Experiencing a Helicopter Tour Through New York City

There’s something about watching cabs racing around and the quick pace of pedestrians that tourists love to see when visiting New York City. However, to fully appreciate the size and views of the city that never sleeps, you need to get above ground level—and Liberty Helicopter Sightseeing Tours gives you just that.

I recently went on a tour with Liberty Helicopters at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport. After filling out some paperwork, being fitted with an aviation life vest and watching a 10-minute safety video that covered seat belts and emergency exits, I was escorted to the helipad for a photo before sitting in the helicopter and taking off.

The first stop on the tour was Governor’s Island, which featured an overhead view of Fort Jay, a former United States Army post, along with a great view of the big brick buildings that dot the island.

The pilot then made a right and headed to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, while he explained to our group of five how the Statue was transported to the U.S. After a brief stop at Ellis Island, we headed up the Hudson River, giving us a beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline and the Freedom Tower.

The helicopter continued to head north, providing amazing views of Chelsea Piers, Madison Square Garden and Central Park. While flying back to lower Manhattan, we enjoyed beautiful views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges before heading back to the heliport.

The only downside of the entire experience was that it was too short! But, according to Jerry Eisenband, Liberty’s chief communications and corporate development officer, the 15-20 minute window is the perfect amount of time to obtain a bird’s eye view of the city.

“It seems short on paper, but when you are in the sky and gazing upon the glory that is New York City’s iconic skyline and famous landmarks, the time works perfectly,” Eisenband said. “It, in essence, doesn’t feel like 15 or 20 minutes at all.”

Being able to see the city from 5,000 feet is amazing and the tours are designed to fly by almost every city landmark, Eisenband said.

“Liberty Helicopters has two over-water routes that were determined by the helicopter tourism industry and New York City’s leadership to showcase the city’s most iconic landmarks while mitigating noise concerns on the ground,” Eisenband said in a statement.

Liberty Helicopters has been providing tours since 1989 and currently does between 20 and 60 flights per day on five different tours of the city starting at $150, with an additional $40 heliport fee per person. The tours run during the day, at sunset and at night. Four tours also depart from the HHI Heliport in Kearny, NJ. Reservations can be made here.