• Welcome to the new Commander Owners Group Forums. Please bear with us as the kinks are worked out and things are tweaked. If you have any questions or issues with the new platform, please post them here.

NYC visit Airport Advice

N4843W

New member
SE MI
Aircraft Year
1977
Aircraft Type
114
Reg Number
N4843W
Serial Number
14173
I have to be in NYC for a function from noon to 3 next Friday the 31st at Pier 60, in Manhattan, just across the river from Jersey, just south of Lincoln Tunnel. Airfares are $850 in and out of LGA (my LEAST favorite airport in America) so ... might as well fly myself. I have a lot of experience in busy airspace so that does not concern me ... but all I hear about Teterboro is negative and crazy-expensive, and FRG is on the other side of things. Friday evening I plan to end up in Lehighton, PA at friends, Just NW of Allentown.

From what I see, my 2 Best options appear to be:
NEC to Linden
Morris & Essex to Morristown (Morristown fuel is a buck a gallon cheaper)

Easy to catch train to Penn Station from either. I know many here have a lot of experience in the area, so what would you recommend?
 
Re: NYC visit Airport Advice

I don't know exactly, but I'd be one to want to be on the outskirts & uber or cab to train connections if need be.

Of course one could be a bit further out on the side of approach to the busier airspace. I haven't checked the TFRs up that way recently bet keep them in mind. If Pres Trump or his wife are around that could be in the mix.
 
Re: NYC visit Airport Advice

I have used both Morristown and Essex, treated well at both sites and no problem getting in and out.
 
Re: NYC visit Airport Advice

Scott choose based on mass transport cab combo to NYC.
1st TEB has bus to city short parlk at say Atlantic Aviation & min fuel + hey give you ride to Bus that's on SE corner of TEB it goes to Port Authority in say 30mins.

2nd TEB cab to water taxi station on Hudson in NJ & take water taxi across & walk to destination

3rd Lincoln Park is nearer that MMU if you can Uber to its downtown thjere's Bus to Port Authority

4t MMU etc with Uber or other to Train to NYC

Call & can give yo more options
 
Re: NYC visit Airport Advice

Scott

hi.

Fly into KCDW and Uber in to Hoboken and Ferry over.
This will streamline for traffic and time.

KMMU adds another 15 miles to your commute in and back out.
KTEB adds transient costs, IFR delays, but most commute friendly.
KLDJ - close but services are minimal and IFR in/out will be a pain - it is under Newark. Its also a bit "south" and I don't think commuting in is any better.

IMHO Caldwell - Essex County (KCDW) is your best bet.

Uber may run you $30 to get in from KCDW into Hoboken.
You can take a ferry across to NYC from Hoboken north or the Sheraton (Lincoln Harbor).

http://www.nywaterway.com

Download the app and buy a ticket online. 6 minutes to 38th and West side.
5 minutes by cab to your function.


Assume you'll fly Friday to KABE to visit your friends. Quick hop from KCDW.

I was based KCDW for many years and am now at KABE. That weekend I am likely flying my wings back up from MIA or else would volunteer to ease some of your pain.
 
Last edited:
Re: NYC visit Airport Advice

Just to share a 'flashback': I remember fondly the days (1979-1996) when I regularly flew into TEB. In those days the whopping $15 overnight fee ($3.50 State tax fee?) was way cheaper than the I-95 Tolls from Baltimore (B HARBOR Tunnel $2, Delaware Turnpike $3.50; Del Memorial Bridge ($5.50?, & NJ Turnpike $11?). Not to even mention NYC parking, Even with avgas, was cheaper to fly than drive with the tolls both ways.
.
TEB was way closer to cousins in Teaneck NJ or Manhattan than MMU. If I was visiting Lung Eyelid cousins, went into Republic via Sandy Hook & Canarsie VOR ; or to East Hampton over the top JFK.

Once ran into an unforecast fog deck coming in from the ocean and put down at Islip, then went 300 ft over coastline to E Hampton. Remember taking my cousin (TEB to Katana grass strip) on Marthas Vinyard, $4 and free overnight camping.

Today, just avoid. Why I appreciated Sid's and Frank S's pics of Manhattan. So Scott, you gotta keep up the COG tradition of snapping some pics of the Big Apple.

Going over the Hudson N of West Point /Bear Mountain to 44N, or over the Hudson into Massa- chew-sits, before those great visuals, enough jet traffic NE of ABE, near Broadway /Sparta VORs to keep you 'See and Avoid the Jet WakeTurbulence.
 
Last edited:
Re: NYC visit Airport Advice

Mass Transit means you have time to kill. In the era of Uber, why bother? SMQ, N51, 47N all much cheaper fuel and no fees. All about an hour Uber to your destination. All quicker to get in and out of than MMU or CDW.
 
Re: NYC visit Airport Advice

Weekend - I'd be ok further out.

On a Friday in order to make a 12:00 in NYC, you need to be in a car by 10:30. I wouldn't do it from that far out. Rush hour traffic is still a concern - 1 accident on I-78 and you're done. I would do MMU/CDW - take an uber to the river's edge (will take about 30-45 mins) - Hoboken/Lincoln harbor. Then take a 5 min ferry.

I wouldn't take Uber into the city either. It could be 5 mins at 11 am - it could be 30 mins.
I do this commute every Monday and Friday and the variance is +30-60 mins on top of projected.

On commute out - if you leave your function at 3:00 - just to make it out of the city via Uber will be near 30 mins. I would just reverse. Ferry back - 5 mins. Uber back to CDW. On Friday - that uber ride to 47N at 3-4 pm will be 2 hours easy. It will take you about 60 mins to make just CDW.

If you really wanted variance out, I would do TEB and eat the transient cost. That is the best but not cost effective.

imho - CDW is a decent balance.
 
Last edited:
Re: NYC visit Airport Advice

Thanks for all the great feedback. A lot of options to pick from. This is an interesting group in that no one seems to think much of taking a commuter train into Penn Station, which is an easy 10 blocks or so from my meeting site. that is what I liked about Morristown MMU ... 5 minutes to the commuter line and if I catch the 10:15 train, in should not be crowded at all and I can work, and be to Penn Station at 11:08. Anyone every try that?

CDW looks about the same distance as the crow flies (which does not mean much out there, I know) but is much further from the train. Although the water taxi idea sound very cool.
 
Re: NYC visit Airport Advice

Agree Somerville too far, about same 'latitude as Monmouth -near were I spent 1st 6 yrs-RedBank, Bradley Beach. Das worked at Signal Corp Monmouth WW21949-1952. Remember taking train from both RB & BB to GRAND CENTRAL OR PENN STATION with my Mom to visit 'The Folks'. Would go to Sussex or,MMU. Probably MMU given your schefule. My 2c Plain, but would add Chocolate . Try a NY Cream while in da City! Like Hoboken Ferry idea for return.
 
Re: NYC visit Airport Advice

I commuted on I-78 for 10 years, rarely a problem and by the time you are going, no traffic, not even in the Lincoln Tunnel. I trained at SMQ, had lessons from 8-10 and was always in my midtown office by 11:30. New Jersey Transit sucks. Unless you have a fascination with choo-choo's then by all means, get it out of your system.

Maybe it's just me, by flying your own plane, to save money, save time and avoid hassles then subjecting yourself to mass transit doesn't make sense. Nothing like sitting between Secaucus station and the river on a train that is standing still and hearing "we are delayed due to signal problems, we should be moving shortly" Yeah, right. Avoiding airports with fees and overpriced fuel makes more sense to me too, but you have to pay for those plush FBO's somehow.
 
Re: NYC visit Airport Advice

Scott I recommended mass transit including train. I agree with Moaz any car into city from NJ Uber or otherwise (even a driverless Uber car) would be much longer than mass transit. Also sightsee via water taxi or train no fun being stiuck in traffic in a car.
 
Re: NYC visit Airport Advice

Scott,

I've traveled some in the Northeast - one nice commute that I had between Philly and DC was on the train - my recommendation on the train - if you can do it - travel first class. I had a nice lounge, no rush, plenty of room, decent snacks. It was about $20 higher than a coach ticket - a good value in my book

Dean
 
Re: NYC visit Airport Advice

Scott - how did your plan work out ?
 
Re: NYC visit Airport Advice

Absolutely beautifully! I was all packed, ready to taxi and waiting for the new forecast where it was going to show things breaking up more, and when it came it was much worse than prior and showing nothing but icing from Detroit to about Pittsburg. It was Dicey... but it seemed I could head north to Port Huron, then cross above Lake Erie then between Buffalo and Toronto, then I would be good coming down into Morristown. But then I looked at the update for departure the next day, and everything that was blocking the direct route at the time would be over Eastern PA, Southern NY, NJ etc the next afternoon. Very high icing potential.

So I bit the bullet and called the airline, as I had to do on Monday that week for my trip to Nashville, when tornado warnings came up all across Kentucky. Well, I got the round trip to Nashville by splitting between Delta and Southwest for $600. OK. But ... the airlines wanted a minimum of $1100 for a r/t to any of the NYC area airports! Then I would need a $250 - $300 room in the city, and at least $100 worth of transfers. So I was looking at a $1500 bill!!!! Insane.

So I traded my truck to my son for his Jetta Diesel wagon (which is being turned in next week for the VW buyback for emissions cheating) ... it runs and drives great and gets 45+ mpg highway at 75-80 mph. Downloaded 3 new books on tape. Hit the road

After the 9-hour drive in 35-40 degrees F without turning off the windshield wipers ONCE until an hour out, I overnighted in Parsippany at the Fairfield in, then drove about 50 minutes into Manhattan in the morning. Found a parking place 2 blocks away on my first try. Well, leaving was a big mess, but all in all it was fine and I enjoyed the road trip. And the WX for my original planned departure from MMU was all ice, once again.

I usually average one trip that I have to punt on each year, virtually always for ice. Thunderstorms usually pass or you can work around them. But that is 4 trips in the past 6 weeks and two in one week! Crazy. But then, I am alive, so that's a good thing. Sometimes you just have to say no.
 
Re: NYC visit Airport Advice

I guess you discovered driving into the city isn't quite so bad at off-peak times. I was hoping you had abandoned the NJT choo-choo nonsense. For future reference, if your trip had been now:

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2017/04/far_fewer_trains_leaves_nj_transit_customers_scram.html

It's always something.

half and half. Going inbound at 10:00 AM was a breeze. Coming out, I came out of the Lincoln Tunnel at 4:30. Showed arriving at my desination for that night in PA as 2:15 minutes. An hour later ... it showed 2:20. Another hour later, it showed 2:00. That was a TOTAL mess. So presuming the train went through, it would have been much better leaving, but who knows?
 
Re: NYC visit Airport Advice

4:30 6:30 is bad outbound. Dinner, then leave.
 
Re: NYC visit Airport Advice

Outbound on a Friday night : Ferry out - then drive out after 6:30/7:00 pm. Traffic out of the city is an easy hour in traffic at rush hour and then sit again on 78 or 80 West.

Train - I take the 7:30 ferry from Hoboken in the mornings. After 8 am today that became a mess.
 
Re: NYC visit Airport Advice

Scott - Great Synopsis on: Go, NO GO or Look & See! You made right choice.
Sometimes a 'Road Trip' is a nice chanGeorgia & to Mid Florida. -with the right mindset.
Similar situation with our Florida trip mid February . Storms down coast, and 2 days later when we left Savannah, high winds and strong TRW front across S Georgia & to mid Florid . We had to make our cruise departure. Hoping for good weather for Bill's 44N flyin!
 
Back
Top