There are few Manhattan experiences more memorable than sailing over it in a helicopter.
Except this.
Because this is that, cranked up to 11.
You’ve probably heard of Blade (elevator pitch: “Uber for helicopters”), an on-demand service that’s been ferrying gridlock-averse New Yorkers to EWR and the Hamptons since 2014.
But you probably haven’t heard of their newest venture: a production flight in partnership with NYONair, a New Jersey-based helicopter charter that specializes in aerial photography.
That production denotation is important.
Unlike those chintzy hop-on/hop-off helictoper tours you book down at the Seaport, Blade and NYON’s choppers have special clearance that allows them to fly directly over buildings (versus around the perimeter of the island). We’re talking reach-out-and-touch-me vantages of the Freedom Tower, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty … you name it, they’ll take you there.
But that’s not the half of it.
The real differentiator here is that the cockpit you’ll be climbing into is open freaking air (a must for photographers and videographers). This means a couple things: A) You’ll have to wear a harness, since your legs will be dangling out of a helicopter while you fly over the Big Apple, and B) You’ll definitely be walking away from this thing with the best Instagram you’ve ever taken (I did).
Once you come down — literally and figuratively — you’ll return to Blade’s handsomely appointed lounge at West 30th Street for a complimentary cocktail and the obligatory exchanging of “Holy sh*t I can’t believe we just did thats”with your fellow flyers.
Interested? You can book your seats right here.
Birthdays, anniversaries, proposals, elaborate apologies — it’s really a panacea, gift-wise.
Just remember to dress warm.
And don’t drop your phone.
Meet your guide
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