Get ready for some bustling NYC airspace!

[Gaiiden 98]

Google Earth KML

 

Check out the first completed final draft of my NYC traffic pack that I'll soon be releasing for Heli Traffic 2009.

 

Not only will you have 25 helicopter routes to enable, many of which follow actual helicopter routes around the NYC airspace, but if you're not much of an eggbeater there is also aircraft traffic looping along the Hudson River Special Flight Rules Area, so you can have some company while flying past the city. It's never quiet around Manhattan and up until now it certainly has been whenever I load up the sim for some cruising around with Manhattan X.

 

Release will be sometime next week.

[slait 169]

Does it use FSX native models?

[Gaiiden 98]

It can use whatever aircraft models you have installed on your computer. The first release will be path data only - I will not have any aircraft assigned to the routes other than the default Bell white Jet Ranger and you will have to assign your own aircraft. The next release will come after I find and download some add-on aircraft and paints to better match the routes - like I already know of a Bell 222 with NYC customs paint for the Harbor Patrol route. I'll then list my suggested aircraft in the second release.

 

I forgot to mention in my original post that if you download the KML file please feel free to give me any feedback on the routes displayed. I followed a lot of real-world procedures like circling Lady Liberty below 500 feet, placing all fixed-wing aircraft flying through the NYC airspace at the "fly-over" altitude range of 1000 - 1299 feet, and all commercial helicopters follow the actual routes on the helicopter sectional for the area. But I also made a lot of stuff up, like the NYC heli tours, the traffic choppers, news choppers, etc.

[Gaiiden 98]

Didn't get any feedback, so didn't rush out the release and focused on some other things. But now Release 1 is available via AVSIM:

Package Page

 

Here's the full run-down of what's in this first release, hope some rotorheads out there can enjoy it:

• 14 commercial flights – Helicopters will be constantly shuttling between all the major area airports and heliports KEWR, KJFK, KLGA, KJRB, KJRA, KTEB and 6N5. Even the old shuttle between JFK and the Pan Am building (now the MetLife building) has been recreated.
  
• 8 civilian flights – News helicopters will circle low over various areas of Manhattan, traffic helicopters will travel low along major highways and tourist helicopters will be out showing off the sights and circling the Statue of Liberty
  
• 3 government flights – A police helicopter will land and depart from One Police Plaza and cruise over Manhattan, a customs patrol helicopter circles about the Hudson and Elizabeth harbors, and a Coast Guard helicopter patrols the beaches of Staten Island
  
• SFRA aircraft traffic – Airplanes will loop through the Special Flight Rules Area up and down the Hudson River from the Alpine Tower to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at the proper fly-through altitude of 1000 – 1299 feet
  
• Busy heliports – Very little of the traffic is constantly in the air looping – there will be many landings and take-offs from the 3 Manhattan heliports, so watch your approach and departures!
  
• Real world routing – All traffic follows real world helicopter routes when traveling around the NYC area, and all traffic is spaced vertically to prevent collisions while flying
  
• Google Earth route KML – See exactly where all the helicopters will be flying with a route KML that shows not only the paths of each helicopter flight but the altitudes at which certain legs of the flights are flown. Route names are included as well for each flight, in addition to stopover times at each landing pad
  

[William J.S.S 173]

Never saw this! Thanks man! I will for sure check it out as this is something new!

 

Again thanks for the contribution to the community.

[Gaiiden 98]

Thanks William hope you enjoy it. I'm really liking the fact that when I fly around NYC now I spot another aircraft in the sky every now and then but what's best is that when I'm at any of the heliports around Manhattan it's almost always when helicopters are arriving or departing so I have to watch my approaches/departures myself now to make sure I don't get in anyone's way!

 

Working now on finding appropriate models and textures to use for the various flights for Release 2, as well as getting it better adapted to commercial scenery for LGA and JFK

[tf51d 284]

Assuming you are going for realistic operation, you should originate the Police Helo flights from Floyd Bennet field rather than Police HD. While I'm sure in an emergency one may land there (If a clear space can be established), there is no established helipad at that location. I've worked for years right across the street from 1 Police Plaza, and never once saw a helicopter land there.

[Gaiiden 98]

That's a good point. I did some more research into the 1 Police Plaza helipad and it is indeed listed as for emergency use only under the remarks section of the FAA airport data. I'm going to leave that flight in there (people can remove the helipad from the loop if they want) but will also add some NYPD flights from Floyd Bennet for Release 2. Thanks for the suggestion