From: PJERN@CHGVMIC1.VNET.IBM.COM
Newsgroups: rec.aviation
Subject: Travelog: Buzzing New York
Date: 27 Jul 92 16:05:00 GMT

Well, I finally made the (in)famous "Hudson River Tour of New York".

Spectacular.  Amazing.  Breathtaking.

Saturday, there was an offshore breeze and good visibility, so I decided
to use up my credit at the flying club (I'm leaving New Jersey
permanently Thursday afternoon) and "do the tour".  Because of the
amount of traffic, I elected to invite one of the CFI's from the club
to go along and help keep a lookout.  If you plan this trip, I'd
advise that you get a local pilot to come along the first time.
There are some pitfalls and "unofficial" traffic rules.

Approaching from the south, I had to duck down to 1400' about 5 miles
short of the Verrazano Bridge, to remain under the Newark portion
of the New York TCA.  If you lose the engine out here, folks, you're
going swimming.  (The upside is that there is so much boat traffic,
you won't be in the water long.)

I tuned in 123.05 (Hudson traffic CTAF) and was amazed to hear
it as busy as I've ever heard 122.8.  You need to be concise and
professional here, to make your intentions known.  Use all your
lights, as well.  A few minutes listening on the freq before
you arrive in the area will help to sort it out.

I was amused for a short while by watching someone in a
cigarette boat trying to keep up with our shadow on the water.
Heh, heh, I have a tailwind, sucker.

A mile from the bridge, we descend to 800 feet for the northbound
leg; no lower, since the towers on the Verrazanno are 700' tall.
Crossing over the bridge, it feels like I'm buzzing it, seeing the
towers fly by just 150' below us (and 600 feet away horizontally).

Northbound traffic seems to stay at about 800', southbound seems
to stay at 5-600 feet.  There is a *lot* of traffic.  A couple of
helicopter pilots are having a conversation on the frequency; I get
sort of irritated because I can see 6 or 7 other airplanes, and would
like to hear position reports from the ones I *can't* see.

Northbound traffic tends to report over the Verrazanno bridge,
Governor's Island, the Holland (?) tunnel, abeam the World trade center
or Empire state building, and the George Washington bridge.

Southbound traffic tends to report most of the same places, plus the
obligatory "circling the Lady at 500'".

The views are, well, incredible.  I can imagine working in the World
Trade Center on about the 80th floor.  I'd have binoculars handy to
inspect the air traffic passing by a couple of blocks away.

Passing over the _Intrepid_, I noticed the SR-71 on the deck.
That's the first time I ever got to look *down* on one of those.

We turned around just past the Geo. Washington bridge, and did the
southbound leg at 500'.  I couldn't figure out how the other people
knew when to report "over the tunnel".  (I figured it out, finally,
but it took a while.  There are these HUGE air shafts on each side
of the river.  They look a lot like rather large buildings).

I did the obligatory ground-reference maneuvers around the
Statue of Liberty.  Noticed all the touristas on the boats waving at
the airplane above them :).

It's worth it: if you get to the East Coast, make time to do it.

Caveats:

1. Pick a day with good visibility.  There's so much air traffic
   in the area that you need visibility for safety.

2. Take along another pilot the first time.  Another pair of eyes
   is essential in airspace like this.  Remember, you're going to
   be distracted by the scenery.

3. Use the advisory frequency, and listen to it carefully.  I wasn't
   familiar with all the landmarks, but my safety pilot was.  I'd
   have had no idea where some of the traffic was...

4. Use lights, strobes, whatever you have to make yourself visible.

5. Go with the flow of the other traffic.  Don't go upriver at 500
   feet if everyone coming downriver is using that altitude.  Stay
   to the right side of the river.

6. Have fun, and be safe!

I had a heck of a good time, and recommend the trip.  The safety
suggestions are my own, and those I gleaned from Morten (my safety
pilot).  There are probably other suggestions that would apply.
Your mileage may vary.


Phil Jern (Still wide-eyed) (or was that wild-eyed?)

Newsgroups: rec.aviation