New Hudson River Traffic Rules in Effect Today
Pilots planning to navigate the Hudson River Class B exclusion zone need to be aware of new rules that are in effect today Thursday.
Following the fatal collision this summer between a VFR Piper Lance (home based from our own Wings field here in Philadelphia) and a sightseeing helicopter, the FAA now has reconfigured the airspace, and many practices that were merely recommendations are now mandatory.
The Hudson and East Rivers are now classed as a Special Flight Rules Area, in which pilots must fly at 140 knots or less; activate anti-collision and position lighting, if equipped; self announce their aircraft type and position at charted reporting points on specific radio frequencies; and carry current charts for the airspace (and be familiar with them).
Points of particular interest include: the ceiling of the corridor is now raised to 1,300 feet (from 1,100 feet). Pilots using the corridor for transition flights are to fly between 1,000 feet and 1,300 feet. Those conducting "local flights" are to operate below 1,000 feet.
Also, the recommended practice of "keeping right," with northbound flights hugging the New York side of the river and southbound flights sticking to the New Jersey side, is now mandatory.
The FAA plans a series of pilot seminars and an online interactive course to familiarize pilots with the new procedures.
For more information, go to faa.gov.
Pretty interesting... That is what I've been doing (except the 1,300 ceiling) for YEARS now. Flying the Hudson is such an AWESOME flight. I'ts very sad that there was a ccollision, but it's great news that they imposed common sense, rather than extraneous additional rules!
Perhaps when I go up to West Point in April, I'll rent an airplane and try that corridor.