The Hudson River Exclusion rules let a VFR pilot fly the corridor between Alpine Tower in New Jersey and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge without an ATC clearance, provided you fit within the assigned altitude band for your type of operation, keep to the correct shoreline for your direction of flight, stay at or below 140 knots indicated, and self-announce on the common frequency at each mandatory reporting point. The corridor sits in the airspace carved out beneath the New York Class B floor, so the usual Class B entry rules do not apply. Everything about safety here depends on pilots following the same procedures at the same places.
What the Corridor Is
The exclusion occupies the airspace between the east and west banks of the Hudson River, from the surface up to but not including the floor of the overlying Class B. The northern boundary begins near Alpine Tower at approximately latitude 40°57′45″ N. The southern boundary ends at the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, with the corridor tracing around the southern tip of Manhattan through Governors Island.1eCFR. 14 CFR 93.350 – Definitions
Because the corridor is carved out of the Class B surface area, pilots inside it are not operating in Class B airspace. No ATC clearance is needed and no two-way communication with a controller is required. Pilots self-separate using see-and-avoid and a shared radio frequency.
Altitude: Transient Versus Local Operations
The exclusion sorts pilots into two categories based on what they are doing, and each category gets a different altitude band. This vertical separation keeps faster through-traffic above slower sightseeing aircraft, and it only works if every pilot knows which category applies before entering.
- Transient operations. If you are flying through end-to-end without significantly changing heading, altitude, or airspeed, you fly at or above 1,000 feet MSL up to, but not including, the floor of the overlying Class B. That ceiling is typically 1,300 feet MSL along most of the corridor.2eCFR. 14 CFR 93.352 – Hudson River Exclusion Specific Operating Procedures3Federal Aviation Administration. New York Class B Airspace Hudson River and East River Exclusion Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA)
- Local operations. If you are doing anything other than a straight transit, such as sightseeing, photography, or maneuvering near a landmark, you stay from the surface up to but not including 1,000 feet MSL.3Federal Aviation Administration. New York Class B Airspace Hudson River and East River Exclusion Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA)
If you are transiting and drift below 1,000 feet, you have merged into the altitude band full of slow-moving helicopters and sightseeing flights. Pick a category before you enter and stay in your assigned band.
Speed Limit
All aircraft in the exclusion must maintain an indicated airspeed of 140 knots or less.2eCFR. 14 CFR 93.352 – Hudson River Exclusion Specific Operating Procedures In a corridor this narrow with traffic flying in both directions at low altitude, reaction time matters. Many experienced Hudson River pilots cruise at 100 to 120 knots to give themselves more time to spot traffic and respond to radio calls.
Which Shoreline You Fly
This is the highest-consequence rule in the corridor. Southbound aircraft fly along the west shoreline on the New Jersey side. Northbound aircraft fly along the east shoreline on the Manhattan side. Pilots must remain within the boundaries of the exclusion, meaning over the river between the two shorelines.2eCFR. 14 CFR 93.352 – Hudson River Exclusion Specific Operating Procedures
The logic mirrors road traffic. Everyone keeps right relative to their direction of travel. Southbound hugs the right (west) bank, northbound hugs the right (east) bank, and the center of the river is the dividing line. Drifting to the wrong side eliminates the lateral separation the entire system depends on and puts you head-on with oncoming traffic.
Radio Calls and Reporting Points
No controller is providing separation in the exclusion. The system runs on pilots talking to each other on a shared frequency: 123.05 MHz, the common traffic advisory frequency for the Hudson River corridor.3Federal Aviation Administration. New York Class B Airspace Hudson River and East River Exclusion Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA)
You must self-announce at each charted mandatory reporting point. The required format includes aircraft type, current position relative to the landmark, direction of flight, and altitude.2eCFR. 14 CFR 93.352 – Hudson River Exclusion Specific Operating Procedures A typical call: “Hudson River traffic, Cessna 172, George Washington Bridge southbound, one thousand two hundred feet.” Keep it short. The frequency gets busy on weekend afternoons, and long calls block other pilots from reporting.
Key reporting points along the corridor, from north to south, include Alpine Tower, the George Washington Bridge, the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum at Pier 86 near West 46th Street, the Colgate Clock on the Jersey City waterfront, the Statue of Liberty, and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.3Federal Aviation Administration. New York Class B Airspace Hudson River and East River Exclusion Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) The complete set is charted on the Terminal Area Chart and Helicopter Route Chart, so keep those in front of you rather than working from memory.
Required Equipment and Charts
The equipment list under 14 CFR 93.351 applies to both the Hudson River and East River Exclusions.
- Charts. Every pilot must have a current New York VFR Terminal Area Chart or New York Helicopter Route Chart on board and be familiar with its contents. These show the exclusion boundaries, mandatory reporting points, and the relationship to surrounding controlled airspace. Standard sectionals do not carry enough detail for this airspace.3Federal Aviation Administration. New York Class B Airspace Hudson River and East River Exclusion Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA)
- Anti-collision and navigation lights. Both must be on throughout the transit.3Federal Aviation Administration. New York Class B Airspace Hudson River and East River Exclusion Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA)
- Landing light. The FAA recommends keeping it on to improve visibility against the Manhattan skyline. It is a recommendation, not a regulatory requirement.3Federal Aviation Administration. New York Class B Airspace Hudson River and East River Exclusion Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA)
Transponder and ADS-B
Because the exclusion is technically outside Class B, the strict Class B transponder and ADS-B Out requirements of 14 CFR 91.131 do not apply the same way they would inside the Class B itself.4eCFR. 14 CFR 91.131 – Operations in Class B Airspace Much of the corridor still falls within 30 nautical miles of JFK, though, where a Mode C transponder is normally required under 14 CFR 91.215. If your transponder is inoperative, verify whether you qualify for an exemption or need to request an ATC deviation before entering the area.
Do Not Confuse the Exclusion with the Skyline Route
The Skyline Route is a separate Class B VFR transition route that runs above the exclusion along the same stretch of river. It requires an ATC clearance before entry. Northbound pilots contact Newark Tower on 127.85 MHz near the Verrazzano Bridge; southbound pilots contact LaGuardia Tower on 126.05 MHz near Alpine Tower.3Federal Aviation Administration. New York Class B Airspace Hudson River and East River Exclusion Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) The two routes overlap geographically but operate under completely different rules. Mixing them up puts you in controlled airspace without a clearance.
Temporary Flight Restrictions
TFRs can shut the corridor down entirely. The most predictable closures happen during the United Nations General Assembly each September, when security TFRs over Manhattan typically extend into the Hudson River airspace. Presidential and other VIP movements through New York trigger similar closures on shorter notice. Major sporting events at stadiums near the river can also generate TFRs, though these are normally limited to a 3-nautical-mile radius and may not always overlap the full corridor.5Federal Aviation Administration. Management of Aircraft Operations in the Vicinity of Aerial Demonstrations and Major Sporting Events
Check active NOTAMs and TFRs before every flight through the corridor. A TFR that covers even part of the exclusion can make a legal transit impossible.
Helicopter Wake Turbulence
The corridor carries heavy helicopter traffic from tour operators and corporate shuttles, and helicopter wake is a real hazard for smaller fixed-wing aircraft. Research from the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team found that within half a mile of a large helicopter, smaller aircraft can experience loss of control requiring extreme recovery maneuvers.6US Helicopter Safety Team. Avoiding Helicopter Wake Turbulence
The recommended minimum is 3 nautical miles of separation from large helicopters in forward flight, with at least 2 minutes for rotor vortices to dissipate. Following a descending helicopter is worse than following one in level flight, because vortex spread widens during descent.6US Helicopter Safety Team. Avoiding Helicopter Wake Turbulence Maintaining 3 miles in this corridor is often impractical given traffic density, but knowing the hazard lets you anticipate turbulence rather than be surprised by it.
Emergencies
If you have an emergency in the exclusion, squawk 7700. Because you are not in contact with ATC during a normal transit, the emergency squawk is the fastest way to be noticed by radar facilities. Switch from 123.05 to the emergency frequency of 121.5 MHz to reach any nearby ATC facility or aircraft monitoring guard. Newark, LaGuardia, and New York approach controls monitor the surrounding airspace on radar even when they are not actively working exclusion traffic. An emergency declaration overrides airspace restrictions, so do not let concern about a violation stop you from climbing, turning, or doing whatever the situation requires to keep the aircraft safe.
The ALC-79 Training Course
The FAA offers a free online course, ALC-79, covering the New York City SFRA and Hudson River Exclusion procedures.7Federal Aviation Administration. ALC-79 New York City Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) It walks through reporting points, altitude assignments, shoreline rules, and common mistakes that lead to airspace violations. The regulatory text of 14 CFR Part 93 Subpart W does not list course completion as a prerequisite, but the FAA strongly encourages every pilot to complete it before a first transit, and a pilot who skips the course and then shows unfamiliarity with the procedures during an enforcement action will have a harder conversation with an inspector.