Choppering From NYC (with Hurley Haywood)
Bird's Eye: New York City by helicopter
I love New York City — been here for 15 years — but getting OUT of the city is a nightmare. Usually I leave hours before a scheduled flight, headed to Newark or JFK. Usually I’m also hours early, sitting around the airport. But once in a while, I still make it by only a few minutes. The issue? The Van Wyck. Or the Cross Bronx. Or getting crosstown. Or…or…or. Traffic sucks and there’s NEVER any guessing just how busy it will be. I recently sat in a traffic jam on my way back from JFK to the city at 1 am.
Which brings me to a recent “trip.”
Porsche invited me to test drive their new Boxster Spyder, a hot little roaster, at Monticello Motor Club, in the Catskills. It’s a great facility with a private membership, costing around $100K. No worries of me joining anytime soon. Anyhow, it usually takes about two hours, without bad traffic.
Heli Hawyood: Porsche driving legend Hurley Haywood, on his way out of NYC
But since Hurley Haywood, the famous Porsche endurace driver, was also attending, and had to catch a flight back out… the company procured a couple of choppers. I hopped a ride.
I’ve never flown in or out of NYC in a helicopter. While ALL the rich folks do it in Sao Paulo (where traffic jams can take countless hours of your life — I know from hair-pulling experience), it’s pretty rare here in Manhattan. There are three heliports — one on both the east and west sides of the island around 34th street, and one in Wall Street. We took off from the East side, hovering up the East River, north of Central Park, and then over the George Washington Bridge.
Amazing how green the state of New York is when you’re out of the city. And from that bird’s eye view I was especially amazed. Rolling green of the Catskills, with vast mountain swathes with no roads at all. Amazing. Made me happy.
Central Park: Green greatness from our bird's eye view
The problem, of course, is knowledge. We made it to the track in about 35 minutes, and the pilot was telling us that it only takes 6 minutes to get to JFK. So now, each and every time that I’m headed to JFK or Newark, I’m going to be thinking about that damn heli flight. Thinking, well, I could be there now. Or now. Or now… It’s like getting upgraded to First Class on one leg of your trip, and then sitting on coach on the way back. You KNOW they’re getting warm cashews RIGHT NOW… and you’re squished next to some dunderhead fighting for your arm rest.
I really liked the heli ride. Great to see Hurley, who recently coached me at the Porsche Driving School in Alabama, too. He’s a HELL of a driver, but a really nice, humble guy, too. (Story about my racing school here.)
But the heli ride spoiled me. Damnit.
Heli Harper: Jason H. Harper up in the air
Object of my Affection: Whirl baby whirl
