When the New York Airways promotional film “The Skyline Route” was produced in 1962, the company had already operated above New York and the surrounding area for 13 years. Founded in 1949, New York Airways began carrying paying passengers aboard helicopters for the first time in 1953 using Sikorsky S-55 (think H-19 Chickasaw) helicopters.
Soon, the company added Sikorsky S-58 (H-34 Choctaw) helicopters to their inventory. By 1958, the tandem-rotor Vertol (Boeing) 44 (H-21 Shawnee) helicopters were flying the skies over the Big Apple with restrictions due to its single engine. But the company hit its stride when the twin turbine-powered Vertol 107 (CH-46 Sea Knight) went into service in 1962. The film was uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm.
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They operated the 107s for several years and later added the Sikorsky S-61 (H-3 Sea King). The film shows New York Airways’ routes and destinations with lots of aerial footage of the company’s 107s flying over 1962 New York City and the surrounding area. One tidbit of interest is that the iconic Pan Am Building had not yet been completed and can be seen in its unfinished state in the film. New York Airways 107s had a co-starring role in the 1968 Universal /Malpaso Company movie Coogan’s Bluff.
New York Airways Avgeek Trivia
Another bit of trivia for all the avgeeks: Former New York Airways 107 (N6674D, now operated by Columbia Helicopters) has logged more than 70,000 hours of flight time since being manufactured in 1962, making it the helicopter with the most flight time in the world. Ironically, years later, an S-61 accident that occurred on the roof of the Pan Am Building precipitated both the cessation of commercial flights from the rooftop heliport and, eventually, the company’s demise after 30 years of operations. Talk about bad luck!
Editor’s Note: As of 2025, N6674D is no longer operational. According to flight tracking software, its last flight took place on 13 October 2023
