About

HeliNY is one of New York City’s most established, largest, and successful premier helicopter sightseeing tour companies. We have been operating helicopter tours since 1994, with one of the largest fleets of Bell helicopters, highly skilled experienced pilots, and a highly dedicated staff. We provide the best, most thrilling, and safest helicopter flight experience to our customers without compromise. In addition to our New York City sightseeing tours, HeliNY provides:

Custom Charter Services – for privately chartered flights
Specialized Destination Tours – providing specialized destination experiences
Medical Logistics and Organ Transport
Bespoke Commercial Services – a variety of commercial helicopter services.

HeliNY operates services from two primary locations – The Downtown Manhattan Heliport (NYC) and Linden Municipal Airport (Linden, NJ).

Our sightseeing tours provide an exciting and exhilarating experience while relaxing in spacious cabins with unparalleled views. HeliNY has flown 15,000 flights and serviced over 78,000 customers annually, all in a comfortable modern aircraft with extended high-visibility windows and Bose noise-cancelling headsets – at the most competitive prices. We fly over 200 tours weekly, 7 days a week at several locations throughout the year. Our tour and other flight services are provided by a pilot crew that has over 80,000 hours of combined flying experience, providing best-in-class service and experience in the industry.

Our charter flights provide a safe and faster transportation alternative for our clients to reach their destinations by significantly reducing travel times. We provide custom charters, catering to our clients’ busy schedules and need for short travel and convenience, during highly congested periods.

Commitment to Clients & Community

HeliNY provides reliable, scheduled, and custom services to each client without compromise. Through our flight service offerings, we pride ourselves on our safety, integrity, attentive services, and professionalism, both in the air and on the ground. Our focused and flexible corporate structure creates a company culture where personalized service is delivered on a consistent and timely basis.

We have always viewed ourselves as a good neighbor to the communities that we serve. HeliNY has been an active participant in the Fly Neighborly Program, as we are able to fly with limited noise impact on our community, at levels below the strictest regulations. This is one example of HeliNY’s commitment to our community.

Safety First

HeliNY has one of the best flight safety records for the 38 plus years the Company has serviced the New York Metro market. At HeliNY, we have made safety our most important requirement in providing our specialized services to our customers.

Our commitment to safety goes beyond our daily rigorous maintenance protocol for all our aircraft and experienced pilots; our Safety Management System creates a company-wide culture of above industry safety and procedures. HeliNY is a long-standing member of the Eastern Region Helicopter Council and the Helicopter Association International.

Sabina Szymanska

Director of Charters

Our History

The Company’s Founders Lesley (Topsy) Taylor and John Kjekstad, partnered in 1985 when they purchased Bell 206 Jet Rangers and later formed the Company in 1994. The veteran pilots with more than 60 years of combined aviation experience, wanted to provide a better tour and charter experience than other operators. Their mission has been to have a professionally operated company that has ample infrastructure and staff, a larger helicopter fleet, and consistent and reliably services daily all year long.

Founders

Topsy Taylor co-founded the Company in 1994. She is an aviation enthusiast and has been involved in Aviation for more than 40 years. Ms. Taylor began her training for her pilot license in a Beach Baron 58, out of LaGuardia Airport, NYC, flying all over the Northeast. Ms. Taylor first soloed in a Piper Cub in 1962, and in 1974, received her Private Pilot License.

In 1985, Ms. Taylor began taking helicopter lessons and received her Commercial Helicopter License. Her flight instructor was John Kjekstad; the Company’s other Founder and Topsy’s Partner. The Founders launched Helicopter Flight Services, Inc. (“HFS”) in 1994 and purchased the Company’s first helicopter, a Bell 206 Jet Ranger. Ms. Taylor has always been a pioneer in private aviation and helicopter services, and HeliNY has been the NY-Metro market leader since its founding.

Although Ms. Taylor retired from running daily operations in 2023, HeliNY remains committed to her founding principles to provide a world-class experience, with a dedication to safety for all customers.

John Kjekstad co-founded the Company in 1994. Mr. Kjekstad has been instrumental in implementing the company’s tourism business in NYC. Mr. Kjekstad holds an Airline Transport Rating, the highest rating possible as well as being a Certified Flight Instructor and Instrument Flight Instructor in helicopters. He has more than 11,000 hours of combined helicopter and fixed-wing experience, with the majority spent in Bell Helicopters 206 B/L and the Bell 407. Mr. Kjekstad retired from daily operations in 2022.

About

Commitment to Clients & Community

Safety First

Director of Charters

Our History

Multiway Charters