Flying over New York in a helicopter at sunset sounds amazing, right? That beautiful skyline, the famous buildings, Central Park…all from a bird’s eye view! Now imagine that flight in a helicopter without doors, which means nothing obstructing your views. You could shoot some amazing photos and feel like you’re truly flying. You can also sit with your feet hanging out of the helicopter for an adrenaline pumping experience. If you’re anything like us, this sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t pass up! Read on to learn more about our experience flying over New York City with FlyNYON!
Lena is the adrenaline junkie of us and she wanted to do this so badly. Those of you that know Bassam’s fear of heights probably assume this sounded like a nightmare to him. On the contrary, after our Alaska Glacier Helicopter experience, Bassam was really excited to do this. In the end, it was the fantastic experience we expected, but Lena ended up being more scared than Bassam!
Lena sat in the seat that she was warned would be the best for photos but the windiest and the scariest. She figured it would be fine since she loves heart pumping activities, but she ended up being terrified! They weren’t kidding, it seriously was insanely windy. It was the scariest experience of her life- more than sky diving or rock climbing! She spent the entire flight holding on to her seat for dear life and praying that she wouldn’t fall out. It was SO windy that her hair tie came out of her hair and flew off the helicopter. That just terrified Lena even more.
Bassam had a seat up front next to the pilot and he sat facing forward. Since he didn’t experience much wind or have his feet hanging out, the experience wasn’t scary at all. We both want to do this again- Bassam because he loved it so much and Lena because she wants to have a better experience.
We were really looking forward to taking a “shoe selfie” with our feet sticking out over the iconic NYC sights. Bassam wasn’t able to since we was sitting inside the cockpit. Lena was too scared to stick her feet out. She finally stuck out one foot but couldn’t muster up the nerve to stick out the other one.
Tips for your flight:
- Dress WARMLY, especially if you are going in the fall/winter. It gets cold and VERY windy up there. We highly recommend lots of layers, a scarf, and gloves
- Bring a hair tie and plan to put your hair in a TIGHT bun {no clips, they could fall out with all that wind}
- Ask which seat will be the windiest and AVOID that seat- unless you are looking for a very adrenaline pumping experience and you don’t mind battling the wind to get good shots
- Wear cute shoes for the “shoe selfie” shot {nothing that can slip off though!}
- Don’t forget to stick your feet out in front of iconic spots to take your shoe selfie
- Don’t sit up front {unless you’re terrified}- you won’t be able to get the shoe selfie up there or the perfect angle for shots
- Opt for the sunset flight if available- we think that offers the best views!
- Don’t plan to take anything up with you but your camera and/or gopro. They will provide the attachments for you
- If your flight departs from New Jersey, give yourself LOTS of time to get there. NYC traffic is unpredictable and if you are late, you forfeit your flight. We also suggest taking Uber/Lyft instead of a Yellow Cab- it’s more cost effective.
- If you are going with the classic flight option, we recommend deciding ahead of time which sights you really want to see. Don’t pick too many! If you do, the flight will be a lot faster in speed, which means it’ll be more difficult to get good shots
The experiences:
There are three experience options. We went with The Classic and although it was the most expensive, we found it well worth the price.
- NYC Experience: $199 for 15 minutes, harbor based flights with views of the Statue of Liberty, Battery Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, the World Trade Center, and the Financial District. Departs from New Jersey
- Manhattan Premium: $395 for 20 minutes, group’s choice to fly South {downtown views} or North {midtown views}. Departs from Manhattan
- NYC Classic: $499 for 30 minutes, your group decides where to go- the flight is completely tailored to your preferences. Departs from New Jersey
What do you think?
Is this something you would add to your bucket list?
We received a discount in exchange for sharing our experience. As always, all opinions are our own.
nick says
This is something I have on my list to do this year!! Now to convince my husband LOL – he is afraid of heights. I want a shoe selfie pic!
happilyeveradventures says
Bassam is TERRIFIED of heights, but he LOVED it! Just have your husband sit up front. It’s way less scary there.
Katie @ The Katie Show Blog says
I had never heard of this but would definitely add to my bucket list! I’d be a bit nervous but it looks like fun!!
happilyeveradventures says
It’s so nerve racking but so worth it! Just don’t sit in the windiest seat!!
Christina says
Ok I live in New York and NEED to do this ASAP!
happilyeveradventures says
Yes! Yes, you do! I think you’ll love it!
Nadin says
Yes 🙂
I love N.Y.
We will back to USA at this year, 🙂
happilyeveradventures says
We do too! It’s such an amazing city! Will you be visiting NY this year?