has the NYC TAC chart available as a download

Jim