Doors-Off Photo Flight over NYC

With FlyNYON's current setup, yes. After a 2018 fatal incident in New York Harbor, the FAA banned the harness-and-tether system used at the time and rewrote doors-off rules industry-wide. FlyNYON now uses single-point cutaway harnesses (one quick-release point near the chest, instead of a multi-point system that prevented evacuation), runs a full pre-flight safety briefing including water egress, and enforces a strict no-loose-items policy. No mobile phones without lanyards, no GoPros without tethers, no loose clothing. The aircraft is the same Airbus AS350 used for doors-on tours by other operators — only the side doors are removed.

Layers and tight clothing. The wind in the open cabin is significant at every speed — even on a 25 °C summer day you will want a wind-blocking jacket. Tight clothing only: no flowing scarves, no loose hoodies, no oversized sleeves. Closed-toe shoes are mandatory (sneakers are fine; sandals or flip-flops are refused at check-in). A beanie or headband keeps your ears warm and prevents hair from blocking the lens. Sunglasses with a strap (no loose hats — they fly off). In winter add thin gloves so your shutter finger stays warm without losing dexterity. Anything you bring into the cabin must be tethered: phones on lanyards, GoPros on wrist straps, camera bodies on neck straps doubled around the wrist.

By car or Uber. The FlyNYON terminal is at 78 John Miller Way in Kearny, NJ — about 30 to 45 minutes from Midtown Manhattan depending on traffic, usually 25 to 35 USD by Uber. Free parking on-site if you drive. Public transport is impractical (no direct train, multi-step bus connection, ~75 minutes). From the terminal, FlyNYON runs a free shuttle to the actual takeoff zone — this is included in your booking and takes about 5 minutes. Arrive at the terminal 45 minutes before your scheduled departure for check-in, weight measurement, harness fitting and the safety briefing.

It secures you to the airframe with one anchor point that you can release in under one second with a single pull. Imagine a climbing harness around your hips and chest, connected by a short steel tether to a hard point on the cabin floor. You can lean fully out of the doorway, dangle your feet over the skid and point your camera straight down — the harness takes the load. The single quick-release was the post-2018 industry standard switch: the old multi-point system held you in place but also held you in the aircraft if it went into the water, which is exactly what made the 2018 incident fatal. The current setup lets you cut yourself free in seconds during a water egress drill — practiced during your pre-flight briefing.

Anything you can tether. Phones must have a lanyard around your wrist or neck. GoPros must have a wrist strap (the standard mounting clip is not enough). DSLR or mirrorless bodies must have the neck strap doubled around your wrist or shoulder, and the lens cap should be left at the terminal. Drones are not permitted under any circumstances. Tripods, gimbals and selfie sticks are usually refused — the wind makes them dangerous. If you drop anything into the harbor or onto a rooftop, FlyNYON cannot recover it and you cannot reschedule the flight for the loss. The shot they advertise — your shoes and the city in the same frame — is taken with the phone in landscape, held with both hands, lanyard on the wrist, pointed straight down between your knees.

The $99 seat is the entry rate, not the total. FlyNYON adds a $59.55 booking fee per person at checkout — minimum out-the-door is $158.55. From there, the upsells stack up: Double Your Flight Time (16 → 32 minutes) is $190, the Shoe-Selfie Seat Guarantee (open side of the cabin, the side every doors-off photo on Instagram comes from) is $90.45, Weather Insurance (full refund if FlyNYON cancels due to weather) is $90.45, a handheld GoPro is $98, and a camera rental package starts at $69. None of these are mandatory beyond the booking fee, but the Shoe-Selfie Seat Guarantee is the one most photographers regret skipping. Realistic per-person total once you add the photo seat and either the longer flight or weather insurance: $250 to $430. Still the cheapest doors-off product in the market — just budget for the real number.