If dangling your feet from a helicopter while flying over Manhattan is not your idea of a perfect Saturday … then I don’t know what it is.

FlyNYON is a fabulous flight service that allows you to fly over places like NYC, Miami, Los and Angeles and San Fransisco in a helicopter with no doors. It might sound quite crazy, but in reality its actually quite genius. This unique and adrenaline rushing experience is a golden ticket for professional photographers, marketing guru’s, and social media creatives to get a shot of a lifetime. 

I flew on the 15 minute flight from Kearny, NJ with a focus on downtown Manhattan and it’s neighboring areas. There are a multitude of flights available that cover different time lengths, neighborhoods, and even those that leave from Manhattan’s West Side. 

The staff members are young, fun, and such a pleasure to be with from the beginning to the end of the flight experience. More importantly, they know exactly what they’re doing. Prior to the flight you spend a lot of time on the ground going over safety procedures and a lot of discussion regarding the impossibility of you falling off the helicopter (trust me, that pep talk helps). Your phone and any camera equipment is tightly secured to you and you are tightly secured to the helicopter, leaving you with just enough room to turn around and dangle your feet. 

Every flight can accommodate up to five people and a seating arrangement is made prior to the flight. The seat next to the front of the helicopter and near the pilot is the least windy because of the glass that covers the side. The middle seat is called the adventure seat because you are required to sit at the very ledge of the helicopter. The seat near the tail is called the “crazy” seat (I called this one myself) – it is the seat that gets the most wind and the most action on the flight – but you can get some nice shots of the tail. In November, when I felt like I could get blown away on the ground, the wind in the air was even stronger – which made me certain that I was going to fly out of the helicopter !

It was so windy that I had to use my whole core strength to keep my legs straight. The experience was so incredible that I nearly lost sense of reality – and my feet were quite happy with all the attention they’ve been receiving 🙂 

Of course, a flight like this isn’t all about taking pictures of your shoes. These guys have permission to go very low over some of the most beautiful cities in the world, and without any glass in front of you – you are able to get a very intimate and very personal experience. I couldn’t have asked for a more incredible way to see the city that I love.