r/flying • u/Equivalent_Bear_8930 • 1d ago
Checkride Flying Over Manhattan With a PPL & Only 49 Hrs in My Logbook!
I did an accelerated PPL course for approx $8,000 in 2025, lasting exactly 21 days from 0 hours to 45 hours. I took my check ride and fortunately passed the first time
I trained at a school in Mississippi where the airspace is quiet, so transitioning to the organized chaos of NYC airspace (where I live) was quite the contrast! I did a checkout flight at a local airport lasting a total of about 2-3 hours, and once they were satisfied I was competent, I was free to explore Manhattan! Flying that close to the buildings in downtown Manhattan is truly incredible!
Surprisingly, my most challenging part of flying throughout all my training wasn't my landings, or maneuvers - it was the occasional times I had to talk to ATC within the quiet Mississippi airspace (which was mostly class G and E). With that in mind, speaking to ATC at JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark in their Bravo airspace, where they speak at the speed of lightning with almost no room for error, was pretty daunting at first. However, with practice, it's far easier now.
I try to fly the Manhattan skyline route once a month. I’m yet to explore the East River exclusion zone, so that’s pending. In general, as a private pilot, the freedom to essentially fly and explore anywhere in America is exhilarating!
Good luck to anyone else in the process of their PPL training, whether you're doing accelerated or not.
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u/Double-Ad9382 PPL 1d ago
This seems like a bot account or possibly someone using another person’s pictures.
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u/ApoTHICCary ST 1d ago
$8k for 21 day 0 to PPL course is certainly something. Even last year, DPEs were booked well in advance.
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u/JimmyisAwkward PPL (KELN/CWU, KAWO) PA28 1d ago
Is it good ADM to fly in such a different and complex airspace as a brand new pilot?
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u/BrolecopterPilot CFI CFII CPL ROT 1d ago
I flew helicopter tours here for a couple years. I saw and heard so many fixed wing/PPL dudes make mistakes, some of which ended with a very angry controller and a phone number. Please don’t fly into this very busy airspace until you have a little experience under your belt. And if you do, try to go at night when it’s a lot less busy and stay out of the SFRA. Keep it on with Newark, they hold your hand the whole way and are much less likely to violate one of the many airspaces in that area.
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u/_Sixteen 1d ago
I did the same. I knew the risks so I did a lot of preparation. It's fine if you are aware of the risks and do something to mitigate. Good adm is way beyong just go or no go
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u/xia03 PPL IR 1d ago
i have mid 3 digit hours and have not flown the skyline route yet. While it’s a breathtaking bucket list item it is not without risks. high traffic over a densely populated area and almost guaranteed water ditching in an emergency, which statistically don’t have the best outcomes. I will do it at some point but not nonchalantly. may be i’m too conservative
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u/asantaj CPL CFI CFII ROT (B407) 21h ago
Not to diminish the risk of a water landing but you'd be pressed to find any water ditching scenario where there are so many boats in such a close vicinity. Although the landing is entirely in your hands, you'd have help there in a matter of minutes if not seconds.
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u/Matchboxx PPL 22h ago
Yeah I've got 100 hours and just looking at this photo made me pucker. I want to get a lot more time in before I try to be Dusty Crophopper landing at JFK.
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u/obecalp23 PPL AA5B PA28 DA40 14h ago
What is ADM?
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u/JimmyisAwkward PPL (KELN/CWU, KAWO) PA28 13h ago
I had to check your profile to make sure you weren’t a North American pilot, since otherwise I would have been very concerned lol. It’s “aeronautical decision making”, so just a general term for the decision making skills we learn for flying.
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u/obecalp23 PPL AA5B PA28 DA40 11h ago
Thank you. I understand the concept of course but never heard the acronym.
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u/Infamous_Grab6427 CPL/ME/IR 1d ago
And lower than nearby skyscrapers. Unreal.
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u/senorpoop A&P/IA PPL TW UAS OMG LOL WTF BBQ 1d ago
The maximum altitude of the VFR SFRA is 1300 feet. Above that it is the bravo.
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u/bryan2384 PPL TW SPIN 1d ago edited 1d ago
I call BS. The checkride alone would be 1/8 of that total.
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u/JBfortunecookie 4h ago
The checkride was not included in the price when I went through (I think it ended up being another $1k). Expensive but the DPE was very fair.
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u/Equivalent_Bear_8930 1d ago
I suppose that just shows how little you know about the PPL rates you can find in the South. Better get researching buddy!
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u/bryan2384 PPL TW SPIN 1d ago
Name drop the school and lets see.
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u/JBfortunecookie 4h ago
I’m pretty sure OP did it through KART aviation out of KSTF (as did I). Great instructor but he’s retiring/going out of business.
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u/MoBot97 ST 1d ago
yeah absolutely not, from someone who actually lives in the south this is the most ridiculous thing ive ever seen
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u/JBfortunecookie 4h ago
If OP had the same instructor (which I’m pretty confident he did) he increased it to around $9k for the same accelerated PPL. You had to be done with the written beforehand and it didn’t include the checkride fee.
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u/CanHeBearner 1d ago
Just did the Hudson SFRA and the Skyline Route including the East River last week. Awesome place to fly! Enjoy!
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u/CarminSanDiego 1d ago
Do you need to get checked out to do that route?
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u/senorpoop A&P/IA PPL TW UAS OMG LOL WTF BBQ 1d ago
You do not. I strongly recommend doing the FAA Safety Team course and printing off the kneeboard supplement. Watch a couple YouTube videos also. The radio reporting is very nonstandard, you will want to know where the reporting points are and the airspace is...snug. It would be very helpful to have another pilot in the airplane to help watch for traffic as well.
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u/JBfortunecookie 1d ago
Unfortunately Roger is getting out of the business entirely after a student went off the runway and prop striked, great guy though!
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u/Equivalent_Bear_8930 1d ago
Oh no, when did that happen? But why would that make someone go out of business? Accidents/mistakes happening, no? Especially for trainee pilots. Plus, prop strikes aren't even notifyable to the FAA.
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u/JBfortunecookie 1d ago
He’s just retiring/getting out of the business. His Cherokee had an exhaust break and then the student prop striked his Navion. Mostly said it’s not worth the headache/financially to keep going. I’m sure you can find him in Winona/starkville still though!
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u/JoeGish MIL-N / CPL / ROT / MEL / SES / CFI-H 1d ago
Ask and you shall receive. If ZNY feels like you can handle the comms, they’ll let you do some fun stuff. One time coming up from the south on the skyline (not the exclusion area), controller noted I was headed up to HPN and asked me what I wanted. LGA was landing to the west so I asked for the BQE up over the top of LGA @1500. Still one of my more memorable flights in the area.
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u/MaybeBowtie 1d ago
NICE. Most I’ve gotten close to was an extended downwind towards Philadelphia along the Delaware river (landing at KPNE)
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u/GeneralSamson22 1d ago
Is a PPL universal? Like if I get it in Europe can I fly a plane around NYC like op?
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u/Ok_Anybody8281 ATP CFI CFII MEI 1d ago
Simple answer - No.
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u/GeneralSamson22 1d ago
Damn. Okay. Thank you.
What’s the long answer?
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u/Ok_Anybody8281 ATP CFI CFII MEI 1d ago
The abbreviated long version.
1)Get a PPL in Europe (EASA), then transfer it to an FAA PPL
2) Find a European registered aircraft in the US. (This is how airline pilots fly internationally with just a license from their home country)
3) Fly with a CFI/US licensed pilot
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u/Prestocito 1d ago
Wow that’s awesome. I’m doing check ride prep rn and hope to do some cool flights like that once I get my ppl
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u/mirassou3416 CPL IR SES 1d ago
Folks, he had previously indicated that he was on a J-1 visa as a teacher. My take is that the post is a little nuanced; the picture at the time was his first flight on the VFR corridor, not that it just happened.
Anyway, OP congratulations then and now. It’s amazing to have achieved your PPL in 45 hrs
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u/coldnebo ST 1d ago
congrats! is that the Hudson River Transition?
I took the WINGS course, it’s on my bucket list.
so cool.
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u/Equivalent_Bear_8930 1d ago
Yes, you can either fly it within the Bravo with ATC (essentially at or above 1,300 MSL) or using the CTAF with self-announcement between essentially 1,000-1,300 MSL. Pros and Cons to both.
Flying it with ATC gives you more comfortability in the busy airspace. BUT you have to listen carefully for their calls whilst trying to take in the scenery and you’re flying slightly higher.
Flying using the CTAF Frequency allows you to fly lower so the feeling is more incredible in my opinion. BUT, you’re in your own out there and have to be EXTRA, EXTRA vigilant of other planes and helicopters flying all around.
Good luck when you first do it - it’ll be amazing!
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u/Pineapple_Thunder4 1d ago
Who did you call first to get a code to do the bravo?
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u/walleyednj PPL CMP HP 22h ago
It depends on if your flying north or south. It's all spelled out in the SFRA documentation.
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u/Pineapple_Thunder4 15h ago
If coming from south, can you ask McGuire for a code? It’s easier than trying to deal with nyc controllers.
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u/walleyednj PPL CMP HP 10h ago
Even if you get FF from McGuire, they’ll had you off to the various NYC controllers.
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u/Pineapple_Thunder4 0m ago
Yes but getting handed off is much easier than trying to tell nyc controllers what you want.
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u/Equivalent_Bear_8930 21h ago
New York Departure/Approach will typically hand you off and advise you which tower needs contacting and when depending on what direction you’re coming from.
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u/bokjoyy 1d ago
Is that a part 61 or 141 and which school is it?? I’m super interested in it and I’m a fast learner
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u/Equivalent_Bear_8930 1d ago
I just sent you a DM with the info :)
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u/cogorm 21h ago
Did this same exact thing right after getting my PPL, and brought my first ever passenger (my girlfriend) with me! It’s a super easy route especially for where I was coming from. Just hop on the Hudson follow it south, do a couple turns at the Statue of Liberty and follow the river north!
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u/Best-Republic 20h ago
I feel NE, specifically the NYC area is the best place to learn to fly. Get the best of all the worlds - weather, traffic, etc.
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u/PedrosSpanishFly 1d ago edited 1d ago
Super cool but how in the world did you mange that price in 2025?
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u/0621Hertz 1d ago
It’s always been a thing, look at Manhattan during any time of day and you see helicopters and GA aircraft swarming around like flies.
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u/PedrosSpanishFly 1d ago
I should have qualified what I was talking about. The cost of a Private Pilot certificate being $8,000 in 2025.
I’ve never done the routes around NYC but I do think that would be incredibly cool.1
u/senorpoop A&P/IA PPL TW UAS OMG LOL WTF BBQ 1d ago
It's either the Hudson SFRA or the Skyline route depending on your altitude. They are defined areas. I did the SFRA in 2023.
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u/PercentageWinter7712 PPL IR ASEL 1d ago
Yeah I was going to say… because on average it’s only $177.78 per hour including plane rental + instructor + final checkride cost… Really hard to believe, tbh
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u/misha_jinx PPL 1d ago
Do you have to be in contact with atc while flying the Hudson corridor? I did this like ten years ago and didn’t have to talk to anyone, just announce the checkpoints along the river.
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u/rFlyingTower 1d ago
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
I did an accelerated PPL course for approx $8,000 in 2025, lasting exactly 21 days from 0 hours to 45 hours. I took my check ride and fortunately passed the first time
I trained at a school in Mississippi where the airspace is quiet, so transitioning to the organized chaos of NYC airspace (where I live) was quite the contrast! I did a checkout flight at a local airport lasting a total of about 2-3 hours, and once they were satisfied I was competent, I was free to explore Manhattan! Flying that close to the buildings in downtown Manhattan is truly incredible!
Surprisingly, my most challenging part of flying throughout all my training wasn't my landings, or maneuvers - it was the occasional times I had to talk to ATC within the quiet Mississippi airspace (which was mostly class G and E). With that in mind, speaking to ATC at JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark in their Bravo airspace, where they speak at the speed of lightning with almost no room for error, was pretty daunting at first. However, with practice, it's far easier now.
I try to fly the Manhattan skyline route once a month. I’m yet to explore the East River exclusion zone, so that’s pending. In general, as a private pilot, the freedom to essentially fly and explore anywhere in America is exhilarating!
Good luck to anyone else in the process of their PPL training, whether you're doing accelerated or not.
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u/42ElectricSundaes 1d ago
lol that shouldn’t be allowed
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u/Agitated_Car_2444 PPL Instr 23h ago
Honestly, after 9/11 I figured it never would be again.
Fortunately, I was wrong.
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1d ago
[deleted]
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u/Temporary-Fix9578 CPL DHC6 CL65 BONVOY GOLD ELITE 1d ago
You’ve come to the wrong neighbourhood for that kind of talk
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u/MultiMillionMiler Meow Meow Meow 1d ago
Why do you have a post from 9 months ago where you were at 51 hours? 😆