Just for interest for those of you in Blighty.
Back in the Big Apple after my 2 week IMC stint back home. Beautiful Sunday - perfect visibility, which is unusual for here, perfect flying but a bit gusty.
When I checked in for my weather briefing - I found things had changed big time!!
The 30 miles radius of the 3 big airports (ie mode C transponder) is now known as an ADIZ - Air Defense Identification Zone (slightly ominous name).
For all VFR flights in this area, you have to file a special ADIZ flight plan. The flight feels almost IFR, in that you are given a Squawk code, and have to contact New York Approach. You basically have to follow the flight plan, and are occasionally given vectors and altitudes if they think you're getting too close to the heavy metal (happened to me at least). The workload was high. I got handed off 6 times over the course of the flight
The controllers are clearly a bit harrassed having to deal with all this extra GA traffic, but I thought they were really patient and polite, and for me coming straight out of my IMC, it was a fantastic experience.
So at long last, the Yanks have put in place a proper system for protecting their key cities. 18 months too late in my view, and given how busy NY airspace is, really a necessity irrespective of the political climate.
As for the flight, we semi-circumvented Manhattan between 15 - 20 miles out (NW to South), with superb views of New York all the way round. A flight to remember.
