Dear Readers,
This past month our photo editor, the pilot and I flew a Cessna 172 in one of the busiest corridors in the United States and captured some amazing photographs of one of the greatest cities in the world. Of course, I am talking about the Hudson River corridor — a short eight-mile strip of water that separates New Jersey from New York City. You truly haven’t experienced NYC until you fly a small plane up and down this corridor. This is my third time and each time it just gets better.
The FAA has cut out a small area of class E airspace that they have dubbed the “Hudson River Exclusion.” This airspace extends from the surface up to 1299’ (but consult the most current sectional charts for up-to-date information). Due to the complexity of this airspace, the FAA has a document that you can download and print for easy reference that includes procedures that must be followed while flying in this corridor. There is also a class you can take online to familiarize yourself with the procedures specifically for this corridor.
We started our journey from Solberg Airport in Readington, N.J., coincidentally, the same location from which I had my very first introductory flight back in 1992. We took off and called Newark Approach requesting flight following and advised we were heading directly towards the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, a great entry point from the south for the Hudson River Exclusion. Of course we were advised to remain clear of Class Bravo airspace, which we did. Approach handed us off to Newark tower and I advised him we were descending down into the exclusion to which he responded, “Sounds good, squawk VFR, change to CTAF, have a great day.”
As we crossed over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the amount of traffic, boats and activity was just jaw-dropping. I hadn’t seen this corridor this busy before. Luckily for us, it was a great day for taking pictures, with great visibility, blue skies, and puffy white clouds. We couldn’t have asked for a better day!
We went up and down the corridor twice just to make sure our photo editor/photographer captured plenty of shots from different angles. The above image was taken on our second pass, and will soon be hanging in my home because I simply love this shot. It can be hanging in your home too. Simply contact Melody Hood at www.innamorata.com or email her at [email protected] to order your copy of NYC@900’!
Regards,
Craig D. Pieper
Publsiher, Aero Crew News
Craig Pieper is the Publisher and Founder of Aero Crew News. Craig is responsible for the content, layout design, website design and organization of the material and people producing the material for the magazine. He obtained his Bachelors of Science in Aeronautical Science, along with a minor in Aviation Weather, from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2001. Craig is also a Captain for a regional airline with a type rating in the Embraer 145 and has logged over 6,000 hours of flying time since his introductory flight on November 14th, 1992.
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