My Favorite Flight | Flying the Hudson Corridor

People often ask me, "Where is the coolest place you've flown a plane?" Without a doubt, my answer is New York City. I have flown a Cirrus SR-22 into New York City twice; landing once at White Plains (HPN) and once at Tetorboro (TEB). When we flew into White Plains in 2017, we took a slight detour before landing to fly the Hudson River Corridor. This was, hands down, the coolest thing I've ever done in an airplane, and words and pictures simply do not do it justice.

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Flying northbound on the Hudson River SFRA

These kinds of flights are meticulously planned days before departure, and we try to go over every detail and potential unplanned scenario. Planning for this journey from Iowa to New York consisted of going over weather, route planning, and obstacles/traffic in and near New York City. We started pre-flight planning days in advance.

Weather planning started four to five days before the departure date, focusing mostly on big-picture items like prognostic charts and other forecasts for the route. As we got closer to the departure date, the weather planning became more detailed. We examined TAFs, winds and temperatures aloft to choose the best altitudes, area forecasts, and detailed model forecasts from Pivotal Weather. Weather briefing is a critical component to the pre-flight planning process.

Route planning is another big one. When I plan flights into unfamiliar areas, I ensure proper route planning to avoid prohibited airspace and minimize the chances of in-flight reroutes from air traffic control.

We briefed obstacle and traffic planning as we approached the busy East Coast airspace. We discussed and confirmed who is in control of the airplane, who is responsible for watching for traffic, and who handles radio communications when needed. Even when it's not busy, it's crucial in a crew setting for each pilot to know their responsibilities.

With that said, it's hard to express how amazing it is when you finally get there... A pilot who regularly flies into New York City or other large cities might not understand the perspective. Coming from Iowa, where 99% of my flying is over farmland and occasional wind farms, there's not much to see compared to a big city!

Flying down the Hudson River is the single greatest experience I've had as a pilot. The views of flying so close to the buildings of Manhattan are indescribable. The VFR exclusion is highly regulated, but it allows you to fly at an altitude where the tops of some buildings in Lower Manhattan are higher than the plane! It's surreal to see. Unfortunately, it all happens so fast. The VFR corridor is very busy, with other pilots enjoying the same sights, helicopters giving tours, and airliners approaching and departing overhead—traffic is everywhere! As much as I wanted to gaze out the window to take in the sights, I had to stay vigilant and avoid other traffic.

Once out of the Hudson River SFRA, the pilot must call New York Approach and request vectors to the destination. Our final destination was White Plains Airport, about a 45-minute drive north of the city but much quicker by plane! We called New York Approach, and they sequenced us into the traffic pattern at White Plains, where we landed and taxied to our FBO. After shutting down and leaving the airplane on the ramp, we debriefed and talked about how amazing the trip was from Iowa.

I wish I had taken more photos of the views. Nothing can truly describe the adventure, but hopefully, these photos help. I hope to fly the Hudson River Corridor again someday. If you're a pilot and this is on your bucket list, plan the flight and check it off. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Blue skies.

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