East River VFR corridor
The East River Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA), formally known as the East River class-B exclusion, is a section of airspace above the East River in New York City in which flight is permitted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). Formerly, this could be done without being in contact with air traffic control. Pilots operating within the SFRA are expected to self-announce on a designated frequency of 123.075 MHz, and to maintain appropriate separation visually.

After a 2006 plane crash near the corridor, the FAA imposed a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) requiring all pilots of fixed-wing aircraft to obtain permission from LaGuardia's air traffic control tower for flight in the East River VFR corridor between the southern tip of Governors Island and the northern tip of Roosevelt Island. The pilot must remain in contact with air traffic control while in the exclusion. An exception is granted for seaplanes landing or departing from the New York Skyports Seaplane Base located in the East River near 23rd Street. Technically, this area remains a VFR corridor and outside of Class B airspace. However, the TFR imposes many of the requirements of entering Class B airspace. Significantly, cloud clearance and visibility requirements are not changed.

The rule is among many regulating aviation in the New York metropolitan area, which also includes the Hudson River SFRA. A major difference between the East River VFR and Hudson River SFRA's are that the latter route allows VFR flight along the entire length of Manhattan, whereas the East River corridor ends southwest of LaGuardia Airport. For this reason, helicopter traffic in the East River SFRA is the norm, and fixed-wing pilots tend to avoid it, as it requires a very tight turn-around in order to avoid continuing flight into the LaGuardia airspace.
Q2633050
class-B
Concept
Q272730
airspace
Concept
Q212862
East River
LOC
Q60
New York City
LOC
Q907246
Visual Flight Rules
Concept
Q221395
air traffic control
Concept
Q11652
frequency
Concept
Q39369
MHz
Concept
Q2114686
a 2006 plane crash
Concept
Q335357
FAA
Concept
Q464490
Temporary Flight Restriction
MEDIA
Q1190547
Governors Island
LOC
Q909777
Roosevelt Island
LOC
Q10860385
New York Skyports Seaplane Base
LOC
Q118599
23rd Street
LOC
None
Class B airspace
UNK
Q851783
aviation in the New York metropolitan area
UNK
None
Hudson River SFRA
UNK
Q7056505
Hudson River
LOC
Q11299
Manhattan
LOC
Q319654
LaGuardia Airport
LOC
Q5329283
East River VFR corridor
UNK
2006-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
2006
DATE
+23^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
23
NUMBER
located in the administrative territorial entity
located in or next to body of water
measured physical quantity
standards body