During our three-week tour through the eastern United States, including a detour to Canada, we had deliberately saved a major city highlight for the end: New York. Up to that point, we had already seen a great deal and experienced unforgettable moments – whether it was the New England states with their British charm, the Edge Walk on the CN Tower in Toronto, or the breathtaking and extremely wet jet boat ride at Niagara Falls. But the true highlight of our trip was still to come: a helicopter flight over New York City at sunset.

Visiting this global metropolis is already a spectacular experience on its own, but if you’re looking for something truly unforgettable and a serious adrenaline rush, then FlyNYON is the perfect choice. While their departures and headquarters are located just outside of Manhattan, in neighboring New Jersey, the trip out there is absolutely worth it. What makes this provider so special is their open-door flights.

But don’t worry — just like when you’re climbing, you’ll be wearing a harness and are safely secured to the helicopter’s interior wall with a carabiner. And if you’re craving the ultimate adrenaline rush, simply let your legs dangle out of the chopper over Manhattan — it’s the perfect way to feel even more connected to the city. It’s an incredible experience: feeling the wind on your skin, your legs swinging freely, and capturing amazing photos and videos without annoying window reflections — because there are no windows at all!

Pro tip: Take the PATH train from the World Trade Center Station under the Hudson River and get off directly in Jersey City. From there, it’s super easy (and way cheaper) to call an Uber to FlyNYON — much more budget-friendly than starting your Uber ride in Manhattan.

Let the preparations begin…

Once you arrive at FlyNYON, you’ll check in, watch a short safety video, and then be asked to pack everything you have into a large storage bin. For the flight, you’re only allowed to bring your phone and/or camera. After that, a van will take you about 1 km to the departure hangar.

And now, it won’t be long before the adventure begins. The seats in the helicopter are assigned automatically by a computer based on each passenger’s weight. So, you don’t get to choose where you sit. And that doesn’t always work out in your favor—I speak from experience. I ended up in the only seat where the side window was only halfway open. *shithappens

The flight was ready to take off…

But once we were in the air, all I could feel was excitement for the experience ahead. The closer we got to the Hudson River, the better the view of Manhattan became. Below us lay the city that never sleeps—and the further the sun set, the more that phrase came to life. The city began to glow. The windows of the skyscrapers turned plain buildings into radiant columns of light. The red taillights of cars stuck in traffic made the street canyons look like a red carpet. As the city transformed into this glowing, vibrant stage, I felt a wave of goosebumps and a deep sense of awe that I was lucky enough to witness this scene in real life.

These 30 minutes, which passed “in the blink of an eye,” are something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. Shortly before the end of our flight, one iconic landmark of the city simply couldn’t be missed – we left Manhattan behind and headed out towards the brilliantly white Statue of Liberty. Bathed in this light, Lady Liberty looked truly majestic, and it was easy to imagine how, back in the day, she served as a symbol of hope and freedom for all the immigrants arriving in America by ship.

After that, we returned to FlyNYON’s home base in New Jersey, where we then experienced an adventurous ride back with a killer Uber driver. But that’s a story for another time.

Website: https://www.flynyon.com/

And if you want to get a little taste of this unforgettable flight over Manhattan – just check out my video: